Draft:Merv's revolt

Transoxiana was rife with local rebel bands. One band of up to 2,000 brigands had emerged from Zarafshan (Zarafshon) and operated in the area around Samarkand.^[1] Because of this, when the Taoist monk Qiu Chuji went to meet Genghis Khan in Samarkand in May 1222, he was accompanied by an escort of 1,000 Mongol horsemen under the command of an officer named Yang Akou.^[2] After razing Ghazni, the Mongol prince Ögedei went to join his father, leaving the Mongol general Shigi Qutuqu with 6,000 men in the ruins of the city.^[3]

Greater Khorasan was another source of constant problems.^[4] Emir Ziya ad-Din Ali and the shabna (governor) Barmas had been left in charge of Merv by the Mongols.^[5] Upon learning of the uprising of Shams ad-Din, son of Pahlavan Abu Divana, in Sarajs, the emir marched with some men to quell the revolt, while the shabna expelled the artisans from Merv and prepared to march on Bukhara.^[6] Encamping in the surrounding area, on November 7, 1221, the frightened populace rebelled, but Barmas entered with his troops and killed many people at a gate. He then began his march on Bukhara, and Ziya returned to Merv with booty and hostages, setting about repairing the walls and citadel and receiving a Mongol detachment that remained in the city for a time.^[7]

However, the Khwarazmian officer Kuch Tegin Pahlavan eventually arrived and seized Merv.^[8] Sent by the Shah, he arrived before the walls of Merv with a large contingent and began to besiege the city, joined by the rebellious populace. Ziya eventually fled with the Mongol detachment, and Kuch Tegin focused on improving the defenses and restoring the crops.^[9] However, some inhabitants of Merv sent him a letter urging him to return, but as he approached the city, he was captured by Kuch Tegin, who had learned of his approach. After unsuccessfully demanding the surrender of his treasures, Ziya was executed.^[10]

Kuch Tegin crossed the Amu Darya River and launched a surprise attack on Bukhara , killing the Mongol governor. The Mongols responded by sending a force of 10,000 men.^[11] When he learned that the Mongol Qaracha Noyan had reached Sarajs, Kuch Tegin retreated along the Sangbast road with 1,000 horsemen.^[12] Qaracha pursued him and annihilated most of his force at Sangbast. Meanwhile, Kuch Tegin's supporters continued to rule in Merv for another four or five days, at which point 200 horsemen sent by Qutuqu arrived. Half continued on their way to carry out their orders, while the other half began to besiege Merv and requested reinforcements from the Mongol generals Dörbei Doqsin (Törbei) and Qaban (Qada'an), who were in Najshab.^[13][14]

Five days later, Dörbei arrived in Merv with 5,000 men and, after an hour of fighting, captured the city. He divided the population into groups of 10 or 20 and executed them, massacring 100,000 people, and then allowed his troops to loot the houses, palaces, mosques, and shrines.^[15] This would have occurred in January or February 1222.^[16] He left Humayun Sipahsalar, nicknamed Aq-Malik, in charge of the city and a small garrison while he returned with the bulk of his army.^[17] Aq-Malik was tasked with searching for any hidden survivors until, according to Juvayni, no more than four people were found. After he withdrew, all those who had fled to the villages or the desert returned to Merv and supported Arslan, the son of an emir, as their new leader.^[18]

The Turkmen Taj ad-Din Umar ibn Masud^[19] rose up as soon as the news reached Nesa (also spelled Nasa or Nisa) and soon marched on Merv with many loyal followers. He quickly gathered 10,000 men and, for six months, sent out raiding parties to Marv-ar-Rud, Panj-Dih, and Talaqan to attack the baggage train and seize the horses and cattle of the Mongols.^[20] He may have raided Samarkand, the aforementioned band of brigands being part of his force.^[21] Eager to take Nesa, where Nusrat-ad-Din Hamza ruled, Taj ad-Din marched with the bulk of his forces to besiege it, but at Pahlavan a man named Yazir attacked him by surprise and forced him to flee; he was then overtaken and killed.^[22]

In July 1222,^[23] Qaracha Noyan unexpectedly arrived in Merv and resumed burning and massacring. Shortly afterward, he was joined by Qutuqu with 100,000 men, who participated in the destruction, notably the Khalyi Turkic and Afghan forces, who cruelly tortured their victims. The slaughter lasted for forty days, and when it ended, no more than one hundred survivors remained in the city and surrounding villages. The annihilation was so complete that, ten years later, the area remained uninhabited.^[24]

According to the chronicle of Abulghazi Bahadur, after the first sack of Merv, in which 1,300,000 people died, the city was sacked by the Mongols three more times, and after each occasion it was repopulated, with 50,000 to 70,000 people dying in each sack.^[25]

Guo Baoyu had finally captured Ashiyar in the middle of that year.^[26] Genghis Khan had sent 10,000 manjaniki^[27] the engineers in charge of the catapults, and a corps of 10,000 Mongols to take the fortress. The siege lasted fifteen months.book^[28] The final assault came when only 30 defenders remained, along with their commander, Amir Muhammad i-Maraghani; everyone inside had perished.^[29]

Pursued by his enemies, Kuch Tegin had to flee to Sabzavar where he was joined by Yekengu, son of Ilchi Pahlavan, and together they sought refuge with Inanj Jan.^[30] They soon confronted the invaders at Yuryán.