SACKING OF BUKHARA The invading force was in the first instance divided into two armies : one commanded by Jenghiz's second son Jagatai was directed to march against the Kankalis, the northern defenders of the Khw5.rizm empire; and the other, led by Juji, his eldest son, advanced by way of Sighnak against Jand (Jend). Against this latter force Mohammed led an army of 400,000 men, who were completely routed, leaving, it is said, 16o,000 dead upon the field. With the remnant of his host Mohammed fled to Samarcand. Meanwhile 'Jagatai marched down upon the Syr Daria (Jaxartes) by the pass of Taras and invested Otrar, the offending city. After a siege of five months the citadel was taken by assault, and Inaljuk and his followers were put to the sword.
The conquerors levelled the walls with the ground, after having given the city over to pillage. At the same time a third army besieged and took Khojent on the Jaxartes; and yet a fourth, led by Jenghiz and his youngest son Tule, advanced in the direction of Bukhara. Tashkent and Nur surrendered on their approach, and after a short siege Bukhara fell into their hands. On entering the town Jenghiz ascended the steps of the principal mosque, and shouted to his followers, "The hay is cut ; give your horses fodder." No second invitation to plunder was needed; the city was sacked, and the inhabitants either escaped beyond the walls or were compelled to submit to infamies which were worse than death. As a final act of vengeance the town was fired, and before the last of the Mongols left the district, the great mosque and certain palaces were the only buildings left to mark the spot where the "centre of science" once stood.
From the ruins of Bukhara Jenghiz advanced along the valley of the Sogd to Samarcand, which, weakened by treachery, sur rendered to him, as did also Balkh. But in neither case did sub mission save either the inhabitants from slaughter or the city from pillage. Beyond this point Jenghiz went no farther west ward, but sent Tule, at the head of 70,000 men, to ravage Khurasan, and two flying columns under Chepe and Sabutai Bahadar to pursue after Mohammed who had taken refuge in Nishapur. Defeated and almost alone, Mohammed fled before his pursuers to the village of Astara on the shore of the Caspian sea, where he died of an attack of pleurisy, leaving his empire to his son Jelaleddin (Jalal ud-din). Meanwhile Tule carried his
arms into the fertile province of Khurasan, and after having captured Nessa by assault appeared before Merv. By an act of atrocious treachery the Mongols gained possession of the city, and, after their manner, sacked and burnt the town. From Mery Tule marched upon Nishapur, where he met with a most deter mined resistance. For four days the garrison fought desperately on the walls and in the streets, but at length they were over powered, and, with the exception of 400 artisans who were sent into Mongolia, every man, woman and child was slain. Herat escaped the fate which had overtaken Mery and Nishapur by opening its gates to the Mongols. At this point of his vic torious career Tule received an order to join Jenghiz before Talikhan in Badakshan, where that chieftain was preparing to renew his pursuit of Jelaleddin, after a check he had sustained in an engagement fought before Ghazni. As soon as sufficient reinforcements arrived Jenghiz advanced against Jelaleddin, who had taken up a position on the banks of the Indus. Here the Turks, though far outnumbered, defended their ground with undaunted courage, until, beaten at all points, they fled in confusion. Jelaleddin, seeing that all was lost, mounted a fresh horse and jumped into the river, which flowed loft. below. With admiring gaze Jenghiz watched the desperate venture of his enemy, and even saw without regret the dripping horseman mount the opposite bank. From the Indus Jenghiz sent in pur suit of Jelaleddin, who fled to Delhi, but failing to capture the fugitive the Mongols returned to Ghazni after having ravaged the provinces of Lahore, Peshawar and Melikpur. At this mo ment news reached Jenghiz that the inhabitants of Herat had deposed the governor whom Tule had appointed over the city, and had placed one of their own choice in his room. To punish this act of rebellion Jenghiz sent an army of 8o,000 men against the offending city, which after a siege of six months was taken by assault. For a whole week the Mongols ceased not to kill, burn and destroy, and 1,600,000 persons are said to have been massacred within the walls. Having consummated this act of vengeance, Jenghiz returned to Mongolia by way of Balkh, Bukh5,ra and Samarcand.