Battle of Andkhud
Battle of Andkhud | |||||||||
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Part of Khwarazmian-Ghurid wars | |||||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||||
Ghurid Empire |
Khwarazmian Empire Qara Khitai Kara-Khanid Khanate | ||||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
Muhammad of Ghor (WIA) Husain Kharmil Nasiruddin Aitam † Aibak Yogi Aibak Beg |
Alauddin Khwarazm Tayangu Uthman ibn Ibrahim Taj al-Din Bilge Khan | ||||||||
Strength | |||||||||
20,000 | 40,000 | ||||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||||
Heavy | Unknown | ||||||||
The Battle of Andkhud, also spelt as Battle of Andkhui was fought in 1204 on the bank of river
The Ghurids, soon after the death of
The Ghurids were chased in their retreat and in a decisive battle fought near the river of
The Catastrophe of Andhkhud lead to the loss of most of the
Background
By close of the twelfth century, the
Meanwhile,
Around the same time, Ghiyath al-Din died in 1203 due to illness in Herat and Muhammad succeeded him as the sole ruler of Ghurid dynasty.[9] Taking advantage of Muhammad absence from Herat, amidst death of his brother, Alauddin defeated the Ghurid garrison in Herat and recaptured the city.[4] However, Muhammad drove back him from Merv and decisively defeated him east of his capital in Gurganz.[10] Muhammad in order to give a decisive blow to the Khwarezmian, besieged their capital Gurganz, possibly to completely annex their empire.[11] Alauddin retreated, and requested aid from the Qara Khitai rulers who were themselves in hostile relations with the Ghurids after their invasion of Balkh. Thus, Qara Khitai's sent a large contingent of 40,000 soldiers under the command of Tayangu of Talas along with Qarakhanid ruler Uthman ibn Ibrahim of Samarkand and his cousin Taj al-Din Bilge Khan.[12][13]
Battle
Due to the hostile environment in Gurganz and on the encroachment of the Qara Khitai and Qarakhanid contingents, the Ghurids were forced to relieve the siege and start their retreat to Ghazna.[14] The Qara Khitai troops albeit, stationed themselves near the river Oxus to overtake the Ghurids in their retreat.[15]
Muhammad was chased by the forces of Alauddin until Saifabad where the Khwarezmians inflicted significant losses on the Ghurids in Hazar Saf[a], before the aiding contingent of Khwarezmians marching from Transoxania surrounded them. The Ghurids exhausted in their long march from Gurgānj started the battle with Muhammad in the rear of his army with 20,000 cavalry soldiers. Many of the Ghurid soldiers start retreating although, Muhammad continue to lead the vanguard. However, he got seriously wounded by an arrow and was taken by his slave general Aibak Yogi to safety inside a castle between Merv and Balkh. A large number of Ghurid soldiers were slain who covered his retreat to the castle, including the Ghurid governor of strategic Multan and Uch - Nasiruddin Aitam.[17] According to the chronicler Hasan Nizami - "Only a few person from the army of Islam were left".[18] The numerically superior forces of Qara Khitais and Qarakhanids eventually routed the Ghurids completely.[19][12]
They victorious army advanced further and successfully breached the wall of the castle in which Muhammad of Ghor took shelter. At this time, Uthman who according to
Aftermath
The defeat in Andkhud turned out to be a disaster for prestige of the Ghurids, who lost their control over most of the Khorasan except Herat and Balkh.[13] Further, Muhammad was forced to conclude a peace treaty with Alauddin and Khwazmian Empire.[20][21]
The Catastrophe of Andkhud, lead to a number of rebellions in the Ghurid empire. Aibak Beg, his general during the battle deserted him and seized
However, another rebellion occurred in his empire in the
After his death, his successor Ghiyath al-Din Mahmud was forced to acknowledge the suzerainty of the Khwarezmians. The Khwarezmian empire within a deacde or so, reached up to the Indus River and captured the western frontier of Ghurids as well which included Ghazni, Qandhar and Kabul . However, the Khwarezmian empire, soon was swept away by the Mongol conqueror Genghis Khan in 1221.[29]
Footnotes
- ^ The Ghurid hordes during their retreat engaged in a pitched battle with Alauddin's forces who according to Ibn-al Athir chased them like a "ferocious tiger" and routed them decisively. Alauddin returned to Gurganz with enormous spoils and the disheartened army of Muhammad reached Saifabad[16]
- ^ A fourteenth century text Tarik-i guzida claimed that Muhammad of Ghor's trusted slave Yildiz even besieged his capital Ghazna on rumours of his death. This is repeated by later historians including Ferishta. However, this is not corroborated by earlier authorities. Further, Yildiz remained loyal to Muhammad till his murder in Dhamiak.[23]
- ^ Conversely, Mohammad Habib states that the governor of Ghazna Yildiz indeed rebelled. However, it was not Taj al-Din Yildiz who was in charge of Kirman then.[24]
- ^ Some later writers propagated that Muhammad of Ghor's assassins were sent by Alauddin. However, this is not attested by any contemporary evidence. Alauddin had no reason to murder the Ghurid Sultan whose Central Asia expansion was already halted after his rout at Andkhud. Muhammad of Ghor though laid siege to the fort controlled by the Heretics during his campaign of Khurasan. His assassins were possibly sent by the Imam of Alamut.[24]
Citations
- ^ Nizami 1998, p. 182.
- ^ a b Bosworth 1968, p. 166.
- ^ Biran 2005, p. 65.
- ^ a b Nizami 1998, p. 185.
- ^ Habibullah 1957, p. 24.
- ^ Habibullah 1957, p. 25.
- ^ Habib 1970, p. 43.
- ^ Habib 1970, p. 44.
- ^ Habib 1970, p. 42.
- ^ Biran 2005, p. 67.
- ^ Habibullah 1957, p. 23.
- ^ a b c Biran 2005, p. 68.
- ^ a b Bosworth 1968, p. 167.
- ^ Nizami 1998, p. 186.
- ^ Habib 1970, p. 47.
- ^ Habib 1981, p. 131.
- ^ Habib 1992, p. 6.
- ^ Habib 1981, p. 159.
- ^ a b Habib 1970, p. 46.
- ^ Biran 2005, p. 69.
- ^ Habibullah 1957, p. 26.
- ^ Habib 1981, p. 133.
- ^ Nizami 1970, p. 172.
- ^ a b Habib 1981, p. 153.
- ^ Nizami 1970, p. 171.
- ^ Biran 2005, p. 70.
- ^ Habib 1981, p. 134.
- ^ Chandra 2007, p. 67.
- ^ Chandra 2007, p. 84.
Bibliography
- ISBN 978-0-521-06936-6.
- Biran, Michael (2005). The Empire of the Qara Khitai in Eurasian History: Between China and the Islamic World. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-84226-6.
- ISBN 978-81-250-3226-7.
- Habib, Irfan (1992). "The Formation of the Sultanate Ruling Class of the Thirteenth Century". In Iqtidar Alam Khan (ed.). Medieval India: Researches in the History of India, 1200-1750. Oxford University Press.
- OCLC 31870180.
- Habib, Mohammad (1981). Politics and Society During the Early Medieval Period: Collected Works of Professor Mohammad Habib. People's Publishing House.
- Habibullah, A. B. M. (1957). The Foundation of Muslim rule in India.
- ISBN 978-92-3-103467-1.
- OCLC 31870180.