Siege of Herat (1221) 1221
Recorded location from Wikidata; battle sites are often approximate.
Key facts
| Year | 1221 | Wikidata P580 (start time) |
|---|---|---|
| Era | Medieval (500–1499) | derived from year |
| Location | Afghanistan | Natural Earth (modern borders) |
| Continent | Asia | Natural Earth |
| War / conflict | Mongol invasion of Khwarazmian Empire and Eastern Iran | Wikidata P361 |
| Participants | Khwarazmian Empire, Mongol Empire | Wikidata P710 |
| Coordinates | 34.3333, 62.2000 | Wikidata P625 |
About the battle
The siege of Herat (Persian:محاصره هرات) took place in 1221 CE (618–619 AH), during the Mongol invasion of Khorasan. It consisted of two military engagements fought at the city in 1221 and 1222. The campaign was led by Tolui, son of Genghis Khan, after the citizens of Herat revolted and killed the Mongol garrison stationed in the city. Following its capture, Herat was extensively destroyed, and a large portion of its population was massacred.
The city of Herat was an important center of learning, commerce, and culture in Khorasan. The city was strategically located on key trade routes connecting Central Asia and Persia, and it flourished as a regional hub with bustling markets and skilled artisans producing textiles and other goods. Herat became part of the Khwarazmian Empire prior to the Mongol invasion. In 1221, a Mongol army commanded by Tolui, son of Genghis Khan, laid siege to the city. After the city fell, the Mongols massacred the entire population and destroyed much of its infrastructure. According to chroniclers, the city was devastated to the point that very little of its former structures survived.
Text adapted from the Wikipedia article Siege of Herat (1221) (revision 1370741850), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: excerpted from the article lead section; formatting and citations removed. No text added.
Nearby battles
- Fall of Herat · 1 km
- Siege of Herat (1833) 1833 · 1 km
- Siege of Herat (1381) 1381 · 1 km
- First Herat War 1837 · 5 km
- Siege of Herat (652) 652 · 5 km
- Siege of Herat (1448) 1448 · 5 km
Other battles of the Mongol invasion of Khwarazmian Empire and Eastern Iran
- Irghiz River skirmish 1209
- Otrar Catastrophe 1219
- Siege of Bukhara 1220
- Siege of Gurganj 1220
- Siege of Khujand (1220) 1220
- Siege of Nishapur (1221) 1220
- Siege of Samarkand (1220) 1220
- Battle of the Indus 1221
- Siege of Bamyan 1221
- Siege of Merv (1221) 1221
All 11 battles of the Mongol invasion of Khwarazmian Empire and Eastern Iran →
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