Siege of Kaifeng (1232) 1232
Recorded location from Wikidata; battle sites are often approximate.
Key facts
| Year | 1232 | Wikidata P585 (point in time) |
|---|---|---|
| Era | Medieval (500–1499) | derived from year |
| Location | China | Natural Earth (modern borders) |
| Continent | Asia | Natural Earth |
| War / conflict | Mongol conquest of the Jin dynasty | Wikidata P361 |
| Coordinates | 34.7936, 114.3403 | Wikidata P625 |
About the battle
In the siege of Kaifeng from 1232 to 1233, the Mongol Empire captured Kaifeng, the capital of the Jurchen-led Jin dynasty. The Mongol Empire and the Jin dynasty had been at war for nearly two decades, beginning in 1211 after the Jin dynasty refused the Mongol offer to submit as a vassal. Ögedei Khan sent two armies to besiege Kaifeng, one led by himself, and the other by his brother Tolui. Command of the forces, once they converged into a single army, was given to Subutai who led the siege. The Mongols arrived at the walls of Kaifeng on April 8, 1232.
The siege deprived the city of resources, and its residents were beset with famine and disease. Jin soldiers defended the city with fire lances and grenades, killing many Mongols and severely injuring others. The Jin dynasty tried to arrange a peace treaty, but the assassination of a Mongol diplomat foiled their efforts. The Emperor Aizong of Jin fled the city for the town of Caizhou. The city was placed under the command of General Cui Li, who executed the emperor's loyalists and promptly surrendered to the Mongols. The Mongols entered Kaifeng on May 29, 1233, and looted the city. The dynasty fell after the suicide of Aizong and the capture of Caizhou in 1234.
Text adapted from the Wikipedia article Siege of Kaifeng (1232) (revision 1370742195), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: excerpted from the article lead section; formatting and citations removed. No text added.
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Other battles of the Mongol conquest of the Jin dynasty
- Yehuling Campaign 1211
- Sieges of Zhongdu 1215
- Siege of Caizhou 1233
All 4 battles of the Mongol conquest of the Jin dynasty →
Browse more: battles in China · Asia · Medieval battles