Siege Of Caizhou
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The siege of Caizhou between 1233 and 1234 was fought between the Jurchen-led Jin dynasty and the allied forces of the
Mongol Empire The Mongol Empire of the 13th and 14th centuries was the largest contiguous land empire in history. Originating in present-day Mongolia in East Asia, the Mongol Empire at its height stretched from the Sea of Japan to parts of Eastern Europe, ...
and
Southern Song dynasty The Song dynasty (; ; 960–1279) was an imperial dynasty of China that began in 960 and lasted until 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song following his usurpation of the throne of the Later Zhou. The Song conquered the rest ...
. It was the last major battle in the
Mongol conquest of the Jin dynasty The Mongol conquest of the Jin dynasty, also known as the Mongol–Jin War, was fought between the Mongol Empire and the Jurchen-led Jin dynasty in Manchuria and North China. The war, which started in 1211, lasted over 23 years and ended w ...
.


Background

The Jin and Mongols had fought for decades beginning in 1211, when the Mongols first invaded under the command of
Genghis Khan ''Chinggis Khaan'' ͡ʃʰiŋɡɪs xaːŋbr />Mongol script: ''Chinggis Qa(gh)an/ Chinggis Khagan'' , birth_name = Temüjin , successor = Tolui (as regent)Ögedei Khan , spouse = , issue = , house = Borjigin , ...
. The Jin capital, Zhongdu (present-day Xicheng and Fengtai districts,
Beijing } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...
), had been besieged in 1213, then captured by the Mongols in 1215. In the intervening years, the Jin dynasty moved its capital to Bianjing (present-day
Kaifeng Kaifeng () is a prefecture-level city in east-central Henan province, China. It is one of the Eight Ancient Capitals of China, having been the capital eight times in history, and is best known for having been the Chinese capital during the Nort ...
,
Henan Province Henan (; or ; ; alternatively Honan) is a landlocked province of China, in the central part of the country. Henan is often referred to as Zhongyuan or Zhongzhou (), which literally means "central plain" or "midland", although the name is al ...
).
Ögedei Khan Ögedei Khagan (also Ogodei;, Mongolian: ''Ögedei'', ''Ögüdei''; – 11 December 1241) was second khagan-emperor of the Mongol Empire. The third son of Genghis Khan, he continued the expansion of the empire that his father had begun. ...
, the successor to Genghis Khan, rose to power after his predecessor died in 1227. In 1230, the war effort against the Jin dynasty recommenced. Emperor Aizong, the Jin ruler, fled when the Mongols besieged Bianjing. On February 26, 1233, he reached Guide (present-day
Shangqiu Shangqiu (), alternately romanized as Shangkiu, is a city in eastern Henan province, Central China. It borders Kaifeng to the northwest, Zhoukou to the southwest, and the provinces of Shandong and Anhui to the northeast and southeast respectively ...
, Henan Province), and then moved on to
Caizhou Caizhou or Cai Prefecture was a '' zhou'' (prefecture) in imperial China in modern Henan, China, seated in modern Runan County. It existed (intermittently) from 606 until 1293. Caizhou was the location of the Siege of Caizhou, the last major bat ...
(present-day
Runan County Runan County () is a county under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Zhumadian, in the southeast of Henan Province, China. History In ancient times, this area was called "the middle of the world" (), since it was the center of ...
, Henan Province), on August 3.


Events

The Mongols arrived at Caizhou in December, 1233. The Southern Song dynasty had rebuffed Emperor Aizong's plea for assistance, and joined forces with the Mongols. The Southern Song dynasty ignored Emperor Aizong's warning that they would become the Mongol Empire's next target. Emperor Aizong tried to escape, but eventually committed suicide when he realised that the likelihood of escaping from Caizhou was no longer plausible. Before his death, he had abdicated his throne to Wanyan Chenglin, a general and descendant of the Jin imperial clan, on February 9, 1234. Caizhou was breached by Mongol and Song forces on the same day, and Wanyan Chenglin died in the ensuing melee, ending a reign that spanned less than a day.


Aftermath

The Jin dynasty came to a close with the fall of Caizhou. The Southern Song dynasty was eager to exploit the destruction of the Jin dynasty by annexing Henan. They did not succeed and were repelled by the Mongols.


References


Citations


Sources

; Books cited * * * {{Jin dynasty (1115–1234) topics Mongol conquest of Jin China Jin–Song Wars
Caizhou Caizhou or Cai Prefecture was a '' zhou'' (prefecture) in imperial China in modern Henan, China, seated in modern Runan County. It existed (intermittently) from 606 until 1293. Caizhou was the location of the Siege of Caizhou, the last major bat ...
Conflicts in 1233 Conflicts in 1234 1233 in the Mongol Empire 1234 in the Mongol Empire 1233 in Asia 1234 in Asia