Khwarazm
Topic: Nomadic Empires: The Mongols · NCERT: Class 11, Ch 2 "An Empire Across Three Continents"
Meaning
Khwarazm was a powerful Central Asian state close to Transoxiana, the land beyond the Amu Darya river. The Mongols reached this region after they defeated the Qara Khita in 1218. The Sultan of Khwarazm, Muhammad, executed envoys sent by Genghis Khan. In revenge, Genghis Khan led campaigns from 1219 to 1221 that destroyed the state.
Example
In these campaigns the Mongols took the great cities of Otrar, Bukhara, Samarqand, Balkh, Gurganj, Merv, Nishapur and Herat. A Mongol prince died during the siege of Nishapur. The order then given was to raze it so completely "that the site could be ploughed upon". The Mongols chased the Sultan's son Jalaluddin into Afghanistan and Sindh.
Don't confuse with
- Il-Khanid Iran: the Il-Khanid state was a later Mongol kingdom in Iran, founded by Hulegu around the time Baghdad fell in 1258. Khwarazm was an independent state that the Mongols destroyed.