A Story of Revival-War of Parwan

Khwarazm-Shahs that became an empire by becoming more and more powerful soon after the fall of Great Saljuks and Mongols that decided to expand everywhere around after the assembly in Kharkhorin became the military and political rivals of each other in a short time. The rapid Mongol invasion in Khurasan made these two states encounter in a short time. The enmity which deepened after the Otrar disaster rendered the war inevitable. The big cities of Khurasan such as Merv, Balkh, Ispahan, Samarkand and Herat were rapidly invaded by Mongols and people were massacred. Jalal-ad-Din Khwarazm-Shah who fought self-sacrificingly against Mongols lost Herat after a long resistance. Many cities of Herat region were conquered by Mongols. The people of these cities were massacred. The Mongol proceeding made Jalal-ad-Din Khwarazm-Shah withdraw to the further east. The rapid withdraw of Jalal-ad-Din to the east didn’t mean that he gave up his determination of fighting. On the contrary people of the region joined him because they thought he was the leader of liberation againist the Mongols. This case enhanced his resistence more. As a matter of fact, after the loss of Herat and Bamiyan he heavly defeated Mongol army in the leadership of Sigi Kutku in Parvan between Ghazni and Bamiyan in 1221. This triumph became like the revival of both Jalal-ad-Din Khwarazm-Shah and his dynasty. Sultan’s determination of fighting increased and he also encouraged the people to rebel against Mongols in many parts of the region particulary in Herat and Merv.

Keywords

Mongols, Khwarazm-Shahs, Jalal-ad-Din Khwarazm-Shah, Parwan.