AHistoryIndependent states
The Siege of Otrar (1219-1220)
The start of the Mongol invasion of the Khwarazmian state: a tragedy that began with a massacred caravan and continued with a months-long siege of Otrar.
In 1218 a large trade caravan sent by Genghis Khan arrived at Otrar on the Syr Darya. The governor, Inalchuq (Ghayir Khan), accused the merchants of spying, killed them and seized their goods. Genghis Khan sent an envoy demanding the culprit, but the Khwarazmshah Muhammad had the envoy killed as well.
In the autumn of 1219 the Mongol army came to Otrar. The city was a strong fortress and its defenders held out for several months. Genghis Khan left his sons Chagatai and Ögedei at Otrar and marched on Bukhara with the main army. In February 1220 the city fell; Inalchuq fought on in the inner citadel to the last, then was captured and executed.
The fall of Otrar laid the heart of the Khwarazmian state open, and the Mongols went on to take Bukhara, Samarkand and Gurganj. According to legend, molten silver was poured into Inalchuq's ears and eyes. The ruins of Otrar are now a protected historic site in Kazakhstan.
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Updated: November 11, 2026