Mongol invasion of Alania

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Mongol Invasions Of Ossetia
Part of Mongol conquests
Date 1221–1240 Location North Caucasus Result Mongol victory
Belligerents
Kingdom of Georgia Alania	Mongol Empire Tatars Kipchaks
Commanders and leaders
Khasi I  † Os-Bagatar	Subutai Jebe

The Mongol invasion of Ossetia, then known as Alania, began in 1221 and culminated with the Mongol victory^[1] at the Siege of Maghas in 1240. In the winter of 1238, The Mongol army, which had been stationed in Circassia, invaded western Alania, today's Karachay-Cherkessia. In November 1239, the Mongols besieged Maghas, the capital city of Alania.

First invasion[edit]

The Mongol troops turned northeast from Circassia to reach Derbent through Shirvan. Their further movement is described in detail by the Arab historian Ibn al-Athir (1166–1238) and the Persian historian Rashid al-Din Hamadani (1247–1318). Rashid al-Din Hamadani reports that "since it was impossible to pass through Derbent" the Mongols decided to feint. they turned to the Shirvanshah with a proposal to make peace and requested ten representatives of the local nobility be sent to the Mongolian camp. However, "(one) of them (the Mongols) was killed, and the others were told: 'If you show us the way through Derbent, we will spare you, otherwise we will kill you too.' Alans were out of fear for their life and showed the way, and they passed."

The text of Rashid Ad-Din does not directly indicate that the inhabitants of Derbent resisted the Mongol troops, saying only that "it was impossible to pass through Derbent". Comparison with the data of other authors suggests that the residents of Derbent did not allow the conquering troops into the city. Kirakos Gandzakti writes that "The Muslim army that was there did not let them through." In the Chronicle of Sebastatsi Murad this idea is clearly expressed: "And the Turkish troops that were in Derbent did not let them through". Thus the Mongol troops chose a path around Derbent.

The Mongol troops crossed through "impregnable places, filling up the gaps with trees and stones, their property, horses and military equipment". The only road the Mongols could use to reach the Northern Caucasus, ran through inland Dagestan along impassable mountains. Having bypassed Derbent, they likely could have reached the coastal part of Dagestan, but sources give reason to believe that the Tatar-Mongols passed through inland Dagestan:

"Having passed Derbent and Shirvan, the Tatars entered the regions in which there are many nationalities: Alans, Lezgs and several Turkic tribes (Taifa), robbed and killed many Lakzee Muslims and non-believers and carried out massacres among the inhabitants of those countries who met them with hostility and reached the Alans, consisting of many nationalities". There the Tatar-Mongols met stubborn resistance from the residents of the North Caucasus mountains.^{[note 1]}

Following further north, the Tatar-Mongols "arrived to the Alans, the people numerous, to whom news of them has already reached." As a form of alliance with the Kipchaks (Polovtsy in Russian chronicles) also became Alans. The leaders of the Mongol troops, Jebe and Subedei, decided to split the alliance of Alans and Kipchaks by bribing the latter. For this purpose, the Tatar-Mongols turned to the Kipchaks:

"We and you are one people and from the same tribe, The Alans are strangers to us, we make an agreement with you that we will not attack each other and will give you as much gold and clothes as our soul your wish, (just) present them (the Alans) to us".

The plot was successful.^{[2][note 2]}

Second Invasion[edit]

The first victims of the new Mongol expansion, which began in 1236, were the Alans and Kipchaks, who lived in the lower reaches of the Volga and the Caspian Sea, where they became steppes. The Alans and Kipchaks were defeated, and their leaders were killed. Batu attached particular importance to the campaign against the Alans, as evidenced by the fact that his troops were commanded by Möngke Khan, Güyük Khan, Kadan, Buri and others prominent military leaders. The purpose of the campaign was to capture the steppe and foothill zones of Alania and its capital Maghas.^{[note 3]} All sources indicate that the Alans provided fierce resistance, and part of the Alans remained unconquered. Rashid al-Din Hamadani wrote, that "in kakail, that is, in the year of the pig, corresponding to 636 (14. VIII, 1238—VIII.1239) Guyuk Khan, Mengu-kaan, Kadan and Buri headed to the city of "Minkas" (Probably Maghas) and in winter, after a siege that lasted 1 month and 15 days, they took it. They were still busy with that campaign when the year of the mouse arrived (637 AH - 8. VIII.1239–22. VII.1240)". In the Chinese Yuan-shi ("History of the Mongols") it is said that Khan Mongke approached the As (Alan) city of Maykos in the winter in the 11th month of 1239 and after three months of siege, he captured the Askaya lyceum. To take possession of the city, the Mongols resorted to cunning. According to the Chinese chronicle, 11 prisoners went ahead, shouting: "The city has fallen." The army followed after and took the city. The Mongols burned the city, and "only its name" remained. The siege lasted as long as it did as the city and garrison were so heavily fortified that,^[3][4] according to Sharaf al-Din Ali Yazdi, "due to the multitude of forests (even) the wind was difficult".^[4]

There was resistance from the Alan and Kipchaks but the Kipchaks went west and the Alans were defeated. In 1239, Mongols destroyed: Derbent, Khundzeti and Jar-Balakan—the places where Lezgins lived. In November 1239, the Mongols laid siege to the capital of Alania, Maghas. The attack was only partially successful, but after a long siege in 1239 Maghas was destroyed.^[5] Waves of Ossetian migrations occurred after its destruction, and large numbers of Alans entered service of Mongol Khans. Afterwards, in 1240, they surrounded Kumukh. Thus, the Tatar-Mongols could not subjugate the peoples of the Caucasus region. In the middle of the 12th century, the Italian traveler Plano Carpini noted that a part of Alania still did not submit to the Tatar-Mongols.^[6] The second traveler Wilhem Rubrukvis reported that by the years 1253–1255, the Tatar-Mongols had not yet completed the conquest of the Alans of the Adyghes ("Jiks", "Circassians"), nor the subjugation of the Alan-Dagestanis (Lezgs).^[7]

See also[edit]

• Ilkhanate
• Mongol invasions of Durdzuketi
• Mongol Invasions of Georgia
• Mongol Empire

Notes[edit]

Citations[edit]

References[edit]