Siege of Zhongdu
| Siege of Zhongdu | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Mongol conquest of the Jin dynasty | |||||||
The siege of Zhongdu (modern Beijing), as depicted in the Persian Jami' al-tawarikh by Rashid-al-Din Hamadani | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
| Mongol Empire | Jin dynasty | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
|
Genghis Khan Tolui Po-liu Uyar Yeh-Lu-T’u-hua Cha-la-erh Mudgali Ja’far Shimo Ming’an | Emperor Xuanzong | ||||||
| Units involved | |||||||
| Siege engines, including Chinese gunpowder weapons | City garrison | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| Unknown | Several hundred thousand | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| Unknown | Heavy; starvation, famine, and deaths inside fortresses; civilian casualties significant | ||||||
Zhongdu Location of the siege on a map of modern China | |||||||
The Siege of Zhongdu was a major military conflict during the Mongol conquest of the Jin dynasty. Zhongdu, the capital of the Jin dynasty and located in present-day Beijing, was progressively isolated by the forces of the Mongol Empire under Genghis Khan. After earlier Mongol incursions and the relocation of the Jin court to Kaifeng, the city endured prolonged blockade and famine before surrendering in June 1215. The Fall of Zhongdu marked a decisive blow to Jin authority in northern China and accelerated the dynasty’s decline.