WI: Surviving Kwharzemids

What if the Shah of Khwarzemia didn't behead Genghis Khan's messengers, and the Mongols hadn't massacred pretty much the entire country?

Khwarezmian_Empire_1190_-_1220_%28AD%29.PNG


Khwarzemea before the Mongols.
 
What if the Shah of Khwarzemia didn't behead Genghis Khan's messengers, and the Mongols hadn't massacred pretty much the entire country?

Khwarezmian_Empire_1190_-_1220_%28AD%29.PNG


Khwarzemea before the Mongols.

I don't know what would happen, but I'll bump this because I think it's an interesting question.

As far as I could guess, I think the Mongols would be more than happy to attack without a casus belli. It's not like they had a reputation to maintain. :p
 
As far as I could guess, I think the Mongols would be more than happy to attack without a casus belli. It's not like they had a reputation to maintain. :p
Actually, at least at the moment he sent the emissaries, Genghis was only interested in trade with the Kwharzemids, and only invaded after a number of insults from the diplomatically inept Shah.
 
A more interesting PoD than the Mongol envoys not being attacked would be Jalal ad-din defeating the Mongols in the passes of the Elbruz where he lost to them, or managing to gain more support from the Afghan tribes. He gave the Mongols incredible hell and at the same time managed to destroy the Georgians.
 
I have a soft spot for Persia among other countries so I'll comment a little.

1. The population of Persia was so thoroughly decimated by Mongols and in the end Timur that they didn't reach the same level of population until late 19cent. That alone says much. ( And when you read about Ahmadinejad's wish that Iran reaches pop of 150 mil. one day you can see that left a scar on their psyche as "Tatar yoke" did on Russians ). So stronger, more populous state that would be able to wage wars against any Ottoman or Anatiolian/eastern Mediterranean based empire on equal terms, not from defensive perspective as for example Safavids did IRL.

2. More prominent assimilation of the peoples of "Greater Iranian" family since stability of the state is ensured. If they would manage to hold Iraq heavily persianised pop would sprung up ( centuries in teh future ) there as well, maybe also even everything till the Indus river.

3. Not so sure what would be their relations with Egypt based Ayyubids and remaining Crusader states/cities.

4. Also if they survived and became one big, fat, stable empire when Portugese came into Indian Ocean for the spice trade I don't know how would their relations be.

5. If they go Shi'a then the stated branch of Islam would be even stronger than it is.

This is all coming from the perspective of them surviving for centuries to come and stabilizing into long a lasting dynasty/state aparatus.
 
It could mean no Black Death as well without the Mongols bringing it west. That, plus no Sack of Baghdad, makes this a massive Arabwank. China probably gets off worse though.
 
Black Death would still come in Europe since one of the first signs was when Mongols of Golden Horde were trying to conquer one of Genoese trade colonies on the Black Sea, think it was Azov. From there the genoese ships went with infected hosts back to their ports.

Forgot about Baghdad there. And with it spared all the cultural treasures and entire irrigation system of Iraq would've been still functional.

I've said it before and will say it again, Nomads = Hitlers on horses.
 
Maybe. Maybe not. I don't see why, after relations are established between the Mongols and Kwharzemids, Jalal II* and Hulagu can't decide to sack Baghdad together.

*Or whoever the current Kwharzemid ruler is.

The invasion of Khwarzemia was what started off the whole "rape, pillage and burn" thing for the Mongols. Before it they were nowhere near as destructive. Plus, the Khwarzemids would have had a lot more respect for Baghdad's treasures than the Mongols. So even if it did happen, it probably wouldn't have been as bad.
 
If I may recommend my Chaos TL, where Genghis dies in 1200, so Choresm survives (although they'll lose Persia and Afghanistan at later points in history).
 
Hmm, wasn't the invasion of China already brutal?
I would assume that if they did some trade with the Shah, Genghis Khan would focus more on China.

I've always wanted to see something where he does the "grass for my horses" thing to Northern China. It's happening in my TL to an extent, but that area of the world isn't a focus.
 
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