There was once a people who had been high in the land of the northwest for nearly two hundred years, and they were the mysterious and powerful Dangxiang people, which is known as the Western Xia Dynasty. But you may not know that their downfall was due to a bloody revenge. This revenge came violently and suddenly, implicating steppe overlords like Genghis Khan. Do you wonder why Genghis Khan, on his deathbed, issued the order that "the party members must be sent to hell"?
It is said that Genghis Khan, the iron-blooded hero of the steppe, has been fighting endlessly all his life, his eyes are like torches, and he is almost invincible. His dislike and revenge against Western Xia had a complex and far-reaching background. Long before he unified the Mongol tribes and became king of the steppe, Western Xia was already on his blacklist.
In 1205 AD, Genghis Khan fought a decisive battle with his mortal enemy Wang Han, and after defeating the enemy, Wang Han's son Sankun secretly fled to the territory of Western Xia, and tried to use the power of Western Xia to make a comeback. When Genghis Khan learned of this, he was furious, but he failed to act immediately. He first sent an envoy to Western Xia to demand the surrender of Sangkun, but the Western Xia responded with delay and perfunctory, which undoubtedly planted the seeds of hatred in Genghis Khan's heart.
Soon, Genghis Khan began planning the conquest of Western Xia. Located in the Hexi Corridor, Western Xia was extremely important for any power that wanted to expand eastward. Although Li Chunyou, the Xia Huan Sect, was aware of it and hurriedly ordered the border to enter a state of combat readiness, but the internal turmoil and military disadvantages made his preparations seem stretched.
Genghis Khan did not play his cards according to common sense, and his army bypassed the preset defense line of Western Xia and directly raided the fortresses of Western Xia. In the conflicts again and again, the Western Xia army was defeated one after another, and the domestic nobles began to be afraid, and the regime was unstable. In the end, at the instigation of Xia Huanzong's nephew Li An'an, Xia Huanzong was deposed, and Li An'an established himself as the emperor for Xia Xiangzong. This change made the Western Xia even more turbulent, and Genghis Khan saw a greater opportunity.
Just as Genghis Khan was about to take Western Xia in one fell swoop, he was met with unexpected resistance. Especially in the battle of the city of Ura Ha, the Western Xia army and people were united and withstood the fierce attack of the Mongol army for more than 40 days. Genghis Khan was furious and ordered the city to be slaughtered, but in the end he had to retreat temporarily due to the excessive consumption of troops and supplies. Although this battle failed to completely defeat the Western Xia, it also greatly damaged the vitality of the Western Xia, and the national strength dropped sharply.
Genghis Khan did not abandon his plans to conquer Western Xia. He adjusted his strategy and prepared to launch another offensive. In between, he also had a mysterious exchange with Qiu Chuji. Qiu Chuji, as a Taoist master, originally thought that he could influence the heart of the king of the grassland and make him give up killing and conquering. In the face of Genghis Khan, Qiu's exhortation seemed to be only a subtle ripple on the calm water, and it was difficult to really touch Genghis Khan's heart.
In 1227, Genghis Khan died suddenly while launching another campaign against Western Xia, but his death did not quell his resentment against Western Xia. On the occasion of his death, he left a shocking order, requiring that when the emperor surrendered at the end of the Western Xia, he would not mourn, secretly, and when the Western Xia was completely unprepared, he would eliminate the party members in one fell swoop, leaving no trouble.
Following Genghis Khan's last orders, Ogedai and other successors launched a brutal massacre when the late Western Xia Emperor Li Kaecheng surrendered. The iron cavalry broke through the Zhongxing Mansion in Ningxia, and the once glorious capital city instantly fell into hell. Genghis Khan's order was not only a military operation against Western Xia, but also a proclamation of the end of the party's civilization.
Where did this extreme approach of Genghis Khan come from? On the one hand, it was because the Western Xia had sheltered his enemies and given him a major obstacle on the road to unifying the steppe. On the other hand, it may also be related to Genghis Khan's personal ambitions and extreme thirst for power. He wanted to eliminate all potential threats once and for all in order to ensure the stability and longevity of the Mongol Empire.
Was the fall of Western Xia and the disappearance of the party members a historical necessity or the result of personal hatred? This question may have to be left to history to answer. But what is certain is that behind all this is the embodiment of Genghis Khan's pursuit and control of power to the extreme. His iron-blooded policy not only changed the fate of a nation, but also profoundly affected the historical trend of the entire Central Asia and even the wider region.
Genghis Khan's life was full of wars and conquests, and his name became a legend in the steppe. But behind this aura, the tragedy of the party reminds us that history often has its complex and cruel side. The once prosperous culture and society of the party members have gradually disappeared in the torrent of history, leaving endless reflection and reflection for future generations.