TY  - JOUR
T1  - The Split of Power in the Khwārazmshāh Dynasty on the Eve of the Mongol Conquests
AU  - KAMALI, Maryam 
JO  - Acta Via Serica
PY  - 2022
DA  - 2022/1/1
DO  - 10.22679/avs.2022.7.1.002
KW  - Khwarazmshah Dynasty
KW  - Khwarazm
KW  - Khorasan
KW  - Transoxiana
KW  - Jebal
KW  - Mongol Invasions
AB  - This study investigates why Khwarazmshah's rulers abandoned Khwarazm, their capital before the Mongols invaded this city. From a local dynasty in Khwarazm under the Saljuqs, the Khwarazmshah dynasty (ca.469-628/1077- 1231) rapidly expanded in the region. After conquering the Saljuqs (ca.429- 590/1037-1194), they extended their territory from Hamedan in western Iran to Samarqand in Transoxiana and beyond that to Otrar to become one of the world's great medieval empires. During this critical time, Khwarazm remained their central hub of power. However, the split in the power of the Khwarazmshah dynasty under Sultan Muhammad (ca.596-617/1200-1220) contributed to their failure to recognize the strategic role of Khwarazm in retaining and reconstructing their power. In essence, the Khwarazmshah state was divided before the Mongol Invasion.