The Tanguts could not even imagine that their prosperous Buddhist kingdom would become the first testing ground for the Mongol military machine. The state of Xi Xia, which had stood for two centuries, disappeared from the map of the world with such cruelty that even seasoned Chinese chroniclers shuddered when describing its demise.
The Tanguts’ fatal mistake
Even before Genghis Khan became the ruler of the Mongols, the Tanguts made a strategic mistake: they gave refuge to his enemies. Later, when he asked for help against the Tatars, the arrogant rulers of Xi Xia just laughed at him. They thought they were safe behind their fortified walls, protected by mountains and deserts. But the steppe khan didn’t forget a single insult.
The first Mongol raids in 1205 came as an unpleasant surprise to the Tanguts. The nomads, whom they had come to regard as savages, proved to be incredibly mobile and ruthless. After plundering the border towns, the Mongols left as suddenly as they had appeared, leaving behind a trail of destruction. But this was only a trial run.
The bloody lesson of 1209
The real war began when Genghis Khan personally led his troops to the capital of Xi Xia, Zhongxin. The Tanguts, confident in their invulnerability, mocked the nomads’ attempts to storm their fortresses. But the Mongols had already learned the art of siege warfare. When direct attacks failed, they tried to flood the city by damming the Yellow River. The plan failed—the water flooded their own camp.
It seemed that the Tanguts had won. But Genghis Khan offered peace on terms of vassalage. Emperor Anquan, not understanding who he was dealing with, agreed. He gave his daughter to the khan’s harem and promised tribute and troops. The Mongols left, but they did not forget.
“If you can’t win, why be a khan?”
This phrase, uttered by the Tangut commander Asha-Gambu in 1218, became a death sentence for the entire kingdom. When Genghis Khan demanded troops for a campaign against Khwarezm, the Tanguts not only refused, they mocked him. It was a fatal mistake.
The Mongols returned in 1226 — and this time, it was not for negotiations. City after city disappeared from the face of the earth. Khara-Khotu, once bustling with life, turned into a graveyard without graves — all its inhabitants were slaughtered. Only 106 families survived in Suzhou—the Mongols deliberately left a few witnesses behind so that news of their cruelty would spread throughout Asia.
The last days of the kingdom
The siege of Zhongxin lasted six months. By that time, Genghis Khan, already old and sick, had retired to the Lupanshan Mountains, but his order was brief: “Wipe them out.” When Emperor Li Xian finally surrendered, it was too late. The ruling family was executed, the city was looted, and most of the population was killed.
Dying in August 1227, Genghis Khan ordered that his death be concealed until the final destruction of Xi Xia. His last will was the complete disappearance of the Tangut state — and the Mongols carried out this order with pedantic cruelty.
Today, only ruins and a few Buddhist texts, miraculously preserved in the sands of the Gobi, remind us of Xi Xia.