Battle of Yehuling
Yehuling, near Zhangjiakou, Hebei, China
What happened
The Mongol army of Genghis Khan, with his general Muqali, fought the army of the Jin dynasty under Wanyan Chengyu and Wanyan Jiujin. The Jin pulled back into the mountains at Yehuling, hoping rough ground would slow the Mongol horsemen. Muqali led a surprise attack through a mountain pass called 'Badger Mouth', fighting on foot. The Jin army broke apart, and its remaining troops were later surrounded and defeated.
Why it matters
Why it matters: It was the decisive battle of the first stage of the Mongol conquest of the Jin. It sped up the Jin dynasty's decline.
What came next
Genghis Khan later left Muqali in charge of northern China as viceroy. The Jin capital, Zhongdu, came under siege.
Did you know?
Before the battle, a Jin envoy sent to negotiate with Genghis Khan defected and gave the Mongols information about the Jin army.
Timeline
- 1170Muqali is born.
- August 1211The Mongols win at Yehuling.
- October 1211Jin troops are defeated at Huihe Fortress.
- 1217Muqali begins campaigns in northern China.
- 1223Muqali dies.