The Man Who Defied Genghis Khan

Who was the man that even Genghis Khan respected? Jalal ad-Din Manguberdi — the last Khwarezm-Shah. The final ruler of an empire destroyed by the Mongol invasion. In 1221, after defeating Mongol forces at the Battle of Parwan, he became the only commander to seriously challenge Genghis Khan’s armies. So Genghis Khan came for him personally. At the Indus River, Jalal’s army was overwhelmed. Outnumbered. Exhausted. He refused to surrender. He ordered his men to retreat — and faced the Mongol assault himself. His leap into the Indus became legend. He resisted the Mongol Empire for nearly 10 more years. Killed in 1231 — never captured. Some defeats create legends.