1. The Governor of Otrar executed the ambassador of Genghis Khan, resulting in not only his death but the deaths of millions and the destruction of his nation
The city of Otrar, part of the Khwarezmian Empire, was a prosperous city ruled by Inalchuq, the uncle of Sultan Muhammad II during the early 13th century. In 1218, a Mongolian trade caravan, numbering roughly 450 men and including a personal envoy from Genghis Khan, arrived in Otrar. In what was probably the greatest diplomatic mistake in history, Inalchuq accused the caravan of spying, arresting and executing them en masse. When word reached the Great Khan he responded in uncharacteristically diplomatic fashion, sending a delegation of two Mongols and one Muslim to the Sultan to demand justice against his uncle. Continuing the trend of impressively poor judgment, Muhammad II executed the Muslim ambassador and shaved the beards of the Mongols.
Unwilling to tolerate another insult, Genghis called an immediate halt to his conquest of China and redirected the entirety of his military empire towards Khwarezmia. Besieging Otrar in 1219, unlike their traditional offer of surrender to a city the Mongols presented no such mercy, declaring to eradicate the city from the face of the Earth. After a protracted siege lasting five months, Otrar fell and tens of thousands were butchered by the vengeful Mongols. Inalchuq, taken alive on the orders of the Khan, was reportedly executed in the most brutal fashion: in mockery of his offers of wealth to spare his life, Genghis showed his contempt for worldly possessions by pouring molten silver into the eyes and ears of the captured governor. The resultant invasion and subsequent conquest of Khwarezmia by the Mongolian Empire would prove devastating for the region, with an estimated 25% of the population killed with minimal losses for the Mongols, in addition to the destruction of the Sultanate which was absorbed into the Khanate as a vassal region.
Where do we find this stuff? Here are our sources:
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“CNN Averts Hoax About Bush’s Death”, Dennis McDougal, Los Angeles Times (October 1, 1992)
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“The Queen and Mrs. Obama: A Breach in Protocol”, Howard Chua-Eoan, Time Magazine (April 1, 2009)
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“Sarkozy, Obama bemoan Netanyahu over open mic”, CNN (November 8, 2011)
“The greatest mistranslations ever”, Fiona Mcdonald, BBC NEWS (February 2, 2015)
“Genghis Khan: Conqueror of the World”, Leo de Hartog, I.B. Tauris (2004)