1215Reputable sourceWell documented
The Fall of Jin China's Capital, Zhongdu
On the timeline · around 1215 ·
What happened
From 1211 Genghis Khan invaded the Jin dynasty, the Jurchen state that ruled northern China. After years of war the Jin moved their court south, and in 1215 the Mongols captured and burned their northern capital, Zhongdu — on the site of modern Beijing — in a sack remembered for its slaughter and destruction.
Why it matters
The fall of Zhongdu shattered the Jin's power in the north and brought the wealth, craftsmen, and siege technology of China into Mongol hands — resources that would fuel conquests far to the west.
Sources
- World History Encyclopedia. Jurchen Jin Dynasty · Reputable source
Related timelines
- History of China → — The Mongol assault on northern China