siege siege captured capital dynasty war nearly decades beginning refused offer submit vassal sent armies led brother command forces single army given led siege arrived walls april siege deprived city resources residents famine disease soldiers defended city fire bombs gunpowder killing severely injuring tried arrange peace treaty assassination diplomat efforts emperor emperor fled city town city placed command general executed emperor loyalists promptly surrendered captured february looted city dynasty fell years later suicide capture background declared united leadership defeated rival tribes period china divided separate states north dynasty controlled china north western ruled parts western china reigned south year renounced hostilities building prosperity territory predecessors emperor rude behavior prince learned famine struck invaded armies dispatched territory command built armies reinforced cities preparation strategy based capturing small settlements ignoring fortifications major cities looted land retreated returned year besieged capital able penetrate walls city intimidated emperor paying tribute withdrew later year fearing siege moved capital besieged learned court fled city city fell large territory control afflicted multiple revolts leadership declared independence allied puppet ruler subordinate given title emperor dynasty expedition sent commanded successful realizing dynasty verge collapse rebelled declared king south rebellions broken beginning revolt rebels known color uniforms wore starting fall war effort shifted resources preparation invasion tried territorial losses invading song invasion fruitless wanted negotiate peace song rebuffed offers diplomats prohibited traveling song war subsided stopped went early command general died sickness campaigns wound settled peace song song continued assist red coats fell ill died successor renewed war siege armies dispatched capture capital named plans army approach city north second attacked south khan headed army based brother commanded army stationed illness relinquished roles campaign later regained health died year led combined forces armies late early reached january began february besieged city april tried end siege negotiating peace treaty progress agreement summer assassination diplomat entourage talks impossible grew desperate enlisted available men empire defend fight lines negotiations ongoing plague devastating population city starvation rampant supplies stored running forcibly seized people city political created fears internal threat residents city executed suspicion defense city collapse immediately held months city fell emperor afforded opportunity escape late departed court officials left governance city general moved city guide february august retreat emperor morale soldiers defending city wake emperor departure ordered execution loyal emperor remained city realized siege offered surrender opened gates let city later killed outside battle personal dispute insulting wife command looted city fell time period permitted trade richest residents city sold luxury belongings soldiers critically needed food supplies male members royal family residing city captured executed military technology observed assessment battle siege significant historians military technology details siege known historians based comprehensive account battle compiled official living besieged city fired explosives propelled opposing army contemporaneous record battle recounts process bombs launched soldier ignited fuse rope pulled launching bomb air bomb produced large explosion moment landed inflicting damage penetrate armor explosion sparked fire grass battlefield burn soldier death survived initial blast bombs primitive modern explosives occasionally fail detonate detonated early soldiers bombs digging trenches leading city covered protect explosives fired overhead official reports translation provided historian soldiers shields cover approach trenches men beneath walls dug large contain man hoping way troops able suggested technique lowering thunder crash bombs iron chains reached trenches making bombs set result attacking soldiers blown bits trace left infantry armed fire fire lance spear tube gunpowder attached mixture contained gunpowder ingredients ground iron flame shot lance reached distance meters heated ignited weapon stored small iron box soldiers battle gunpowder consumed fire lance like normal spear new tube filled gunpowder bombs fire weapons wary facing deployment gunpowder extensive certain acquired gunpowder point maintains gunpowder arsenal combatants believes use loaded large stones bombs gunpowder fired fortifications barrage inflicted casualties city psychological impact soldiers operating historical significance siege crippled dynasty destroy penultimate emperor dynasty emperor evaded capture left siege sent diplomats neighboring song dynasty help warned invade song fell requested supplies song song refused offer song fought multiple wars resented conquest northern china decades earlier instead aiding song allied militarily captured cities controlled december besieged fled emperor unable escape town siege resorted suicide february broke defenses emperor emperor intended successor resided town killed battle soon reign lasted days february death february dynasty ended fall
Mongol siege of Kaifeng