Siege of Caizhou

The night before, February 1234

On the night before the fall, the besieged Jin emperor Aizong assembled his officials and transferred the throne to his eastern commander Wanyan Chenglin, who initially refused. The Chinese record's jiyou day is conventionally converted to 9 February 1234.

Aizong explained that his own heavy body made mounted escape difficult, whereas the agile and militarily capable Chenglin might escape and preserve the dynasty.

A reign of less than a day

Chenglin took the throne, and immediately after the accession ceremony went out to defend the city — where Song banners were already visible on the southern side.

The southern defenders abandoned their gate, allied forces entered Caizhou and street fighting followed. Aizong hanged himself in the Youlan Pavilion.

Chenglin withdrew to the inner city, mourned Aizong and bestowed his posthumous designation; before the rites were finished, the inner city fell and Chenglin was killed.

Who actually took the city

The victors were allied Mongol and Southern Song forces, not Mongols alone. The Jin History records a Southern Song contingent of 10,000 troops bringing 300,000 shi of grain.

Taghachar commanded the Mongol side. Ögedei was the reigning great khan but was not personally leading the assault, and Caizhou was the Jin court's last refuge rather than the dynasty's longstanding capital.

The Jin dynastic history closes its account of the day: “Jin perished.”