Editing Battle of Xiangyang (section)

== Background ==
{{Main|History of the Song dynasty}}
Before the rule of Kublai Khan, the Mongols had launched military campaigns as far as Eastern Europe, and had conquered Russia, [[Siberia]], [[Tibet]], [[Korea]], [[North China]], [[Yunnan]], [[Iraq]], [[Anatolia]] and [[Iran]]. However, the [[Song dynasty]] was difficult to conquer because of the strategic location of Xiangyang, which became a vital position for Kublai to capture and hold. The city guarded the waterways of [[Northern and southern China|South China]] because the [[Han River (Hubei and Shaanxi)|Han River]] was a major tributary into the [[Yangtze]] river. Once the city fell, the Mongols obtained easy access into important Southern cities in China and the [[Southern Song]] would collapse shortly after.

The [[Southern Song]] knew the importance of this vital spot, and treated the defense of Xiangyang as important as their capital. The city was surrounded by mountains on three sides, and a river (Han river) on one side. Song stored massive amount of supplies inside the fortress, as preparation for long sieges. They also built high walls and towers on all four sides of the fortress. Each entrance of the fortress had at least two layers of walls, used to trap enemy sieging forces inside.

In 1133, the famous Song general [[Yue Fei]] led many successful campaigns against the [[Jin dynasty (1115–1234)|Jin dynasty]], in the Xiangyang area. From there, he pushed the Jin army back north as far as [[Kaifeng]]. In 1234, the Jin dynasty was conquered by the Mongols under the leadership of [[Ögedei]]. At that time, Mongols and the Southern Song dynasty were allies. After that, the two former allies did not have any common enemy. The Song killed Mongol envoys and attempted to invade the Mongol territories.<ref>''The Cambridge History of China: Volume 6, Alien Regimes and Border States'' by [[Herbert Franke (sinologist)|Herbert Franke]], [[Denis Twitchett]], [[John King Fairbank]], p.367</ref>

Xiangyang surrendered to the army of the [[Mongol Empire]] without resistance in 1236.<ref>[[John Man (author)|John Man]], ''Kublai Khan: The Mongol King Who Remade China'' (2006), p.158</ref><ref>J.Bor ''Mongol hiiged eurasiin diplomat shshtir, VOL. II''</ref> But the Mongols voluntarily left the city after it was briefly held by them in 1236–38. The twin cities of Xiangyang-Fenchang, with walls almost 5 kilometers around and 200,000 people, withstood a Mongol assault in 1257.<ref>C. P. Atwood ''Encyclopedia of Mongolia and the Mongol Empire'',  p.592</ref> The Mongolian cavalry were lured in Xiangyang where they were slaughtered by the Song defenders due to the [[fortress]]'s double-layered wall design. When a Mongol contingent entered the entrance of the fortress, the Mongol forces would be slaughtered to the last man, while trapped between four walls. The Mongols lifted the siege of Xiangyang. The sudden death of [[Möngke Khan]] forced the imperial army of the [[Mongol Empire]] to withdraw from the Song territory in 1259–60.

In 1260, [[Kublai Khan]] was proclaimed successor to the throne after the death of his brother Möngke, as was his youngest brother [[Ariq Böke]]. The [[Toluid Civil War|succession war between him and Ariq Böke began]]. Kublai Khan won the war eventually, though his claim as the successor to Möngke was only partially recognized by the Mongols in the west. In 1271, Kublai Khan renamed his empire "Yuan", establishing the [[Yuan dynasty]], instead of "Ikh Mongol Uls" (Great Mongolian Nation or Great Mongol Empire).<ref>C. P. Atwood ''Encyclopedia of Mongolia and the Mongol Empire'', p.648</ref> After defeating his rivals and opponents in [[Mongolia]] and Northern China, Kublai Khan also wanted to continue his grandfather [[Genghis Khan]]'s conquest of China. In 1267, Kublai Khan ordered [[Aju]] and the Song defector Liu Zheng to attack Xiangyang and Fencheng. General Lu Zende had levied corruption charges against Liu Zheng, the Luzhou prefect, causing Liu Zheng to defect to the Mongols in 1261