At this time the rulers of Persia and many surrounding territories were the Khwarazmians, Turks who had once been mamluks, but had risen up to become the masters of their own huge empire, which sat across the rich cities and Silk Roads of central Asia. In 1218 Genghis Khan planned to negotiate a trade deal with their leader, the Khwarazm-Shah, so he sent him a diplomatic delegation of one hundred Mongol officials. Unfortunately, on their way to the Khwarazm-Shah’s court, the envoys were stopped at the Khwarazmian city of Otrar (modern Kazakhstan). All were summarily executed on suspicion of
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