1. Mongol Sacking of Baghdad, 1258 (~2 million casualties)
Though the previous nine deadly battles all belonged to the World War I and World War II eras, the deadliest battle in the history of the world in terms of death tolls was waged a much longer time back. It occurred in 1258, when the Mongol forces sacked the city of Baghdad. The siege took place during a short period between January 29 and February 10, 1258, but was violent enough to result in around 2 million casualties, military and civilian alike. The Siege of Baghdad was carried out by Hulagu Khan, the brother of Khagan (emperor) Möngke Khan. The first orders dispatched from Möngke Khan were not directed at overthrowing the Abbasid Caliphate in Baghdad, but rather to convince the then-Caliph Al-Musta’sim to surrender to the Mongol forces. However, the Caliph refused to do so, leading to an attack on the city, and the subsequent complete ransacking of Baghdad by the conquering Mongols. The blood-bathed city was forced to surrender to the destructive Mongols within only 12 days of the initial Mongol attacks. This battle also brought an inglorious end to the Islamic Golden Age and its many impressive cultural, scientific, and architectural achievements.
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