Batu Khan

Death

Batu Khan died around 1255, but his empire still lived on. His empire survived until the end of the 15th century. Batu Khan had at least four children: Sartaq, Toqoqan, Andewan, and Ulagchi. Historians are unclear whether Ulagchi is the son of Batu Khan or whether or not he was the son or brother of Sartaq. Sartaq Khan was the successor of his father and acquired the Golden Horde. Sartaq converted his religion and was baptized as a Christian, making him have tense relationships with his family. He ruled for less than a year after his father when he died in 1256 before returning from Great Khan Monke’s court in Mongolia. It was believed that his uncles Berke and Berkchir had poisoned him. Historians stated that Sartaq and his uncles were hostile to each other because of religion differences. After Sartaq died, Ulagchi succeeded him only briefly in 1257, until his uncle Berke fully inherited the throne. Berke converted to Islam, eventually making the “blue” horde primarily muslim. This conversion led to rivalries between Berke and Hulagu Khan; mongol ruler of the Mongol empire and a grandson of Genghis Khan. Initiating the start of the war was Hulagu, who murdered caliph Al-Musta’sim in Baghdad by wrapping him in a rug and trampling him to death by horses. Many people believe the reason of conflict was not just religion, but also territory. Berke vowed for revenge and started a civil war with Hulagu, who was defeated in an attempted invasion north of the Caucasus in 1263. In 1265, Hulagu had died. The hostilities between the two Mongol leaders continued until the death of Berke, in 1267. After his death the Great Khan Kublai tried to intervene to stop the ongoing civil war. By doing so, he had stopped Mengu-Timur Khan from launching an invasion of Agaqa’a territory (Hulagu’s son). After this event, there was no serious war between the Ilkhanate and the Golden Horde. Mengu-Timur was Khan of the Golden Horde from 1266-1280. Of all of the Khanates, the Golden Horde had ruled the longest. Descendants of Batu Khan continued to rule the throne for the Golden Horde until the end of the 15th century. The Golden Horde begins to lose its dominant position when the prince of Moscow defeats the horde in a battle on Kulikovo Plain in 1380. This makes the Mongols only one competing power among many in Russia. The Golden Horde was a vast empire that lasted throughout many rulers and descendants of Genghis and Batu Khan.

Early Life

The Golden Horde

Batu Khan was born in the year 1207 to his father Jochi, one of the four royal sons of Genghis Khan. He was raised in Mongolia and taught all of the ways of the warrior. After the death of Batu Khan's father Jochi in 1227, Genghis Khan gave Jochi's territories to Batu and his older brother Orda. Orda agreed with Genghis Khan that Batu would be the better successor to Jochi. It was decided that Orda's white horde would rule the lands between the Volga river and Lake Balkhash, while Batu's golden horde should rule all of the lands to the west of the Volga river (Howorth). After assuming control of the golden horde, Batu joined his uncle Ögedei's military campaign against the Jin dynasty in northern China. Later, having won the war against the Jin dynasty, Ögedei gave land in China to Batu and Jochi's descendants (Allsen).

Due to Batu's previous experiences in the Jin military campaign, Ögedei ordered Batu to conquer further and further into Europe. In 1235, Batu was given an army of over one hundred thousand to command an invasion of Europe. His relatives Güyük, Büri, Möngke, Khulgen, Khadan, Baidar and the mongol generals Subutai, Borolday and Mengguser joined forces with him on orders from Ögedei. The army crossed the Volga river and invaded Bulgaria in the year 1236. Batu then led a ravaging conquest across eastern Europe and Russia, plundering and destroying any towns that did not submit to his rule. He was so successful in his conquest that he decided to have a victory banquet to celebrate his new territorial gains (Prawdin).

However, when Batu drank from his cup of wine before others at the victory banquet, his cousin Buri complained about the unfairness of Batu receiving a large and verdant steppe while the mongolian army, along with Güyük and others, called Batu an "old woman with a beard". After the insult, they left the banquet. Batu was so angry with his cousin's behavior that he sent a messenger to his uncle Ögedei to tell him of his mistreatment. Ögedei became very angry after hearing the news and recalled Buri and Güyük. Buri was sent to live with his grandfather Chagatai, and never came back to join the mongolian conquests in Europe. However, Güyük returned to Russia quickly after his father had harshly criticized him (Prawdin).

Fresh off of his conquests in eastern Europe, Batu Khan decided to reach the westernmost sea, where the golden horde could go no further. Having destroyed the various Russian provinces, Subutai and Batu sent many espionage agents into Poland, Hungary, and Austria, to prepare for a large-scale attack into central Europe. Batu Khan was the overall commander, but Subutai was the field commander, as was done in the Russian campaigns. The golden horde invaded central Europe in three

distinct groups. The first group conquered Poland, the second crossed the Carpathian Mountains, and the third followed into the Danube. Each army ravaged the Hungarian plains over the summertime and in the springtime of 1242 regained morale and extended some control into Austria, Dalmatia, and Bohemia (Grousset).

By the later months of 1241, Batu and Subutai were solidifying their plans to invade Austria, Italy, and Germany, when the tragic news of Ögedei Khan's death arrived. Batu wished to continue the war effort, but Subutai reminded him of the law of Yassa, which stated that he must return from battle for the coronation of the new Great Khan. The golden horde withdrew in late spring of 1242, as the blood princes, and Subutai, were transported back to Mongolia where the coronation was held. Batu had the potential to be the Great Khan. But, when he failed to win the position he turned to consolidate his conquests in Asia and the Ural mountains (Morgan).

The Golden Horde is the Russian name for a khanate that existed from the 1240s to 1502. It was also known as Kipchak Khanate or as the Ulus of Jochi. The origin of the name “The Golden Horde” is uncertain, but one theory is that it was merely due to the wealth of the area; another theory is that there was a literal golden tent used by Batu Khan. The Golden Horde's territory extended throughout Russia and Eastern Europe, including what is now Ukraine, Moldova, Kazakhstan, and the Caucasus. Not much is known about The Golden Horde, due to low literacy levels in the area at the time; however, it is known that The Golden Horde's population consisted of Mongolians and Turks, and Turkish groups such as the Kypchaks, Volga Tatars, Khwarezmians, and many others made up the majority of the general population; however, the Mongolians made up most the majority of the aristocracy. Over time, the Mongol population dwindled and their culture slowly faded out. Eventually, The Kypchak tongue became dominant with the majority, and in time, the people of this khanate became known as the Tatars to Russians and Europeans. Even long after Batu's death, the khanate was a force to be reckoned with; it was a powerful nation with a strong trade business. Eventually, it adopted Islam as its major religion, in large part due to a khan named Öz Beg. He was also a major cause of the Turkification of the khanate. However, soon after the end of Öz Beg's reign, The Golden Horde began to crumble; The Black Death struck in the mid-1300s and dealt it a powerful blow, as did the assassination of Öz Beg's successor. There was also much opposition led by RussianpPrinces. By the early 1500s, The Golden Horde had fallen and broken into smaller khanates, including Crimea, Kazan, and Astrakhan.

Mid-life

Starting in the year 1241, Batu Khan was pushing to conquer Europe, with plans to invade Austria, Italy, and Germany, when news reached him of the death of Ogedei Khan, one of the three sons of Genghis Khan. Although Batu Khan wanted to continue the invasion of Europe, he was stopped by Subutai who reminded Batu of the law of Yassa; the law of Yassa was a written code of law, lost over time, which only the Khans and their immediate council members were allowed to view. Following this tragedy, the forces of Batu Khan withdrew from the invasions of Europe, and returned to Karakorum, where kurultai was held; kurultai was a military or political council of ancient Mongol and Turkic chiefs and khans. This “kurultai” was essentially a large meeting or gathering of leaders and council members, where Khans were elected. After their return, the Second Bulgarian Empire was forced to acknowledge the supremacy of Batu Khan. Batu was considered as a Great Khan, but to no avail he was denied, turning then to conquer Asia and the Urals as well.

Batu Khan was chosen to elect the next Emperor of the Mongolian Empire. Batu Khan responded, telling the Great Khatun Toregene, whom invited Batu, of his inability to attend. This delayed the succession ofthe throne to the Mongolian Empire for many years. After many years of waiting, Guyuk was elected Khagan in 1246. As one of the oldest members of Chingisid Borjigin, Batu became a viceroy over all of the western empire. He named the Jochid retainers governors of Iran. During one of Batu Khans absences, the Mongols left behind put Mstislav to death, who was the prince of Rylsk, in the Ukraine. On his return, Batu summoned the Grand Prince Yaroslav II, who received him well and also confirmed Batu as suzerain over the other Russian princes, and gave him authority of Kiev, the capital of Ukraine. Batu then sent Yaroslav to the imperial court of karakorum and to assist in the inaugration of Guyuk Khan in 1246. Batu had commissaries in the various towns where the dependent Russian princes and other princes held their courts. The princes from Russian states such as Vladimir Constantine, Boris, Gleb, Vasili, Constatantine, Vladimir Constantinovich, and Vasil'ko would go to the court of Batu in person. When Michael of Chernigov arrived the Mongol overseers were engaged in taking a census of the inhabitants for the poll tax, which was good, because Michael had murdered the Mongol envoy of Kiev earlier. When summoned before Batu, he was made to pass between two fires and ordered to prostrate himself before the altar of Genghis Khan. Michael refused this task, owing his refusal to his disbelief in the “pagan rituals” of the Mongolian Empire. Because of his refusal to prostrate himself before Genghis Khans tablets, Batu Khan ordered him to death.