The medieval state of the Golden Horde was created in 1224. During the reign of Khan Mengu-Timure, it gained independence and only formally depended on the emperor. What is the history of the Golden Horde? What are its boundaries? And what was the lifestyle like? Let's try to figure it out.
Origin of the name
In the eastern sources, as well as in the Golden Horde, a single name of the state was not found. There were a number of designations using the additional "ulus" or the names of land owners. In Russia, the phrase "Golden Horde" was first encountered in 1566 in the essay "Kazan History". Prior to this, Russian sources used only the word "Horde", which usually meant an army or a mobile camp. There were other names of the state - Tataria, Company, Land of the Tatars, Tatars.
Polovtsian Steppe
In the Northern Altai from the 3rd century BC, there lived tribes called Kipchaks (according to the annals - Polovtsy). In the period from the 7th to the 8th centuries, they were subordinate to the Turkic Khaganate, and later became part of the western part of the Kimak Khaganate. After the weakening of the power of the state (starting from the 11th century), the Kipchaks ousted the Pechenegs and northern Oguzes, occupying their lands. Soon the tribe became the master of the Great Steppe from the Danube to the Irtysh. This region of the earth is calledDesht-i-Kipchak. Subsequently, it was divided into two parts. Khan Bonyak owned its western region, and Togur Khan owned the eastern one.
Revival and defeat of Desht-i-Kipchak
Thanks to the emergence of wise and warlike khans, the territory of the Kipchaks expanded and strengthened significantly. Various nationalities that were part of the Great Steppe were united, the number of inhabitants increased markedly. A feudal hierarchy was established, in which the khan stood at the head, the sultan was his right hand, the next most important post was occupied by the bek. The final step was the title bi. The classification was strictly observed.
When the Mongol invasion of Eastern Europe began, the Kipchaks did not stand aside, but took the fight. In 1223 the tribe lost the battle. And soon the Great Steppe became the main land of the Golden Horde.
Establishment of an ulus
The State of the Golden Horde was one of the largest territories of the Middle Ages. It was founded in 1243 by the son of Jochi - Khan Batu. One of the few sources of information of that time was the Laurentian Chronicle. It tells about the arrival of Grand Duke Yaroslav to Khan Batu for a label to reign in the summer of 1243. The case shows that the khan was already at the head of the new state. After the death of Batu, Berke came to power. He conducted a census of the entire population of Russia and other uluses, and also paid increased attention to improving the military training of soldiers.
During the reign of Batu's grandson, Mengu-Timur, the Golden Horde became independent, had its owncoins. His tenth son, Khan Uzbek, began to gather meetings at which issues of state administration were considered. They were attended by the closest relatives and influential temniki. Before submitting the problem to the khan for consideration, it was decided by a council, which consisted of four ulus emirs. Khan Uzbek streamlined local authorities and centralized state administration. The rulers of the Golden Horde were distinguished by their wisdom.
State borders
The Golden Horde included the following areas: Western Siberia, Crimea, the Volga region, the western part of Central Asia. The state was divided into two parts - Ak, or the White Horde, and Kok (Blue). The capital of the Golden Horde in the period from the 13th to the 15th centuries was Sarai-Batu. Khan Uzbek moved the center of a vast territory to Sarai-Berk. The state included about 150 cities, 32 of them minted coins.
Arab sources of the XIV-XV centuries describe the border of the Golden Horde under Khan Uzbek in this way: “His kingdom lies in the northeast and extends from the Black Sea to the Irtysh in length by 800 farsakhs, and in width from Derbentado Bulgar by about 600 farsakhs. A map of China dated 1331 includes the following lands as part of the Juchi Ulus: Russia, the Volga region with the city of Bulgar, the Crimea with the city of Solkhat, the North Caucasus, Kazakhstan with the settlements of Khorezm, Sairam, Barchakend, Dzhend. As you can see, the territory owned by Khan Uzbek was huge.
Life of Tatars
The people in Ulus Jochi were mainly engaged inagriculture and cattle breeding, as well as various crafts. The military composition of the Golden Horde was impressive, the soldiers were engaged in improving their skills. Wise rulers, such as Khan Uzbek, Dzhanibek, Tokhtamysh, were able to significantly increase the level of development of the state. The cities were distinguished by majolica and mosaic monumental architecture. During the reign of the khans, poetry flourished, the most famous representatives were Kotb, Khorezmi, Saif Sarai. The influence of the Golden Horde was manifested in active trade with many countries. For example, China imported cotton, silk, porcelain, Crimea brought glass and weapons, and Russia brought furs, leather, walrus tusk and bread. Jewelery, ceramics, glass and bone items and more were exported.
Beginning of destruction of Ulus Jochi
From the end of the XIV century, the Golden Horde began to disintegrate. Basically, because of religious beliefs, the Tatar elite began to be destroyed, repressions began. After the death of Khan Uzbek, the throne was seized by his middle son, Janibek. He ruled for a short time. After his death in 1357, his brother Mukhamet-Bardybek came to power. The strife began. For 18 years, the rulers of the Golden Horde have changed 25 times. The state broke up into independent khanates with centers in Kazan, Astrakhan, Sarai, and the Meshchersky Khanate was also formed. During this difficult period, the commander Mamai began to gain power, and in 1377 he finally seized it. The leader was not recognized by the people of the Golden and White Hordes, as well as by the Cossacks and Nogais, so he was forced to seek support. And I found it in the face of the Lithuanian prince Jagiello. Since then, the war has begunMoscow and the elite of the Golden Horde. The result of the struggle with the Russian princes was the Battle of Kulikovo in 1380, in which Mamai lost. After the defeat, he again begins to collect troops. At this time, another conqueror appears.
Reign of Tokhtamysh and Tamerlane
Using internecine wars to his advantage and uniting the Turkmen tribes, Tamerlane subjugates the White Horde. Having received the news about the loss of Mamai in the Battle of Kulikovo, he sends his trusted Tokhtamysh against the commander. The latter captured Saray and went to Mamai, who was killed during the battle. Tokhtamysh became the Khan of the Golden Horde. He restored the national religion and the idea of the unity of his people. The influence of the Golden Horde began to return. Khan wanted the complete obedience of the Russian population and organized military campaigns. During his reign, Tokhtamysh destroyed Moscow, Serpukhov, Kolomna, Pereslavl. Having strengthened in his power, the khan began to have a negative attitude towards his mentor Tamerlane, who did not tolerate arrogance and attacked the Golden Horde. The Tatars, without hesitation, stood up to defend their territories. After a long struggle, Tamerlane won. Part of the defeated state was ruined. A few years later, the battle broke out again, and again the Tatars lost. Tamerlane appointed Mengu-Kutluk Khan of the Golden Horde.
The collapse of a great state
After the death of the chief khan, the Golden Horde was the following khanates: Sarai, Kazan, Astrakhan, Cossack and Crimean. The Cossack state was considered independent;Khan did not spread. In 1438, the Kazan Khanate also declared its independence. Its ruler, Kichi-Mahmet, expressed a desire to become the chief khan of the Golden Horde. An internecine war began. The khans of Saraisk, Crimea and Kazan began to fight for the main power.
The Sultan of Turkey began to exert a great influence on events. So, he appointed Mengli Giray Khan of the Crimea. The Sultan extended his power not only to the Crimean Khanate, but also to the territory of Kazan. Mengli-Grey continued to fight against the rulers of the Golden Horde. In 1502, he entered into battle with Shih-Ahmed and won the war. The capital of the Golden Horde, Sarai-Batu, was destroyed. The once Great State ceased to exist.
And what happened next with a huge territory? At this time, new peoples separated themselves - Kazakhs, Nogais, Crimean Tatars, Bashkirs and others. In all states of the former Golden Horde, the tradition of inheriting power has been preserved. At the head of the government of various independent regions was the steppe elite - Genghisides. Some peoples did not have their own sultans, so they were invited from the Kazakh Khanate. The inheritance of the throne by the rulers of the "white bone" did not change for a long time. In the XV century, the following states were formed: the Nogai Horde, the Crimean, Uzbek, Kazan, Siberian, Kazakh khanates. In the 16th century, Ivan the Terrible occupied the Kazan state, took Astrakhan and the capital of the Nogai Khanate - Saraichik. In 1582, Yermak, with his detachment of Cossacks, captured the Siberian state. Since that time, Russia began to expand its territory, conquering more and more cities of the former Golden Horde.
Coat of arms of the Golden Horde
One of the reprinted ancient sources of the 17th century “On the conception of a sign and banners or ensigns” writes: “… And at the same time, great battles were fought between the Romans and the Caesars, and the Caesars beat the Romans three times and took two banners from them, that is, two eagles. And from that the Caesars began to have a double-headed eagle in their banner, sign and seal. In modern terms, Byzantium was at war with the Romans. And she won the fight. As a winner, the state appropriated the flag of the losing empire. In 1273 Beklarbek Nogai married the daughter of the Byzantine Emperor Euphrosyne Paleologus. Before the wedding, he adopted the Orthodox faith. The coat of arms of Byzantium was a double-headed eagle, which Nogai recognized as the emblem of the Golden Horde. During the reign of khans Dzhanibek and Uzbek, the image of the new coat of arms was actively used on the coins of the state.
There was another emblem that was often seen during archaeological excavations. It depicted a bird with a swastika on its chest. This emblem of the Golden Horde was present on the ring and on the throne of Genghis Khan. The swastika was the personification of the Sun, happiness and life. Her image was used on belts, carpets, clothes. The symbol was considered a religious sign with great power.
Emblem of the Great Steppe and Astrakhan province
If you look at these two symbols: the emblem of Russia - the emblem of the Golden Horde, you can see that they are similar in many ways. In 1260, the city of Tsarev was built, which was the capital of the Horde. Its other name is Sarai-Berke. The coat of arms of the Golden Horde wasan image of a crown (shamrock), under which a saber (lunar crescent) is located. The joint images of the cross, sickle and sun were a common religious symbol before the separation of the adherents of Islam. During the period of feudal fragmentation of the state, power passed to the Astrakhan kingdom, and with it the coat of arms of the Golden Horde. Photos of similar emblems available today to historians confirm the fact that Astrakhan accepted it. However, there is another symbol of this great state.
Golden Horde. Coat of arms and flag
The state of the Golden Horde had not only a coat of arms, but also a flag. The latter was an image of a black owl on a yellow shield (some historians believe that this was another coat of arms). There are a number of manuscripts that mention this banner. For example, "World Geography", the Dutch table of flags of the beginning of the 18th century, "The Book" by Marco Polo. There is another symbol - a black dragon on a yellow background. This emblem, by some historians, also referred to the flag of the Golden Horde. It was considered the banner of the ancient state and the image of the red crescent above the crown. The colors used on the flag are black and yellow.
A true story is always based on evidence found. Unfortunately, Ulus Jochi existed for a long time, many sources of information were lost or destroyed. The fact of the existence of the Mongol-Tatar yoke and what role the Great Khanate actually played remains in question. But what you can be sure of is that the history of the Golden Horde and Russia is closely intertwined. many customs andthe items were adopted from each other and are still in use.
