The emergence of the Golden Horde. Administrative-territorial reform of Uzbek Khan

The GOLDEN HORDE, a Mongol-Tatar state, was founded in the early 1240s by Khan Batu, the son of Khan Jochi. The power of the Golden Horde khans extended over the territory from the lower Danube and the Gulf of Finland in the west to the Irtysh basin and lower Ob in the east, from the Black, Caspian and Aral seas and Lake Balkhash in the south to the Novgorod lands in the north. The Golden Horde included Western Siberia, Khorezm, Volga Bulgaria, Northern Caucasus, Crimea, Desht-i-Kipchak, steppes of the Northern Black Sea and Volga regions. The indigenous Russian lands were not part of the Golden Horde, but were in vassal dependence on it; Russian princes paid tribute and obeyed the orders of the khans. The center of the Golden Horde was the Lower Volga region, where under Batu the capital was the city of Sarai-Batu (near modern Astrakhan), in the first half of the 14th century the capital was moved to Sarai-Berke, founded by Khan Berke (1255-1266) (near modern Volgograd).

The Golden Horde was in many ways artificial and fragile public education, with a diverse population. The Volga Bulgars, Mordovians, Russians, Greeks, and Khorezmians lived in settled areas. The bulk of the nomads were the Turkic tribes of the Polovtsians (Kipchaks), Kanglys, Tatars, Turkmen, and Kyrgyz. The level of social cultural development population of the Golden Horde.

After the completion of the period of conquest, accompanied by monstrous destruction and mass casualties, main goal The Golden Horde rulers began to enrich themselves through the robbery of the enslaved population. The bulk of the land and pastures was concentrated in the hands of the Mongol nobility, in whose favor the working population bore duties. The handicraft production of the nomads of the Golden Horde took the form of home crafts. In the cities of the Golden Horde, there were various craft workshops with production for the market, but as a rule, craftsmen brought from Khorezm worked in them, North Caucasus, Crimea, as well as newcomers Russians, Armenians, Greeks. Many cities in the conquered lands were devastated by the Mongols, were in decline or completely disappeared. Large centers of caravan trade were Sarai-Batu, Sarai-Berke, Urgench, the Crimean cities of Sudak, Kafa (Feodosia), Azak (Azov) on the Sea of Azov.

The state was headed by khans from the house of Batu. On particularly important occasions, kurultai were convened - congresses of the nobility led by members of the ruling dynasty. The beklyare-bek (bek of beks) was a kind of head of executive power; viziers were in charge of certain areas of government. Local power was exercised by darugs, whose main responsibility was the collection of taxes and taxes. Often, along with the Darugs, military leaders - Baskaks - were sent to the places. State structure was of a semi-military nature; military and administrative positions, as a rule, were not separated. The most important positions in the army were occupied by members of the ruling dynasty - oglans (princes), who owned appanages in the Golden Horde. From among the beks (noyns) and tarkhanov, a cadre of military leaders was formed - temniks, thousanders, centurions, as well as bakauls (officials who distributed the maintenance of the troops, military booty).

The fragile nature of the state and the growth of the liberation struggle of conquered and dependent peoples became the main reasons for the collapse and death of the Golden Horde. Already during its formation, the Golden Horde was divided into uluses that belonged to numerous sons of Jochi. Although Batu's brothers recognized his supreme power, they were largely independent. Decentralization tendencies clearly manifested themselves after the death of Khan Mengu-Timur (1266-1282), when the war began between the princes of the house of Jochi. Under the khans Tuda-Mengu (1282-1287) and Talabug (1287-1291), the temnik Nogai became the de facto ruler of the state. Only Khan Tokhta (1291-1312) managed to get rid of Nogai and his associates. Uzbek Khan (1312-1342) managed to stop the new unrest; under him and his successor Khan Janibek (1342-1357), the Golden Horde reached the peak of its power. The Uzbek army numbered up to 300 thousand people. After the murder of Janibek, the new period instability of power. In 1357-1380, more than 25 khans were on the Golden Horde throne. In the 1360-1370s, the de facto ruler of the state was Temnik Mamai. In the early 1360s, Khorezm fell away from the Golden Horde, the lands in the Dnieper River basin came under the rule of Lithuania, and Astrakhan became independent. A powerful union of principalities led by Moscow emerged in Rus'. In an attempt to weaken the Moscow princes, Mamai, at the head of a huge army, went on a campaign against Rus', but was defeated by the united Russian troops in the Battle of Kulikovo (1380). Under Khan Tokhtamysh (1380-1395), the unrest ceased, and the khan's power again began to control the main territory of the state. Tokhtamysh defeated the army of Mamai on the Kalka River (1380), in 1382 he carried out a successful campaign against Rus', captured Moscow by deception and burned it. During this period, Timur became a dangerous opponent of the Golden Horde. As a result of a series of devastating campaigns, Timur defeated the troops of Tokhtamysh, captured and destroyed Volga cities, including Sarai-Berke, and plundered the cities of Crimea. The Golden Horde was dealt a blow from which it could no longer recover.

In the early 1420s, the Siberian Khanate was formed, in the 1440s - the Nogai Horde, the Kazan Khanate (1438) and the Crimean Khanate (1443) became independent, in the 1460s - the Kazakh, Uzbek, and Astrakhan Khanates. In the 15th century, Rus''s dependence on the Golden Horde weakened significantly. In 1480, Akhmat, Khan of the Great Horde, which for some time became the successor of the Golden Horde, tried to achieve obedience from Ivan III, but this attempt ended in failure and the Russian people were finally freed from the Tatar-Mongol yoke. The Great Horde ceased to exist at the beginning of the 16th century.

The Golden Horde has long been reliably associated with the Tatar-Mongol yoke, the invasion of nomads and a dark streak in the history of the country. But what exactly was this state entity?

Start

It is worth noting that the name familiar to us today arose much later than the very existence of the state. And what we call the Golden Horde, in its heyday, was called Ulu Ulus (Great Ulus, Great State) or (state of Jochi, people of Jochi) after the name of Khan Jochi, the eldest son of Khan Temujin, known in history as Genghis Khan.

Both names quite clearly outline both the scale and origin of the Golden Horde. These were very vast lands that belonged to the descendants of Jochi, including Batu, known in Rus' as Batu Khan. Jochi and Genghis Khan died in 1227 (possibly Jochi a year earlier), the Mongol Empire by that time included significant part Caucasus, Central Asia, Southern Siberia, Rus' and Volga Bulgaria.

The lands captured by the troops of Genghis Khan, his sons and commanders, after the death of the great conqueror, were divided into four uluses (states), and it turned out to be the largest and strongest, stretching from the lands of modern Bashkiria to the Caspian Gate - Derbent. Western campaign, headed by Batu Khan, expanded the lands under his control to the west by 1242, and the Lower Volga region, rich in beautiful pastures, hunting and fishing grounds, attracted Batu as a place for residence. About 80 km from modern Astrakhan, Sarai-Batu (otherwise Sarai-Berke) grew up - the capital of Ulus Jochi.

His brother Berke, who succeeded Batu, was, as they say, an enlightened ruler, as far as the realities of that time allowed. Berke, having adopted Islam in his youth, did not instill it among the subject population, but under him diplomatic and cultural ties with a number of eastern states significantly improved. Those that ran by water and land were actively used trade routes, which could not but have a positive impact on the development of the economy, crafts, and arts. With the approval of the khan, theologians, poets, scientists, skilled craftsmen came here; moreover, Berke began to appoint high government posts not well-born fellow tribesmen, but visiting intellectuals.

The era of the reign of the Khans of Batu and Berke became a very important organizational period in the history of the Golden Horde - it was during these years that the state administrative apparatus was actively formed, which remained relevant for many decades. Under Batu, simultaneously with the establishment of the administrative-territorial division, the possessions of large feudal lords took shape, a bureaucratic system was created and a fairly clear taxation was developed.

Moreover, despite the fact that the khan’s headquarters, according to the custom of their ancestors, roamed the steppes for more than half a year together with the khan, his wives, children and a huge retinue, the power of the rulers was as unshakable as ever. They, so to speak, set the main line of policy and resolved the most important, fundamental issues. And the routine and particulars were entrusted officials and the bureaucracy.

Berke's successor, Mengu-Timur, entered into an alliance with the other two heirs of Genghis Khan's empire, and all three recognized each other as completely independent but friendly sovereigns. After his death in 1282, a political crisis arose in the Ulus of Jochi, since the heir was very young, and Nogai, one of Mengu-Timur’s main advisers, actively sought to gain, if not official, then at least actual power. For some time he succeeded in this, until the matured Khan Tokhta got rid of his influence, which required resorting to military force.

Rise of the Golden Horde

Ulus Jochi reached its peak in the first half of the 13th century, during the reign of Uzbek Khan and his son Janibek. Uzbek rebuilt new capital– Sarai-al-Jedid, promoted the development of trade and quite actively propagated Islam, not disdaining to reprisal the rebellious emirs - regional governors and military leaders. It is worth noting, however, that the bulk of the population was not obliged to profess Islam; this concerned mainly high-ranking officials.

He also very strictly controlled the Russian principalities that were then subject to the Golden Horde - according to the Litsevoy chronicle, nine Russian princes were killed in the Horde during his reign. So the custom of princes summoned to the khan’s headquarters for proceedings to leave a will gained even more solid ground.

Uzbek Khan continued to develop diplomatic ties with the most powerful states at that time, acting, among other things, in the traditional way of monarchs - establishing family ties. He married the daughter of the Byzantine emperor, gave his own daughter to the Moscow prince Yuri Danilovich, and his niece to the Egyptian sultan.

At that time, not only the descendants of the soldiers of the Mongol Empire lived on the territory of the Golden Horde, but also representatives of the conquered peoples - Bulgars, Cumans, Russians, as well as people from the Caucasus, Greeks, etc.

If the beginning of the formation of the Mongol Empire and the Golden Horde in particular went mainly through an aggressive path, then by this period the Ulus of Jochi had turned into an almost completely sedentary state, which had extended its influence over a significant part of the European and Asian parts of the mainland. Peaceful crafts and arts, trade, the development of sciences and theology, a well-functioning bureaucratic apparatus were one side of statehood, and the troops of the khans and the emirs under their control were another, no less important. Moreover, the warlike Genghisids and the top of the nobility continually conflicted with each other, forming alliances and conspiracies. Moreover, holding conquered lands and maintaining the respect of neighbors required a constant display of military force.

Khans of the Golden Horde

The ruling elite of the Golden Horde consisted mainly of Mongols and partly Kipchaks, although in some periods educated people from Arab states and Iran found themselves in administrative positions. Concerning supreme rulers- khans - then almost all holders of this title or applicants for it either belonged to the clan of Genghisids (descendants of Genghis Khan), or were connected with this very extensive clan through marriage. According to custom, only the descendants of Genghis Khan could be khans, but ambitious and power-hungry emirs and temniks (military leaders close in position to the general) continually sought to advance to the throne in order to place their protégé on it and rule on his behalf. However, after the murder in 1359 of the last of the direct descendants of Batu Khan - Berdibek - taking advantage of the disputes and infighting of the rival forces, an impostor named Kulpa managed to seize power for six months, posing as the brother of the late khan. He was exposed (however, the whistleblowers were also interested in power, for example, the son-in-law and first adviser of the late Berdibek, Temnik Mamai) and killed along with his sons - apparently, to intimidate possible challengers.

Separated from the Ulus of Jochi during the reign of Janibek, the Ulus of Shibana (west of Kazakhstan and Siberia) tried to consolidate its positions in Saray-al-Jedid. More distant relatives of the Golden Horde khans from among the eastern Jochids (descendants of Jochi) were also actively engaged in this. The result of this was a period of turmoil, called the Great Rebellion in Russian chronicles. Khans and pretenders replaced each other one after another until 1380, when Khan Tokhtamysh came to power.

He descended in a direct line from Genghis Khan and therefore had legitimate rights to the title of ruler of the Golden Horde, and in order to back up his right with force, he entered into an alliance with one of the Central Asian rulers - the “Iron Lame” Tamerlane, famous in the history of conquests. But Tokhtamysh did not take into account that a strong ally could become a most dangerous enemy, and after his accession to the throne and a successful campaign against Moscow, he opposed his former ally. This became a fatal mistake - Tamerlane responded by defeating the Golden Horde army and capturing Largest cities Ulus-Juchi, including Sarai-Berke, walked like an “iron heel” through the Crimean possessions of the Golden Horde and, as a result, caused such military and economic damage that it became the beginning of the decline of the hitherto strong state.

Capital of the Golden Horde and trade

As already mentioned, the location of the capital of the Golden Horde was very favorable in terms of trade. The Crimean possessions of the Golden Horde provided mutually beneficial shelter for the Genoese trading colonies, and sea trade routes from China, India, Central Asian states and southern Europe. From the Black Sea coast it was possible to get along the Don to the Volgodonsk portage, and then by land to the Volga coast. Well, the Volga in those days, as many centuries later, remained an excellent waterway for merchant ships to Iran and the continental regions of Central Asia.

Partial list of goods transported through the possessions of the Golden Horde:

fabrics – silk, canvas, cloth
wood
weapons from Europe and Central Asia
corn
jewelry and precious stones
furs and leather
olive oil
fish and caviar
incense
spices

Decay

The central government, weakened during the years of unrest and after the defeat of Tokhtamysh, could no longer achieve the complete subjugation of all previously subject lands. The governors ruling in remote destinies grasped the opportunity to get out from under the hands of the Ulus-Juchi government almost painlessly. Even at the height of the Great Jam in 1361, the eastern Ulus of Orda-Ezhen, also known as the Blue Horde, separated, and in 1380 it was followed by the Ulus of Shibana.

In the twenties of the 15th century, the process of disintegration became even more intense - the Siberian Khanate was formed in the east of the former Golden Horde, a few years later in 1428 - the Uzbek Khanate, ten years later the Kazan Khanate separated. Somewhere between 1440 and 1450 - the Nogai Horde, in 1441 - the Crimean Khanate, and last of all, in 1465 - the Kazakh Khanate.

The last khan of the Golden Horde was Kichi Mukhamed, who ruled until his death in 1459. His son Akhmat took the reins of government already in the Great Horde - in fact, only a small part remaining from the huge state of the Chingizids.

Coins of the Golden Horde

Having become a sedentary and very large state, the Golden Horde could not do without its own currency. The state's economy was based on a hundred (according to some sources, one and a half hundred) cities, not counting many small villages and nomadic camps. For external and internal trade relations, copper coins - pulas and silver coins - dirhams were issued.

Today, Horde dirhams are of considerable value for collectors and historians, since almost every reign was accompanied by the release of new coins. By the type of dirham, experts can determine when it was minted. Pools were valued relatively low, moreover, they were sometimes subject to a so-called forced exchange rate, when the coin was worth less than the metal used for it. Therefore, the number of pools found by archaeologists is large, but their value is relatively small.

During the reign of the khans of the Golden Horde, the turnover of their own, local Money, and their place was taken by Horde money. Moreover, even in Rus', which paid tribute to the Horde but was not part of it, pools were minted, although they differed in appearance and cost from those of the Horde. Sumy was also used as a means of payment - silver ingots, or more precisely, pieces cut from a silver rod. By the way, the first Russian rubles were made in exactly the same way.

Army and troops

The main strength of the Ulus-Juchi army, as before the creation of the Mongol Empire, was the cavalry, “light in march, heavy in attack,” according to contemporaries. The nobility, who had the means to be well equipped, formed heavily armed units. Lightly armed units used the fighting technique of horse archers - after inflicting significant damage with a volley of arrows, they approached and fought with spears and blades. However, impact and crushing weapons were also quite common - maces, flails, six-fingers, etc.

Unlike their ancestors, who made do with leather armor, best case scenario reinforced with metal plaques, the warriors of Ulus Jochi for the most part wore metal armor, which speaks of the wealth of the Golden Horde - only the army of a strong and financially stable state could be armed in this way. At the end of the 14th century, the Horde army even began to acquire its own artillery, something that very few armies could boast of at that time.

Culture

The era of the Golden Horde did not leave any special cultural achievements for humanity. Nevertheless, this state originated as the seizure of sedentary peoples by nomads. Own cultural values of any nomadic people are relatively simple and pragmatic, since there is no possibility of building schools, creating paintings, inventing a method of making porcelain, or erecting majestic buildings. But having largely switched to a settled way of life, the conquerors adopted many of the inventions of civilization, including architecture, theology, writing (in particular, the Uyghur writing for documents), and the more subtle development of many crafts.

Russia and the Golden Horde

The first serious clashes between Russian troops and Horde troops date back approximately to the beginning of the existence of the Golden Horde as an independent state. At first, Russian troops tried to support the Polovtsians against a common enemy - the Horde. The Battle of the Kalka River in the summer of 1223 brought defeat to the poorly coordinated squads of Russian princes. And in December 1237, the Horde entered the lands of the Ryazan region. Then Ryazan fell, followed by Kolomna and Moscow. Russian frosts did not stop the nomads, hardened in campaigns, and at the beginning of 1238 Vladimir, Torzhok and Tver were captured, there was a defeat on the Sit River and a seven-day siege of Kozelsk, which ended with its complete destruction - along with its inhabitants. In 1240, the campaign against Kievan Rus began.

The result was that the remaining Russian princes on the throne (and alive) recognized the need to pay tribute to the Horde in exchange for a relatively quiet existence. However, it was not truly calm - the princes, who intrigued against each other and, of course, against the invaders, in the event of any incidents, were forced to appear at the khan’s headquarters to report to the khan about their actions or inactions. By order of the khan, the princes had to bring their sons or brothers with them as additional hostages of loyalty. And not all princes and their relatives returned to their homeland alive.

It should be noted that the rapid seizure of Russian lands and the inability to overthrow the yoke of the invaders was largely due to the disunity of the principalities. Moreover, some princes were able to take advantage of this situation to fight their rivals. For example, the Principality of Moscow strengthened by annexing the lands of two other principalities as a result of the intrigues of Ivan Kalita, Prince of Moscow. But before this, the Tver princes sought the right to a great reign by all means, including the murder of the previous Moscow prince right at the khan's headquarters.

And when, after the Great Jame, internal turmoil began to increasingly distract the disintegrating Golden Horde from pacifying the rebellious principalities, the Russian lands, in particular, the Moscow Principality, which had strengthened over the past century, began to increasingly resist the influence of the invaders, refusing to pay tribute. And what is especially important is to act together.

At the Battle of Kulikovo in 1380, the united Russian forces won a decisive victory over the army of the Golden Horde led by Temnik Mamai, sometimes mistakenly called the khan. And although two years later Moscow was captured and burned by the Horde, the rule of the Golden Horde over Russia came to an end. And at the beginning of the 15th century, the Great Horde also ceased to exist.

Epilogue

To summarize, we can say that the Golden Horde was one of largest states of its era, born thanks to the militancy of nomadic tribes, and then disintegrated due to their desire for independence. Its growth and flourishing occurred during the reign of strong military leaders and wise politicians, but, like most aggressive states, it lasted relatively short-lived.

According to a number of historians, the Golden Horde had not only Negative influence on the life of the Russian people, but also unwittingly helped the development of Russian statehood. Under the influence of the culture of rule brought by the Horde, and then to counteract the Golden Horde, the Russian principalities merged together, forming a strong state, which later turned into the Russian Empire.

Historians consider the year 1243 to be the beginning of the creation of the Golden Horde. At this time, Batu returned from his campaign of conquest in Europe. At the same time, the Russian prince Yaroslav first arrived at the court of the Mongol khan to obtain a label for reign, that is, the right to rule the Russian lands. The Golden Horde is rightfully considered one of the largest powers.

The size and military power of the Horde in those years were unparalleled. Even the rulers of distant states sought friendship with the Mongolian state.

The Golden Horde stretched for thousands of kilometers, ethnically representing a mixture of the most diverse. The state included Mongols, Volga Bulgars, Mordovians, Circassians, and Polovtsians. The Golden Horde inherited its multinational character after the Mongols conquered many territories.

How the Golden Horde was formed

In the vast steppes of central Asia, tribes united under the general name “Mongols” roamed the vast steppes of central Asia for a long time. They had property inequality; they had their own aristocracy, which gained wealth during the seizure of pastures and lands of ordinary nomads.

There was a fierce and bloody struggle between individual tribes, which ended in the creation of a feudal state with a powerful military organization.

In the early 30s of the 13th century, a detachment of thousands of Mongol conquerors entered the Caspian steppes, where the Polovtsians roamed at that time. Having previously conquered the Bashkirs and Volga Bulgars, the Mongols began to seize Polovtsian lands. These vast territories were taken over by the eldest son of Genghis Khan, Khan Jochi. His son Batu (Batu, his name in Rus') finally strengthened his power over this ulus. Batu made the headquarters of his state in the Lower Volga in 1243.

The political formation headed by Batu in the historical tradition later received the name “Golden Horde”. It should be noted that it was not the Mongols themselves who called it this way. They called it "Ulus Jochi". The term “Golden Horde” or simply “Horde” appeared in historiography much later, around the 16th century, when nothing remained of the once powerful Mongol state.

The choice of location for the Horde control center was made by Batu consciously. The Mongol Khan appreciated the dignity of the local meadows, which were perfectly suitable for the pastures that horses and livestock needed. The Lower Volga is a place where the paths of caravans crossed, which the Mongols could easily control.

The Golden Horde (Ulus Jochi) is a Mongol-Tatar state that existed in Eurasia from the 13th to the 16th centuries. At its height, the Golden Horde, nominally part of the Mongol Empire, ruled over the Russian princes and exacted tribute from them (the Mongol-Tatar yoke) for several centuries.

In Russian chronicles, the Golden Horde wore different names, but most often Ulus Jochi (“Possession of Khan Jochi”) and only since 1556 the state began to be called the Golden Horde.

The beginning of the Golden Horde era

In 1224, the Mongol Khan Genghis Khan divided the Mongol Empire between his sons, his son Jochi received one of the parts, and then the formation of an independent state began. After him, his son, Batu Khan, became the head of the Jochi ulus. Until 1266, the Golden Horde was part of the Mongol Empire as one of the khanates, and then became independent state, having only a nominal dependence on the empire.

During his reign, Khan Batu made several military campaigns, as a result of which new territories were conquered, and the lower Volga region became the center of the Horde. The capital was the city of Sarai-Batu, located near modern Astrakhan.

As a result of the campaigns of Batu and his troops, the Golden Horde conquered new territories and during its heyday occupied the lands:

Mostly modern Russia, except Far East, Siberia and the North;
Ukraine;
Kazakhstan;
Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.

Despite the existence of the Mongol-Tatar yoke and the power of the Mongols over Russia, the khans of the Golden Horde were not directly involved in governing Rus', collecting only tribute from the Russian princes and carrying out periodic punitive campaigns to strengthen their authority.

As a result of several centuries of rule of the Golden Horde, Rus' lost its independence, the economy was in decline, the lands were devastated, and the culture forever lost some types of crafts and was also in the stage of degradation. It was thanks to the long-term power of the Horde in the future that Rus' always lagged behind the countries of Western Europe in development.

State structure and management system of the Golden Horde

The Horde was a fairly typical Mongol state, consisting of several khanates. In the 13th century, the territories of the Horde kept changing their borders, and the number of uluses (parts) was constantly changing, but at the beginning of the 14th century, a territorial reform was carried out and the Golden Horde received a constant number of uluses.

Each ulus was headed by its own khan, who belonged to the ruling dynasty and was a descendant of Genghis Khan, while at the head of the state there was a single khan, to whom all the others were subordinate. Each ulus had its own manager, ulusbek, to whom smaller officials reported.

The Golden Horde was a semi-military state, so all administrative and military positions were the same.

Economy and culture of the Golden Horde

Since the Golden Horde was a multinational state, the culture absorbed much from different nations. In general, the basis of culture was the life and traditions of the nomadic Mongols. In addition, since 1312, the Horde became an Islamic state, which was also reflected in traditions. Scientists believe that the culture of the Golden Horde was not independent and throughout the entire period of the state’s existence was in a state of stagnation, using only ready-made forms introduced by other cultures, but not inventing its own.

The Horde was a military and trading state. It was trade, along with the collection of tribute and the seizure of territories, that was the basis of the economy. The khans of the Golden Horde traded furs, jewelry, leather, timber, grain, fish and even olive oil. Trade routes to Europe, India and China ran through the territory of the state.

The end of the era of the Golden Horde

In 1357, Khan Janibek died and turmoil began, caused by the struggle for power between the khans and high-ranking feudal lords. In a short period, 25 khans changed in the state, until Khan Mamai came to power.

During this same period, the Horde began to lose its political influence. In 1360, Khorezm separated, then, in 1362, Astrakhan and the lands on the Dnieper separated, and in 1380, the Mongol-Tatars were defeated by the Russians and lost their influence in Rus'.

In 1380 - 1395, the unrest subsided, and the Golden Horde began to regain the remnants of its power, but not for long. By the end of the 14th century, the state carried out a number of unsuccessful military campaigns, the power of the khan weakened, and the Horde broke up into several independent khanates, headed by the Great Horde.

In 1480, the Horde lost Rus'. At the same time, the small khanates that were part of the Horde finally separated. The Great Horde existed until the 16th century, and then also collapsed.

The last khan of the Golden Horde was Kichi Muhammad.

History of the Golden Horde.

Education of the Golden Horde.

Golden Horde It began as a separate state in 1224, when Batu Khan came to power, and in 1266 it finally left the Mongol Empire.

It is worth noting that the term “Golden Horde” was coined by the Russians, many years after the Khanate collapsed - in the middle of the 16th century. Three centuries earlier, these territories were called differently, and there was no single name for them.

Lands of the Golden Horde.

Genghis Khan, Batu’s grandfather, divided his empire equally between his sons - and in general its lands occupied almost the entire continent. Suffice it to say that in 1279 Mongol Empire stretched from the Danube to the coast of the Sea of Japan, from the Baltic to the borders of present-day India. And these conquests took only about 50 years - and a considerable part of them belonged to Batu.

Dependence of Rus' on the Golden Horde.

In the 13th century, Rus' surrendered under the pressure of the Golden Horde.. True, it was not easy to cope with the conquered country; the princes sought independence, so from time to time the khans made new campaigns, ravaging cities and punishing the disobedient. This went on for almost 300 years - until 1480 Tatar-Mongol yoke was not completely reset.

Capital of the Golden Horde.

The internal structure of the Horde was not very different from the feudal system of other countries. The empire was divided into many principalities, or uluses, ruled by minor khans, who were subordinate to one great khan.

Capital of the Golden Horde during the time of Batu it was in the city Saray-Batu, and in the 14th century it was moved to Saray-Berke.

Khans of the Golden Horde.

The most famous Khans of the Golden Horde- these are those from whom Rus' suffered the most damage and ruin, among them:

Batu, from which the Tatar-Mongol name began
Mamai, defeated on the Kulikovo field
Tokhtamysh, who went on a campaign to Rus' after Mamai to punish the rebels.
Edigei, who made a devastating raid in 1408, shortly before the yoke was finally thrown off.

Golden Horde and Rus': the fall of the Golden Horde.

Like many feudal states, in the end, the Golden Horde collapsed and ceased to exist due to internal turmoil.

The process began in the middle of the 14th century, when Astrakhan and Khorezm separated from the Horde. In 1380, Rus' began to rise, having defeated Mamai on the Kulikovo Field. But the biggest mistake of the Horde was the campaign against the empire of Tamerlane, who dealt a mortal blow to the Mongols.

In the 15th century, the Golden Horde, once strong, split into the Siberian, Crimean and Kazan khanates. Over time, these territories were subject to the Horde less and less, in 1480 Rus' finally emerged from under oppression.

Thus, years of existence of the Golden Horde: 1224-1481. In 1481, Khan Akhmat was killed. This year is considered to be the end of the existence of the Golden Horde. However, it completely collapsed during the reign of his children, at the beginning of the 16th century.