U368 Mongol Conquest

Week 14, Wednesday:  The "Golden Horde":  steppe heartland and sedentary periphery

Announcements:  Review Session; Evaluations

1. Mongols in the Jochid realm
   1. Bilateral division
      1. Princes of the Left hand:  senior genealogically, junior politically
         1. Five lines headed by descendants of Hordu/Orda
         2. Bordered Yuan dynasty and Qaidu, drawn into their wars
      2. Princes of the Right hand:  seven lines ruled by descendants of Batu
         1. Residence of ruler in steppe along Volga/Etil
         2. Area ethnically dominated by Qïpchaq/Cuman/Polovtsi tribes
            1. Politically fragmented, gravitated to surrounding cities
            2. Turkic-speaking, a little Christian and Islamic influence
   2. Mongols in the Horde
      1. Jochids had received 9 minggans (1,000) from Chinggis (SH §242)
      2. By 1300, Turkish seems to be used as main language
      3. In way of life, most nomadic of the major qanates
   3. Beys and Chinggisids
      1. Both Orda and Batu's descendants had personal keshigten
         1. Clans of Jochi's advisors (SH §243):  Salji'ud, Geniges, two Ü'üshin
         2. By 1300, still main clans of Mongol amirs among Jochids
         3. Other units Ruthenians, Qïpchaq, Cherkess, Hungarians
      2. 4 keshig clans:  qarachï beys ("commoner chiefs"); qan's quda (in-laws)
      3. beylerbeyi/amir al-ulus: chief of dominant clan of the 4
      4. Beylerbeyi acted as vizier, chief financial and military officer
2. Sedentary areas:  all under princes of the right hand (in rough order of importance):
   1. Chief products:  horses to India, slaves to Egypt, furs and falcons to both
   2. Khorezm:  Long Islamized, Qïpchaq-speaking; trade center to India, China
      1. Supplied sedentary administrators for Golden Horde
      2. Governed by great Mongol beys for the Batids
   3. Black sea coast cities (Kaffa, Qïrïm, Azaq):  trade with Mediterranean
      1. Crimea:  usually seat for Chinggisid princes
      2. Cities either free or ruled by governors (often Khorezmians)
   4. Bulghar:  Islamic fur trade center in north (long linked to Khorezm)
      1. Indirect rule by emirs, tribute directly to Sarai
   5. Ruthenian principalities
      1. Indirect rule by princes, kniazi, after 1255 loyal to Mongols
      2. Jochids in west (Noqai, etc.) also receive tribute from Ruthenians
      3. 1328:  Moscow prince (>kürgen) collects tribute:  basqaq/darughachi removed
      4. Metropolitan to Moscow, total tax-exemption, monasteries flourish
   6. Sarai:  tributary center, similar to Qara-qorum; also trade by Caspian to Persia