Batu Khan (Sain Khan) (1207-1255) — the Mongol commander, grandson of Genghis Khan, the second son of Djuchi, the senior son of Genghis Khan, the conqueror of the western and northern grounds which have made Mongol ulus
Batu was born in the year of the snake in 1207 somewhere in the territory of modern Buryatia or Transbaikalia. His father was Dzhuchi, Genghis Khan’s eldest son, and his mother was Uki Khatun of the Khongirat (Khongorad, Kungirat) tribe, who was related to Genghis Khan’s eldest wife. Shortly before Batu’s birth, his father conquered the «forest tribes» of Transbaikalia and Buryatia. Genghis Khan entrusted his eldest son Dzhuchi to manage these newly conquered taiga-lake lands, which at that time were the most remote. Therefore, the very first bet of Dzhuchi Khan was located in Buryatia or Transbaikalia, where Batu was born and spent his childhood.
Nature of Transbaikalia
Successful expansion of borders of the Mongol state in the north and northwest was slowed down because of long wars with its main rival in East Asia — the Jurchen state Jin (1115-1234), which was located in Northern China. Only in the spring of 1216. Genghis Khan was forced to return to Mongolia from Northern China, where he was at that time on a conquest campaign. His campaign headquarters was also located there. He had every reason to worry about the state of affairs at home, because here, taking advantage of the khan’s absence, the remnants of Naimans, Kereits, Merkits and other tribes that had escaped after the defeat «revolted in all corners of his dominions».
In the fall of 1216 the Mongols resumed their movement to the West. In 1218 they defeated the Naiman Kuchluk-khan and entered the limits of his Semirechen possessions. By 1221 the Mongols had conquered Khorezm and the lands to the north of it, populated mainly by Kipchak tribes, as a result of great efforts.
Captivity by Mongols Inalchuk Cairo-sultan
About 1224 Genghis Khan conducted the official division of the Mongol Empire between his sons, brothers and nephews. It was at this time that the status of the Ulus Dzhuchi was formalized. Genghis Khan allocated the largest inheritance to Dzhuchi, which included Southern Siberia, Khorezm, Western Siberia, and the Urals. He was also promised all lands further to the West, as far as the hooves of Mongolian horses would reach. But Batu’s father never had to take advantage of his father’s generosity. In the spring of 1227, Juchi was killed, but the killers were never found. Most likely Juchi was killed by Kipchaks close to him, who took advantage of his friendly disposition and trust.
Genghis Khan’s choice
Soon in the Ulus Dzhuchi there was held a khural, which was to choose a successor to the deceased ruler. And then came a zarlik (order) from Genghis Khan: to elect as heir to Dzhuchi his second son Batu, who by that time already had a rich military experience. Batu in the year of his father’s death was only 18 years old, he was not the eldest son, but participated in all military campaigns of his father. Therefore, the shrewd Genghis Khan chose Batu as his father’s successor.
In the summer of 1227 died Genghis Khan, who outlived his eldest son not more than half a year. Having learned about death of the grandfather, Batu has immediately gone to Mongolia. In 1229 the Great Khural proclaimed Genghis Khan’s successor his third son Ugedei, who confirmed Batu’s title and promised to help him in further conquest of lands in the West.
The Great Western Campaign
Three years wait for the promised: in 1230 Ugedei led a Mongol campaign against the Chinese empire of Jin, and Batu actively participated in the Chinese campaign for several years. In 1234 Jin fell, and this event opened for Batu long-awaited for him campaign to the West. And at the next khural in 1235 the great khan Ugedei announced the decision to send a group of tsarevich-chingisids to conquer the West. Among these tsareviches were Genghis Khan’s youngest son Hulkhan, Ugedei’s sons Guyuk and Hadan, Tului’s sons Munke and Buchek, Chagatai’s sons Buri and Baidar, as well as all the adult Juchids — Batu, Urda-ezen, Shiban and Tangut, and of the honorary yons Subedei-bator, Burundei-bator and several other yons, so that the campaign to the West became a general Mongolian affair. The overall command of the troops was entrusted to Batu, and his chief advisor was the more experienced Subedei.
The Mongol armies numbered about 130,000 warriors. Part of these troops was sent to the Southern Volga region, on a campaign against the tribes of Kipchaks, Alans and other tribes. And the most part of army in 1236 has moved on Volga Bulgaria. In a year Volga Bulgaria was completely defeated by Mongols.
Fall of Volga Bulgaria
If to believe Russian annals, Batu’s troops passed on Volga Bulgaria by fire and a sword, having exterminated the most part of the population, having spared neither old men, nor children. In the Volga steppes Batu has based the rate.
Then it was the turn of Russia, and in 1240 Batu invaded Southern Russia, took Kiev. In the course of conquest of Russia Guyuk, having learned about illness of the father — Ugedei, together with Munke have returned back to Mongolia. Further advance to the west was exclusively initiative of Batu himself. His goal was Hungary, where the old enemy of the Chinggisids, the Kipchak Khan Kotyan, had fled. Poland was the first to fall, Krakow was taken. In 1241 at Legnica the army of Prince Henry was broken, in which even Templars fought.
Then there were Slovakia, Bohemia, Hungary. Then the Mongols reached the Adriatic and took Zagreb. Europe was helpless. In 1242, Batu’s troops were in Saxony. Louis of France was preparing to die, and Frederick II was about to flee to Palestine. They were saved by the fact that Batu got the news about death of his uncle — Great Khan Ugedei and convocation of the next khural. The army turned back to the Volga steppes and settled in the Lower Volga region.
Prosperity of Golden Horde
Elections of the new Great Khan were delayed for five years. This time Batu did not go to Mongolia, he began to conduct an independent policy: issued his own labels and appointed vassal rulers — Russian princes, Seljuk sultans, Georgian kings…
In 1246 Gujuk has been elected Great Khan. In the beginning of 1248 Guyuk, having collected considerable forces, has moved to borders of Ulus Dzhuchi. He demanded from Batu to arrive and to express obedience to him, as the latter was not present at the khural that elected Buyuk. But near Samarkand, Guyuk died of a severe infection.
Meanwhile Batu firmly settled on his lands, in about 1250 on the territory of modern Astrakhan region he founded the capital of the Golden Horde — the city of Sarai-Batu. Huge conquests and the development of trade contributed to the economic rise of the state. Rich gifts from vassals, who fought for the commander’s favor, were the beginning of the legendary wealth. Historians believe that during the Yoke it was the Golden Horde that prevented the western neighbors of the Russians from invading Russia. Europeans simply feared the Golden Horde, remembering the ferocity and ruthlessness of Batu Khan.
Other descendants of Genghis Khan had to reckon with the great conqueror. In 1251 Batu was proposed to become the next ruler of the empire at the hural. But he refused such an honor, he was more interested in strengthening his own ulus. Then the throne was taken by Munke, Batu’s loyal cousin. However, to support his protégé, Batu was forced to send troops to Mongolia.
Batu Khan
Batu is also known under the title «Sain-khan». «Sain» in Mongolian has many meanings, from «generous» and «magnanimous» to «kind» and «just». This nickname title reflected his qualities that commanded the greatest respect from his subjects and contemporaries. A number of researchers believe that he received this nickname during his lifetime, just as the Mongol khans carried titles-nicknames: Sesen Khan («Wise Khan», Khubilai), Biligtu Khan («Pious Khan», Ayushridar), etc.
The mystery of death
Batu Khan died in 1256 at the age of 48 in Old Sarai, in the Golden Horde. He was buried in Mongolia. Curiously, Batu’s demise did not serve as a basis for the creation of myths and legends in the East. Muslim historians, unlike Russian and Western European historians, did not try to embellish in any way (or the more so to present in an unfavorable light) the circumstances of the death of the heir of Juchi. Neither Juvaini nor Rashid ad-Din, who left, perhaps, the most detailed (in comparison with others) information about Batu, we do not find a word about the circumstances and causes of his death: they report it simply as a fait accompli [Juvaini 1997, p. 268; Rashid ad-Din 1960, p. 81].
Other Arab, Persian, Turkic, Armenian authors report about his death in a similar way. Indirect data allow us to conclude that in fact the true cause of Batu’s death was very prosaic: he died of some rheumatic disease. This disease was widespread among the Chinggisids, in whose veins flowed the blood of the Khongirat tribe: «the well-known disease of the legs of the Khongirat tribe is due to the fact that it, without collusion with others, came out of the gorge before all others and fearlessly trampled their fires and hearths with its feet; for this reason the Khongirat tribe is discouraged» [Rashid ad-Din 1953]. [Rashid ad-Din 1952a, p. 154]. Batu, the son of the Khongitartki Uki Khatun, repeatedly complained of joint pains and numbness in his legs. For example, Rashid ad-Din writes that «Batu … evaded participation in the khural, referring to his poor health and the disease of his legs» (although it is quite likely that when Batu gave such excuses not to go to the khural, perhaps his illness was not yet so severe, because he, declaring in words about his torments, in fact showed miracles of activity). Persian author of the XVI century Ghaffari also reports that «Batu in 639 appeared weakness of members and in 650 he died» [Rashid ad-Din 1960, p. 118; SMIZO 1941, p. 210]. It should be noted that his uncle Ugedei, son of Borte-Khatun, also a representative of the Khongirat tribe, also complained about the swelling of his legs.
Wilhelm de Rubruk, who saw Batu in the last years of his life, reports that «Batu’s face was then covered with reddish spots» [Wilhelm de Rubruk 1997, p. 117; Yazykov 1840, p. 141], which is also one of the symptoms of rheumatic disease.
Batu’s body was sent to Mongolia, he was buried in accordance with ancient steppe traditions. Juzdjani reports:
«He was buried according to Mongolian rites. It is customary among these people that if one of them dies, a place like a house or a niche is arranged under the earth, according to the dignity of the damned who went to the underworld. This place is decorated with a bed, a carpet, vessels, and many things; and there they bury him with his weapons and all his possessions. They also bury with him in this place some of his wives and servants, and (that) man whom he loved most of all. Then they bury this place at night and drive horses over the surface of the grave until there is not the slightest sign of that place (of burial) left.» [SMIZO 1941, p. 16].
Probably, other Batu’s relatives, who did not accept neither Islam nor Buddhism, were buried in the same way.
