O Turkic beys and people, listen to this!
Screex The divine will, manifested in the khagan’s authority; the loyalty of the beys and the people to the khagan; and the people’s submission to the beys—these are the central themes…
The Beautiful Mongolian Wife of Georgian King David VII, Esukan: Why She Was Blamed for Her Husband’s Death
Esukan was the fourth and final wife of Georgian King David VII Ulu. She was considered a beauty, but her husband did not love her; he treated her harshly and…
They forced China to build a wall and wear pants: who the fierce Xiongnu really were
When, in 209 BCE, a young chieftain named Modu killed his own father and seized power over the scattered nomadic tribes of the Mongolian Plateau, no one could have imagined…
Jebe is a nayeon. Where did Genghis Khan’s hound dog go?
The history of the Mongol Empire knows many names of great generals, but the figure of Jebe-nayon stands apart. His biography is a journey from Temujin's mortal enemy to his…
How a Polovtsian Khan with 300 horsemen routed a massive Hungarian army and saved the Russian princes
In 1099, the Polovtsian army stood shoulder to shoulder with the Russian druzhina against a common enemy. And this enemy had come from Central Europe. Hungarian King Coloman I the…
Tamerlane’s Campaign Against the Golden Horde
In 1395–1396, Timur launched his second invasion of the Horde’s territories. This time, he did not march on the eastern uluses, which had been ravaged by his previous invasion, but…
Why the Mongol horse proved more fearsome than any weapon
For centuries, historians have debated the same question: how did nomads from the steppes—without cities, universities, or a standing army—sweep through Rus’ as easily as a knife through butter? The…
When armor doesn’t Save / How the Mongol Cavalry Crushed the Elite of European Chivalry at Legnica
April 9, 1241. The steel-clad Templars and Teutonic Knights against the elusive steppe archers. We examine one of the most brutal battles of the Middle Ages, where European pride clashed…
Mongol Silk Armor: Why Did Steppe Warriors Wear Chinese Silk?
An arrow fired from a Mongolian bow from a distance of fifty meters entered the body at a speed of about sixty meters per second. It pierced the leather armor,…
Where did the arrows come from in the open field: what was Genghis Khan’s secret?
When we picture a Mongol horseman, the image is always the same: a horse galloping across the grass, the archer turning back at full speed and showering the enemy with…