The fate of the younger brother of Batyi Khan has always attracted the attention of historians: the first khan of the Genghisid family who converted to Islam became an outstanding ruler of the Golden Horde.
Khan Berke: origin and early years
The story of the origin of Berke should begin with Genghis Khan’s conquest of the state of Khorezmshahs in 1220. The formidable «shaker of the universe» stormed the fortress of Ilal in Mazanderan and took into captivity very important for his opponent people — Terken-khatun, the mother of Khorezmshah Muhammad II, and the eldest daughter of the ruler of Khorezm Khan-Sultan. Terken-Khatun’s granddaughter was given in marriage to Genghis Khan’s first son Dzhuchi. Approximately in 1221 the new wife has given birth to Djuchi son Berke. Then Berkechar and Buri were born.
The state of Khorezmshahs in the 13th century.
The three sons were brought up in the traditions of the Muslim rulers of Central Asia. The influence of his mother’s culture would affect Berke’s sympathy for Islam in the Golden Horde when he became its full-fledged ruler. But at the initial stage of his life the khan’s throne was far from him: Juchi already had heirs from among his elder sons. The future ruler of Ulus Dzhuchi could count only on a small possession in the lands of the Muslims. As a result, the tsarevich was sent to Khojent for training.
In 1227 Berke received news about the death of his father, and later — and his legendary grandfather. He was sent to Mongolia together with his brothers to the Kurultai of 1228-1229, where the future fate of the Great Mongol ulus was decided. After the election of Ugedei as the Great Khan, Berke went to Sygnak, where he continued his studies until 1238, when he was summoned by his elder brother Batu to prepare for a grandiose campaign to the West.
Batu. Source: Pinterest
Batu, in turn, faced a rivalry in the campaign within the clan, for, according to Ugedei’s covenant, cousins who could claim a significant share of the lands in Ulus Dzhuchi marched with him to the Last Sea. Tangut, Ordu and Shiban (cousins of the conqueror) joined the military expedition. Then Batu called for help and Berke: by that time he was already about 17 years old, he could quite manage a battle group. Having received warriors from his elder brother, Berke defeated the army of Kipchaks and captured Pereyaslavl, whose inhabitants provided shelter to the enemies of the Mongols. The city was ruined and burned, a part of inhabitants were converted into slaves, the rest were destroyed. Even clergymen, including bishop of Pereyaslavl Simeon were not spared. Thus tsarevich-chingizids only formally managed the army: in fact, experienced military commanders-temniks commanded. But subsequently Berke not once went to the battlefield and solely commanded his army.
In 1240, Batu’s younger brother was in the rearguard of the conquerors’ army in order to hold the already occupied territories during the campaign. When in 1243 the western campaign of Mongols has been finished, Batu has appreciated abilities Berke and began actively to involve the brother to the internal affairs.
The ruin of Ryazan. Source: Pinterest
Path to the throne of the Golden Horde
From 1246 Berke became Batu’s confidant at all important events of the Genghisids: at the election of Guyuk he still plays a minor role, but at the kurultai of 1250-1251 he became the main organizer. Berke already becomes the main organizer. Then Munke, son of Tului, supported by Batu, was nominated to the throne of the great khan. Numerous relatives were completely unwilling to participate in such a planned event and did not even arrive on the appointed day at the kurultai. The delegation under Berke felt frankly uncomfortable in Mongolia, though it included 30-thousand military contingent from the Golden Horde. Berke sent a letter to Batu describing the situation and received a quite clear answer. «You put him (Munke) on the throne, anyone who turns away from the yasa will lose his head,» the elder brother made it sharply clear that procrastination could cost them very dearly.
As a result, the meeting of the Mongolian nobility went off without a hitch: although Berke violated a number of customs, he did not allow disturbances during the election of the new great khan. Warriors, loyal to Berke and Batu, ensured a quiet kurultai.
There was one curious episode in this story, which did not fit in with the traditions of the Mongol nobility gathering: Berke made the elected great khan swear an oath on the Koran to support Muslims throughout the Mongol Empire.
Having returned from a long trip, Berke began to rapidly gain political weight in the Horde. Older brothers Ordu and Shiban went to the best of the worlds: so Berke turned out to be the second person in Ulus Dzhuchi. Dizziness from successes at tsarevitch has come quickly enough: already in the beginning of 1250th, having the grounds on Northern Caucasus, the younger brother of Batu began independently to accept embassies of Moslem governors on behalf of khan of Golden Horde. Soon Berke’s land was taken away from him: further he migrated to the Volga. It seemed, rapid career the end, but to Sarai has reached the news that Munke has given the good for conquering campaign of Hulagu on Iran, and also ordered to dispose with Baghdad caliph with which the Golden Horde has established rather warm relations.
Alexander Nevsky and Sartak. Source: Pinterest
In 1256, Batu died: this event greatly changed the balance of power in the Mongol Empire. In the Golden Horde, the struggle for the throne began almost immediately: Batu’s son Sartak, before his father’s death, went to Karakorum to Munkah and was appointed successor. Sartak (a Nestorian by religion) did not oppose the campaign to Iran. Berke did not like this arrangement at all: he actually involved all forces of influential Muslims in the Golden Horde to prevent Batu’s son from becoming the ruler of Ulus Dzhuchi. Merchants, Golden Horde Genghisids and tribal leaders supported Berke, most likely, because of money and violation of ancient custom. Sartak had to offer the title of khan first to his older relatives — uncles.
Until the last Berke tried to persuade Sartak to solve the issue peacefully, but the dislike of the latter to Islam and to the uncle himself forced Batu’s younger brother to take extreme measures: during a visit to Berke’s own brother Berkechar Sartak was poisoned at a feast. But such treacherous murder in the Horde did not condemn. True, Munke appointed the son of the murdered Sartak Uglachi as Khan of the Golden Horde, but he did not hold out: in 1257 he was gone. Borkachin-khatun, Batu’s widow, also participated in palace intrigues and conducted secret correspondence with Hulagu. Berke’s supporters from among the noyons quickly found out about it and accused the widow of betrayal — she was killed.
Berke actually proclaimed himself the ruler of Golden Horde while Munke participated in a campaign against empire Sung. Certainly, the Great Khan could straighten with usurper, but in 1259 Munke has died in Southern China during a siege of city He-chjou. While in Mongolia the brothers of the late Munke shared power, Berke remained neutral.
Hulagu. Source: Pinterest
Khan Berke: fighting Hulagu and relations with Russian princes
A long-standing grudge against Hulagu’s cousin culminated in open conflict over disputed territories in the Caucasus and control of Azerbaijan. But there were also other reasons, connected with non-payment of the Golden Horde share from conquests, and also allied relations with the Mamluk sultan of Egypt. In August 1262 the Chingizid war started: the Golden Horde detachment of Nogai first defeated the army of Ilkhan, but later the army of Hulagu went on the offensive and captured Derbent. Iranian Mongols have crossed Terek, but at this stage advancement deep into Golden Horde has come to an end. Rapid mobilization of Berke gave its fruits: the army of Hulagu hastily retreated behind Terek and began to bear losses at difficult crossings through mountain rivers. In the military campaign, neither side achieved its goals.
The Iranian campaign of the Mongols. Source: Pinterest
A year later, Berke himself was already planning an invasion of Iran, but misinformation about a 30,000-strong force sent by Khubilai to help Hulagu stopped the Golden Horde army.
In February 1265 Ilkhan died, and Berke decided to turn the disputes into diplomacy. He began to negotiate with the new governor of Iran Abaga. The concessions of the new Ilkhan were regarded as weakness, and in 1266 Berke again sent an army to the territory of the enemy. Subsequently unresolved disputes had to settle already descendants of Berke and Hulagu.
On territory of Golden Horde there were areas in which anti-Mongolian moods were ripe. In Crimea Berke had to persuade local population to obey, having sent there armed detachments. Everything turned out peacefully: the stream of taxes and fees again went to the Horde treasury. In the south-west of Russia the situation was more complicated: Daniel Romanovich Galitsky in 1253 accepted the crown from the Pope and gradually with the help of his western allies began to oust the Horde viceroys. In 1258 Berke decided to replace viceroy Kuremsa with a more experienced commander Burundai.
Collection of tribute by Mongols in Russia. Source: Pinterest
When 60 thousand Golden Horde warriors entered the Galicia-Volyn principality, there was no ruin and intimidation: Burunday called the prince to himself and offered to go on a campaign to Lithuania and Poland. Daniel’s sons Vasilko and Lev joined Burundai’s troops. Having returned from the campaign, Burundai ordered to tear down all fortifications: Vladimir-Volynsky, Lvov, Halych, Kamenets were to be exposed and left without walls. Daniel’s sons began to fulfill the viceroy’s order, but faced resistance of local residents. Burunday nevertheless for certainty ruined a number of settlements in the southwest of Russia, thereby letting it be known that the Horde was not to be trifled with. Daniel Galitsky after this campaign could not recover. Berke again could settle uneasy situation inside Ulus Juchi.
With the northern subjects also was not easy: in 1259 on the initiative of Berke was conducted a census in Novgorod, which was supposed to calculate the amount of tribute to the Horde. Novgorodians were dissatisfied with this situation. Berke called prince Alexander Yaroslavich to pacify them. The prince went to Sarai and persuaded khan not to send detachments of Russian tribute to Iran. Berke also coordinated the candidacy of Alexander Nevskiy’s successor — his brother Yaroslav Yaroslavovich of Tver. Thus in 1261 Berke has established in Sarai orthodox diocese. As a whole relations of khan and Russian princes could be characterized as enough peaceful.
Golden Horde at khan Berke: results
In 1266 Berke did not become during a campaign to Tiflis (in the time of struggle with Ilkhanate). After himself he left to his descendants strong and actually independent from the center Ulus.
If Batu formed the basic mechanisms of state administration, Berke improved them to a great extent. Under him the growth of urban and trade centers began. According to the tradition of medieval Muslim rulers, Berke patronized the sciences and arts.
Horde city. Reconstruction. Source: Pinterest
There is not much information about his family: chroniclers indicated that Berke had three wives and two children. Daughter Urbay-Khatun was married to the ruler of the Seljuk power Kei-Kavus, and the identity of Berke’s son remained secret, but his name together with Berke was mentioned in the khutba of the Mameluke Sultan Beibars of Egypt. After the khan’s death the power passed to the house of Batu, though in the Arabic literature the Golden Horde rulers were raised from the «house of Berke».
Ruins of Sarai-Berke. Source: Pinterest
The khan title was not used in relation to Berke during his lifetime: contemporaries used the title «ogul» (representative of the khan’s family).