“When Mongols have made with Russ what we have described above, [defeat of Russian-Polovtsian army on the river Kalka in 1223] and have plundered their grounds, they have withdrawn back and have gone to Bulgarian in 620 [chronology on Hijra]” — so begins the only written testimony about a little-known battle of 1223/1224 (exact dating is difficult to establish), in which the army of Genghis Khan was defeated.
It, that very army, went on a campaign in 1220. Two famous Mongol commanders — Jebe and Subedei, who were sent westward by Genghis Khan himself, led the tumens. Their goal initially was the Shah of Khorezm, but because of his death (presumably from pneumonia), the dungeons switched to the Eastern European lands. After that there was a series of events and battles. Among them there is a well-known and large-scale meeting at Kalka where almost all participating in battle rulers of Russian princedoms were lost. The people of Djebe and Subedei also did not get away with a little blood, and after such a serious massacre they decided to go to the east. And there, on a way home, that very collision with Bulgarian on Samara bow has happened.
The battle is also called Baranya and below it will be told why so. Artist: Miroslav Jotov
Unfortunately, very little information about this battle has reached us. Only the Arab author Ibn al-Asir made a small report about it. From which it is possible to draw a conclusion that Bulgarian managed to lure enemies in an ambush. And before that they applied a favorite technique of steppe warriors — false retreat. Tactical maneuver was carried out, as a rule, by cavalry. Its essence was to make the enemy recklessly pursue the detachments, which portrayed a panic flight after a short battle.
The Bulgars then managed to deceive the Mongols, as a result of which the latter were surrounded and completely defeated. True, many researchers believe that if such a thing took place, the Bulgars managed to destroy only the vanguard of the tumens of Jebe and Subedei — not more.
After battle when many opponents from the great steppe have appeared beaten and their considerable part has got in captivity, Bulgarian leaders have agreed to exchange captives on… rams! And after successful exchange at the river Volga winners have got over on the other coast where have arranged a feast and have eaten rams in view of losers. This is what the legend, which has no historical clues, tells us.