Despite the enormous loss of life during the Mongol conquests, they had at least one positive side. Genghis Khan and his heirs, out of the need to manage the disparate Turkic-Mongol tribes, many of whom adhered to Nestorianism, Buddhism, Manichaeism and Islam, pursued a policy of religious tolerance.
Naturally, it was also divided by the khanates that arose from the unified Mongol Empire. However, for political or personal reasons, over time, even the khans began to convert to world religions. The Central Asian and Middle Eastern Mongols had a real leapfrog in this regard. For example, Oljeytu, the ruler of the Hulaguid state, managed to become a Christian, Buddhist, Sunni, and Shiite in his short life.
In the Golden Horde, it was simpler in this regard. Since Berke, Batu’s brother and heir, converted to Sunni Islam, many of his successors have also chosen this religion. The reason was the high influence of Muslim merchants and the military alliance with the Egyptian Mamluks.
But only Uzbek Khan, who ruled in 1313-1341, made Islam obligatory for his nomadic subjects. However, not everyone agreed with his decision.: «You expect us to be submissive and obedient, but what do you care about our faith and our profession, and how will we leave the law and regulations of Genghis Khan and convert to the faith of the Arabs?»
These words were uttered by the cousin of the great Khan Kutlug-Timur, who had previously helped his relative ascend to the throne. At that time, he was the governor of Khorezm, a Muslim country since ancient times. Nevertheless, he did not want to change the faith of his ancestors.
What did they do to those Mongols and Tatars who refused to convert to Islam?
As a result of the proclamation of Islam by the state denomination of the Golden Horde, a hitherto unprecedented thing began in the post-Mongolian states, namely, a religious war. But first, the opposition tried to resolve the case «peacefully»: three noble princes of Genghis Khan’s blood, some Tunguz, Taz and the already mentioned Kutlug-Timur plotted against their ruler and wanted to take his life at the feast.
But the Uzbek was warned about this by his supporters. He left the celebration and gathered his troops. When the sides met on the battlefield, the supporters of religious tolerance were defeated. Rashid al-Din, a court historian and minister of the Hulaguids, reports that the great khan sent 120 Genghisids, supporters of the pagan faith, to heaven.
He spent the next few years pacifying his state. Despite the massacre of the leaders, the pagans continued to resist. Therefore, unlike many predecessors who roamed and lived in the vicinity of the capital, the Uzbek headquarters was located for a long time in the northern and eastern parts of the Golden Horde.
Under his rule, the nomads from the European side of the Volga became Muslims for the most part, at least formally. But the majority of the population of the eastern part of the state did not notice the conversion to Islam – only the Genghisids and tribal leaders accepted the new faith. For example, even in the 19th century, many Kazakhs remained pagans.
The size of the empire, the objective difficulties in managing the feudal state, and the need to maintain the obedience of their people protected the nomads from large-scale repression. They mainly affected the Horde nobility, who since that time began to move to neighboring lands.
Since the 14th century, a long-term process of resettlement of noble Genghisids and Tatar murzas to Lithuania and Muscovy began. Presumably, many of them changed their place of residence for religious reasons. The most famous of the «labor migrants» of the first wave was a certain Murza Chet, the ancestor of the Boyar families Saburov, Velyaminov and Godunov.
He went to Moscow during the reign of Ivan Kalita, that is, during the Uzbek Khan’s religious wars. He was baptized, received lands, and became one of the Grand Duke’s associates. But this man turned out to be only the first swallow – later there were more like him.
At the same time, the Uzbek repressions affected only the Tengrian nomads. Quite numerous Tatars of the Christian faith retained their property and influence. Probably, their descendants later converted to Islam, and those who did not want this left for Russia.