The mere mention of his formidable father’s name struck fear into entire nations, but Jochi felt nothing but animosity toward this cold and cruel man. The young man was the son of Genghis Khan himself, and it seemed that incredible opportunities should have been open to him.
But no — the famous Mongol leader was indifferent to his offspring. Moreover, Jochi felt that sometimes his father, looking at him, was thinking about whose son this boy was. Events of long ago had forever divided Genghis Khan and Jochi. What happened back then, in the past? And did Jochi manage to gain independence?
Son or not a son?
He was born around 1182. Jochi’s mother was Borte, Genghis Khan’s eldest and most respected wife among the Mongols. The “Shaker of the Universe” immediately recognized the newborn as his offspring, but many of his associates knew that Genghis Khan doubted his paternity.
The fact is that a year earlier, Borte had been captured by the Merkits, whose leader made her his concubine. Shortly after her release from captivity, the woman gave birth to a boy. Jochi was recognized by Genghis Khan, but that very “shadow of the past” always remained between them, preventing father and son from finding common ground.
Military talents
There is no information about Jochi’s childhood and youth, but there is no doubt that, like other sons of Genghis Khan, he studied the art of war in detail. Like his famous father, he began to show success in military affairs at an early age. For example, in 1207, he was sent at the head of an army to the lands west of Lake Baikal.
On his father’s orders, Jochi was to subdue the “forest peoples” living in this area. His army met no resistance—seeing the huge army advancing on them, the local inhabitants voluntarily surrendered to the mercy of the Mongol warriors.
This was a great success, and Genghis Khan appreciated it. He granted Jochi the lands of the tribes he had conquered. This is how the Ulus of Jochi came into being, which would later be referred to in Russian sources as the Golden Horde. Jochi himself began to gain independence, although he still obeyed his father.
Confrontation with the Jin
The next campaign involving Jochi was the march on Jin. The state, located in the northern lands of China, had previously been attacked by the Mongols, but now Genghis Khan decided to strike a decisive blow and destroy the rich kingdom. He put his son at the head of one of the parts of his gigantic army.
Contemporaries said that the confrontation with the Chinese was bloody and terrible. But despite fierce resistance, Jin had to agree to a truce on the terms set by the Mongols. Genghis Khan received rich spoils, was satisfied with all his sons, and moved back.
But soon Jochi received a new order from the khan — this time he was not to go on a conquest, but to pacify the rebellious Kyrgyz. Did Genghis Khan’s son succeed in this task? And why did Jochi’s relationship with his father begin to deteriorate rapidly? You will find out about this below.
Military success
“This rebellious people must be pacified. They have forgotten what our power means, and it is up to you to remind them of it,” Genghis Khan said sternly. His son bowed respectfully, but the determined gleam in his eyes could not be hidden behind his ostensible humility. He had already proven himself in many military campaigns, and now, as Jochi himself felt, the hour of his rise was coming.
In 1217, Mongol troops set out to conquer the Tumats, tribes living west of Lake Baikal. However, it was not easy to deal with them—the warlike people gathered a large army and managed to defeat the Mongol troops. Then Genghis Khan ordered the Kyrgyz tribes to suppress the Tumats, but they refused and rose up in rebellion. Jochi was tasked with pacifying the rebels.
By that time, Genghis Khan’s son already had considerable military experience and was a skilled commander. He decided not to move directly towards the Kyrgyz settlements, but went down the Yenisei River. In the first days of the confrontation, the central parts of the Kyrgyz possessions were already in the hands of Jochi. The Kyrgyz put up desperate resistance, but the Mongols managed to cut through their army, dividing it into small detachments and defeating each one separately. Jochi not only suppressed the uprising, but also conquered the neighboring people, the Telenguts, who lived to the west.
This military success brought fame to Jochi. In addition, his ulus, the territory he had once received from his father for his successes in campaigns, was noticeably “growing” with new lands. Here, the administrative and political division resembled a typical ulus military system. In Ata-Malik Juvayni’s “History of the Conqueror of the World,” it is said that Genghis Khan rewarded many of his sons with land grants, which was the highest reward for a Mongol military leader:
“…the kingdom became vast, and he gave each of them a portion of land for their dwelling place, which they call a yurt. He (Genghis Khan) gave his sons lands wherever the hoof of a Tatar horse touched the ground.”
Family feuds
The vast possessions of the Ulus of Jochi made him forget that, despite being the ruler of his territories, he was still his father’s subject. Genghis Khan did not like his son’s excessive independence. Once, Jochi refused to attend a council meeting because he was busy hunting, after which he was removed from Genghis Khan’s affairs — his father did not forgive him for his insolence.
In addition, it was said that the “Shaker of the Universe” was dissatisfied with his offspring because of his unwillingness to conquer the entire territory of Desht-i-Kipchak, where the Kipchaks, Russians, and Circassians lived. Unlike Genghis Khan, Jochi knew how to be content with what he had and did not intend to win at any cost for the sake of victory.
An enraged Genghis Khan ordered his army to march out to subdue his rebellious son, but the campaign never took place—Jochi died suddenly. It was said that he may have been poisoned with a decoction of poisonous plants. Well, this cannot be ruled out, because he had crossed the path of many people…