- Berke
Berke Khan (Lang-mn|Бэрх) was the Khan of the
Kipchak orGolden Horde [ The name Golden is believed to have come from the steppe color system for the cardinal directions : black — north, blue — east, red — south, white — west, and yellow (or gold) — center.] who effectively consolidated the power of theBlue Horde andWhite Horde s [ In this terminology the names Blue and White follow the Persian usage, as do most contemporary historians; in Turkish usage they are reversed, causing some confusion in secondary literature.] from 1257 to 1266. He succeeded his brotherBatu Khan of theBlue Horde (West) and was responsible of the first "official establishment" ofIslam in aMongol state [Devin De Weese, Devin A, ( DeWeese. "Islamization and Native Religion in the Golden Horde", Penn State Press, Sep 1, 1994, ISBN 0-271-01073-8 pg.3] and came to the aid of theMamluke s in defence of theHoly Land in theBattle of Ain Jalut against another Mongol state, theIlkhanate .Background
Berke was one of the sons of
Jochi , the eldest son ofGenghis Khan . In 1246, Berke joined his brothersOrda , Sinkur, and Siban and an assortment of cousins under the leadership of Batu. The vast army, comprising some 150,000 soldiers, marched fromSiberia and into the territory of theMuslim Volga Bulgars andKipchaks , whom they subdued. Next they devastated the principalities ofRyazan andSuzdal in 1237, and marched further intoRussia . Berke further served under his brother during the invasion ofEurope , fighting at theBattle of the Mohi , where the Hungarian army was decimated. WhenÖgedei Khan died, and all the princes of the blood were summoned to return toMongolia to select aGreat Khan , Berke and his brothers joined Batu in his bid for power. When that failed, they returned to Russia, and due to the ill-feeling between the heirs of Ögedei, and those of Jochi, the Kipchak Khanate never again invaded Europe in force (a raid into Poland was strictly for loot). Instead, the Kipchak Khanate settled into Russia, and looked east to defend themselves against their cousins.Assuming the Kipchak Khanate
When Batu died in 1255, he was briefly succeeded by his son Sartak, before Berke assumed leadership in 1257. He was an able ruler and succeeded in maintaining and stabilizing the Golden Horde, a newly created empire in the Mongol world. During his government, the Mongols finally defeated
Danylo of Halych and made a second attack againstLithuania andPoland ,led by generalsBurundai andNogai Khan (Lublin, Zawichost, Sandomierz, Krakow and Bytom were plundered) in 1259, primarily to provide funds for his wars against Hulagu Khan, ruler of the Il-Khanate, due to Hulagu's horrific actions in the 1258 sack of Baghdad. Also in 1265 there was a raid againstBulgaria andThrace . Michael ofByzantine Empire also sent much valuable fabric to the Golden Horde as a tribute thereafter.Aftermath of Conversion to Islam
Berke converted to
Islam and became a devoutMuslim . This resulted in the Blue Horde becoming primarily Islamic, and its subjects professing Muslim faith. Berke had a deadly determination to deal withHulagu Khan , who had murdered the CaliphAl-Musta'sim , and whose territorial ambitions in Syria and Egypt threatened Berke's fellow Muslims.In the meantime, the Mongols led by
Kitbuqa had fallen out with the crusaders holding the coast of Palestine, and the Mamluks were able to ally with them, pass through their territory, and destroy the Mongol army at theBattle of Ain Jalut . Kitbuqa was killed.Palestine andSyria were permanently lost, the border remaining theTigris for the duration of Hulagu's dynasty. Berke's vow of vengeance against Hulagu had to wait until the latter's return to his lands after the death ofMongke Khan . Hulagu returned to his lands by 1262, but instead of being able to avenge his defeats, was drawn into civil war with Berke and the Blue Horde. Berke Khan had promised such a defeat in his rage after Hulagu's sack of Bagdad; Berke was a Muslim. Muslim HistorianRashid al-Din quoted Berke Khan as sending the following message to Mongke Khan, protesting the attack on Baghdad, (not knowing Mongke had died in China) "he has sacked all the cities of the Muslims, and has brought about the death of the Caliph. With the help of God I will call him to account for so much innocent blood." (see "The Mongol Warlords", quoting Rashid al Din's record of Berke Khan's pronouncement; this quote is also found in "The Mamluk-Ilkhanid War") -- it is notable that Berke Khan kept his promise, allying himself with the Mamluks, (Berke sought an alliance with theMamluk sultanBaibars against Hulagu) and when Hulagu returned to his lands in 1262, after the succession was finally settled with Kublai as the last Great Khan, and massed his armies to avenge Ain Jalut and attack the Mamluks, Berke Khan initiated a series of raids in force which drew Hulagu north to meet him. This was the first open conflict between Mongols, and signaled the end of the unified empire.But the reason of the conflict between Berke and Hulegu was not only religion. It was territory.
Mongke khan gaveAzerbaijan , which was given to Jochi byChinghis khan before, to his brother Hulegu. Although, Berke did not like the situation, he was patient till Mongkes death.Finally, in 1262 the conflict turned into open war. Hulagu Khan suffered severe defeat in an attempted invasion north of the Caucasus in 1263. Hulagu's forces were crushed at the
Terek river by Berke's nephew Nogai, forcing Hulagu into retreat; he died in 1265. Also Chagatai khanAlghu invaded Khwarizm and annexed Golden Horde lands. Jochid army tried to halt his advance unsuccessfully.Berke also supported khan claimant Ariqboke. That is why he minted coins in the name of Ariqboke. But Kublai finally won the crown in 1264. Kublai called both Hulegu and Berke to discuss about Ariqboke's matter. However, Berke noted that he would come to Kurultai, he could not arrive on time.
Aftermath
Berke died while fighting Hulagu's son,
Abaqa Khan , in 1266. He was succeeded by his grandnephew,Mengu-Timur . The policy of alliance with the Mamluks, and containment of the Il-Khanate, was continued byMengu-Timur . Many historians [Michael Pravdin, Lev Nicholaevich Gumilev, Reuven Amittei Press, N.Kruchki] are in agreement that the intervention by Berke against Hulagu saved the remainder of the Holy Land, including Mecca and Jerusalem, from the same fate as Bagdad.ee also
*
List of Khans of the Golden Horde
*Berke-Hulagu war
*William of Rubruck
*Negudar Footnotes
ources
*Amitai-Preiss, Reuven. "The Mamluk-Ilkhanid War", 1998
*Chambers, James, "The Devil's Horsemen: The Mongol Invasion of Europe"
*Hildinger, Eric, "Warriors of the Steppe: A Military History of Central Asia, 500 B.C. to A.D. 1700"
*Morgan, David -- "The Mongols", ISBN 0-631-17563-6
*Nicolle, David, -- "The Mongol Warlords"Brockhampton Press , 1998
*Reagan, Geoffry, "The Guinness Book of Decisive Battles" , Canopy Books, NY (1992)
*Saunders, J.J. -- "The History of the Mongol Conquests", Routledge & Kegan Paul Ltd, 1971, ISBN 0-8122-1766-7
*Soucek, Svatopluk -- "A History of Inner Asia", Cambridge, 2000
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.