The Golden Horde
Origins
The Golden Horde, also known as the Ulus of Jochi, got its name from the color system for the cardinal directions (north, south, east, and west). North is associated with black, east with blue, south with red, west with white, and gold with center. After Genghis Khan's death in 1227, the Mongol Empire was split into 4 regions, the Golden Horde being the western region. It was led my his oldest son, Juchi, and was succeeded by his son, Batu. Batu expanded the Golden Horde's borders to the Carpathian Mountains, Siberia, the Black Sea, and the Caucasus Mountains. He also established its capital in the city of Sarai near the Volga River.
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Golden Age
The citizens of the Golden Horde lived a more settled life rather than a nomadic one. Sarai quickly became a heavily populated city, but in the early 14th century, the capital was moved to Sarai Berqe, which was farther upstream of the Volga River than Sarai. Sarai Berqe, at its peak, inhabited about 600,000 citizens. The people and government of the Golden Horde were originally animist, but Uzbeg Khan, who is considered the greatest khan, adopted Islam and made it the official religion of the state. Sarai Berqe depended on trade an tribute as a source of income. They traded with the Malmuk Egypts and the Genoese on the Black Sea, and the government collected tribute from Russians, Armenians, Georgians, and Crimean Greeks.
Decline
In 1346, the Black Death spread to Asia, which was the beginning of the Golden Horde's downfall. Another thing that contributed to their downfall was the murder of Uzbeg Khan's successor. The Russian princes defeated the Horde's general, Mamai. Sarai Berqe was invaded and destroyed, and most of the khanate's skilled craftsman were deported to Central Asia. The Golden Horde was eventually split into several smaller khanates, some of which include Crimea, Astrakhan, and Kazan.
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