Batu Khan

Lore & Background

After Jochi's death, Genghis Khan assigned Jochi's appanages to his sons, and the Great Khan installed Batu as Khan of the Golden Horde. Jochi's eldest son, Orda Khan, agreed that Batu should succeed their father. Genghis Khan's youngest brother Temüge attended the coronation ceremony. When Genghis Khan died in 1227, he left 4,000 Mongol men to Jochi's family. Jochi's lands were divided between Batu and Orda: Orda's White Horde ruled lands roughly between the Volga river and Lake Balkhash, while Batu's Golden Horde ruled lands west of the Volga. In 1235, the Great Khan Ögedei ordered Batu to conquer western nations. Batu was assigned an army of possibly 130,000 to oversee an invasion of Europe. His relatives Güyük, Büri, Möngke, and others joined him. The army, actually commanded by Subutai, crossed the Volga and invaded Volga Bulgaria in 1236. In November 1237, Batu sent envoys to Yuri II of Vladimir-Suzdal demanding allegiance; when refused, the Mongols besieged and annihilated Ryazan. They then burned Kolomna, Moscow, and the capital of Vladimir-Suzdal. The royal family perished in the fire. Batu's army ransacked fourteen Rus' cities; the only major cities to escape destruction were Smolensk, which submitted, and Novgorod with Pskov, which could not be reached due to distance and marshlands. Batu then devastated the Crimea and pacified Mordovia and the Kipchak-controlled steppe. In winter 1239 he sacked Chernigov and Pereyaslav, and stormed Kiev in December 1240. Ruthenian principalities became vassals of the Mongol Empire. The Mongols invaded central Europe in three groups, defeating a combined force at Legnica and inflicting a tremendous defeat on King Béla IV at the Battle of Mohi on 11 April. Batu demanded that Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II dethrone himself, but the latter only replied that he would make a good falconer. By late 1241, Batu and Subutai were finalizing plans to invade Austria, Italy, and Germany when news came of the death of Ögedei.

Reader's Guide

Batu Khan's significance lies in his founding of the Golden Horde, which ruled over the Kievan Rus', Volga Bulgaria, Cumania, and the Caucasus for approximately 250 years. His military campaigns, directed by Subutai, devastated the Rus' principalities and extended Mongol power into Central Europe, including victories at Legnica and Mohi. Batu's leadership during the invasion of Europe demonstrated the Mongol Empire's capacity for coordinated, large-scale warfare. His legacy includes the establishment of a durable khanate that influenced trade, tribute systems, and regional politics long after his death. The uncertainty over Jochi's paternity and Batu's nickname 'good' (sain) reflect the complex personal and dynastic dynamics within the Mongol Empire.

Did You Know?

• According to Giovanni da Pian del Carpine, Batu was 'kind enough to his own people, but he is greatly feared by them. He is, however, most cruel in fight; he is very shrewd and extremely crafty in warfare.'
• William of Rubruck described Batu as about the height of his lord John de Beaumont and having his entire face covered with reddish spots.
• Batu received the nickname 'sain' (meaning 'good'), by which he was referred to by Marco Polo.
• At a victory banquet, Güyük and Büri ridiculed Batu as an 'old woman with a beard' after Batu drank wine before the others.
• Batu sent at least five messengers to King Béla IV of Hungary demanding the return of Cuman refugees, but all were killed.