Berke 1710466 226165615 2008-07-17T03:09:23Z Enerelt 5669814 /* Assuming the Kipchak Khanate */ '''Berke Khan''' was the [[Khan (title)|Khan]] of the [[Kipchak]] or [[Golden Horde]]<ref> 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.</ref> who effectively consolidated the power of the [[Blue Horde]] and [[White Horde]]s<ref> 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.</ref> from [[1257]] to [[1266]]. He succeeded his brother [[Batu Khan]] of the [[Blue Horde]] (West) and was responsible of the first "official establishment" of [[Islam]] in a [[Mongol]] state<ref>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</ref> and came to the aid of the [[Mamluke]]s in defence of the [[Holy Land]] in the [[Battle of Ain Jalut]] against another Mongol state, the [[Ilkhanate]]. ==Background== Berke was one of the sons of [[Jochi]], the eldest son of [[Genghis Khan]]. In [[1235]], Berke joined his brothers [[Orda]], Sinkur, and Siban and an assortment of cousins under the leadership of Batu. The vast army, comprising some 150,000 soldiers, marched from [[Siberia]] and into the territory of the [[Muslim]] [[Volga Bulgaria|Volga Bulgars]] and [[Kipchaks]], whom they subdued. Next they devastated the principalities of [[Ryazan]] and [[Suzdal]] in [[1237]], and marched further into [[Russia]]. Berke further served under his brother during the invasion of [[Europe]], fighting at the [[Battle of the Mohi]], where the [[Kingdom of Hungary|Hungarian]] army was decimated. When [[Ögedei Khan]] died, and all the princes of the blood were summoned to return to [[Mongolia]] to select a [[Great 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 [[Sartaq Khan|Sartak]], before Berke assumed leadership in 1257. He was an able ruler and succeeded in maintaining and stabilizing the Blue Horde, a newly created empire, one of the parts of the whole [[Mongol Empire]]. During his government, the Mongols finally defeated [[Danylo of Halych]] and made a second attack against [[Lithuania]] and [[Poland]],led by generals [[Burundai]] and [[Nogai 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]] [[Battle of Baghdad (1258)|sack of Baghdad]]. Also in [[1265]] there was a raid against [[Bulgaria]] and [[Thrace]]. Michael of [[Byzantine 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 devout [[Muslim]]. This resulted in the Blue Horde becoming primarily Islamic, and its subjects professing Muslim faith. Berke had a deadly determination to deal with [[Hulagu Khan]], who had murdered the Caliph [[Al-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 the [[Battle of Ain Jalut]]. Kitbuqa was killed. [[Palestine]] and [[Syria]] were permanently lost, the border remaining the [[Tigris]] 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 of [[Mongke 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 Historian [[Rashid 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 the [[Mamluk]] sultan [[Baibars]] 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. 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]]. ==Aftermath== Berke died while fighting Hulagu's son, [[Abaqa Khan]], in 1266. He was succeeded by his nephew, [[Mengu-Timur]]. The policy of alliance with the Mamluks, and containment of the Il-Khanate, was continued by [[Mengu-Timur]]. Most historians{{who?}} 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. ==See also== *[[List of Khans of the Golden Horde]] * [[Berke-Hulagu war]] * [[William of Rubruck]] * [[Negudar]] ==Footnotes== <div class="references-small"> <references /> </div> ==Sources== *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 {{start box}} {{succession box|title=[[Khan (title)|Khan]] of [[Golden Horde]]|after=[[Mengu-Timur]]|before=[[Ulaghchi]]|years='''[[1257]] &ndash; [[1266]]'''}} {{end box}} [[Category:1266 deaths]] [[Category:Khans of the Golden Horde]] [[Category:Military personnel killed in action]] [[Category:Muslim generals]] [[Category:Converts to Islam]] [[ar:بركة خان]] [[de:Berke Khan]] [[eo:Berke]] [[fr:Berké]] [[it:Berke]] [[ka:ბერქა]] [[mn:Бэрх]] [[nl:Berke]] [[ja:ベルケ]] [[pt:Berke]] [[ru:Берке]] [[fi:Berke-kaani]] [[zh:别儿哥]]