Batu Khan

Batu Khan (Russian: Batyi, ?????) (c. 1205 - 1255) was a Mongol ruler, founder of the Kipchak Khanate. The term "Kipchak" came from the Kipchak Turks in the Mongol forces. Batu was a son of Jochi and grandson of Genghis Khan.

Related Topics:
Russian - 1255 - Mongol - Kipchak Khanate - Jochi - Genghis Khan

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Although Genghis Khan recognized Jochi as his son, his parentage was always a question, as his mother Borte, Genghis Khan's wife, had been captured and raped, so that Jochi was born exactly 9 months after her recovery by Genghis Khan. During the lifetime of Genghis, this issue was public knowledge but it was taboo to publicly discuss it. Still, it drove a wedge between Jochi and his father, and just before Jochi's death, he and Genghis almost fought a civil war because of Jochi's sullen refusal to join in military campaigns. Jochi also was given only 4000 Mongol soldiers to carve out his own Khanate. Jochi's sons Batu got most of his soldiers by recruiting Turkic people (mostly Kipchak Turks) who he had defeated. Batu was the senior member of the Mongol family after Jochi and Genghis passed away, and Batu was later instrumental in setting aside the house of his uncle Ogotai aside in favor of the house of Toloui, his other uncle. When Batu and another brother of his, Sartak, passed on, yet another brother named Berke inherited the so-called "Golden Horde" actually the Kipchak Khanate, and Berke was not inclined to unity with his cousins in the Mongol family, making war on Hulagu Khan, though Berke officially recognized the Khanate of China as his overloard---in theory only. In fact, Berke was an independent king by then.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~