Ela Botur ( Chechen: "''Эла Ботур"'' = "Prince Botur", also known as "''Ele Badur"'' in

historical sources Historical source is an original source that contains important historical information. These sources are something that inform us about history at the most basic level, and are used as clues in order to study history. Historical sources can includ ...

) was a Chechen feudal lord and king of Boturcha who led a pro-Mongol administration of newly established state. His later life and reign correspond to the historical personality mentioned in the Chinese chronicle Yuan-Shi–"''Ele Badur"''

Family

{{Tree chart/end Esirat (niece of botur)

Early reign

Botur was the ruler of the village Boturcha (subject to the

Kingdom of Alania Alania was a medieval kingdom of the Iranian peoples, Iranian Alans (proto-Ossetians) that flourished in the Northern Caucasus, roughly in the location of latter-day Circassia, Chechnya, Ingushetia, and modern North Ossetia–Alania, from its ind ...

), which, according Suleymanov, was named after him. Before the

Mongol invasions of Durdzuketi Throughout the 13th and 14th century, the ancestors of the Nakh peoples, Vainakh people, the Durdzuks, among different states and factions, waged a brutal and fierce war against the Mongol Empire, who sought to occupy the lands of the Nakh peoples, ...

, Botur (along with several other Alan feudal lords) conducted secret negotiations with the

Mongol Empire The Mongol Empire of the 13th and 14th centuries was the largest contiguous land empire in history. Originating in present-day Mongolia in East Asia, the Mongol Empire at its height stretched from the Sea of Japan to parts of Eastern Europe, ...

, in which an independent state under his rule after the invasion of

Alania Alania was a medieval kingdom of the Iranian Alans (proto-Ossetians) that flourished in the Northern Caucasus, roughly in the location of latter-day Circassia, Chechnya, Ingushetia, and modern North Ossetia–Alania, from its independence from th ...

and Durdzuketi was discussed.

Boturcha rebellion

With the start of the main Mongol campaign in 1238, he, accompanied by his two brothers Matarsha and Utszorbu Khan as well as his son Illes and grandson Yuvashi, met with

Möngke Khan Möngke ( mn, ' / Мөнх '; ; 11 January 1209 – 11 August 1259) was the fourth khagan-emperor of the Mongol Empire, ruling from 1 July 1251, to 11 August 1259. He was the first Khagan from the Toluid line, and made significant reforms ...

and expressed his obedience, thus declaring a rebellion against

Khasi I Khasi may refer to: * Khasi people, an ethnic group of Meghalaya, India * Khasi language, a major Austroasiatic language spoken in Meghalaya, India * Khāṣi language, an Indo-Aryan language of Jammu and Kashmir, India See also * Khasi Hills * G ...

, after which he sent an army, mainly led by his brother Matarsha (among the army were also his other family members) to

Maghas Maghas or Maas — more properly, Mags or Maks — was the capital city of Alania, a medieval kingdom in the Greater Caucasus. It is known from Islamic and Chinese sources, but its location is uncertain, with some authors favouring North Ossetia an ...

in order to help the Mongols in besieging the city as well as support their campaign across all of

and Durdzuketi. This decision was supported by most of the Dishniy clan, especially Botur's family. His reign however was also opposed by his niece and the wife of Khour I, Esirat, who supported the resistance.

Mongol invasions of Durdzuketi and Alania

Among the besiegers of

were the Chinese, Mongols as well as the Dishniy army led by Matarsha and other relatives of Botur. Esirat, who oppsed Botur's regime, was also trapped in

, where she expected a child. She managed to escape the city through a secret passage into the Cheberloy region, Southeast

Chechnya Chechnya ( rus, Чечня́, Chechnyá, p=tɕɪtɕˈnʲa; ce, Нохчийчоь, Noxçiyçö), officially the Chechen Republic,; ce, Нохчийн Республика, Noxçiyn Respublika is a republic of Russia. It is situated in the ...

, where she gave birth to Khour's I only son, Ela Chakh/Chakhig. According to Chinese sources, the Alan feudal lord "Matarsh" played a crucial role in the capture of

. The fall of the city also marked the capitulation of

and the start of the pro-Mongol administration of the region, as well as the start of the insurgency in Durdzuketi. With the execution of

in 1241, Durdzuketi was split up between Botur and

Ors Ors () is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. It is located on the Sambre–Oise Canal, in a small wood called Bois l'Évêque. History The commune was an area of intense fighting in November 1918 for control of the canal. Sec ...

. Botur was gifted the lowlands of today's

, as well as the cities Aldy and

Vedeno Vedeno (russian: Ведено; ce, Ведана, ''Vedana'') is a rural locality (a '' selo'') and the administrative center of Vedensky District, Chechnya. Administrative and municipal status Municipally, Vedeno is incorporated into Vedens ...

, which had previously belonged to the Sado-Orsoy dynasty of Chechnya. The resistance, led by Khour I, led to the persecution of the Sado-Orsoy dynasty, further strengtheting Botur's authority. In 1252, allied with

, Navraz and other pro-Mongol rulers of vassal

, Botur decisively defeated the resistance fighters led by Khour I during the

Battle of Sadoy-Lam A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...

, putting a final end to the insurgency in Durdzuketi. Khour was soon later betrayed by Georgian princes, leading to his capture and murder.

Later life

Following the end of Khour's insurgency, the Mongols successfully provoked armed conflicts between the pro-Mongol administrators in order to weaken their influence. The same happened with Botur, who now engaged in conflicts with the administration of

Ors Ela Ors ( Chechen: ''Ors Ela''–Орс Эла or ''Ars-Ela''–Арс Эла, in historical sources referred to as "''Ars-Alan''") was a Chechen feudal lord from the Sado-Orsoy dynasty of Chechnya and the leader of the pro-Mongol Durdzuk administra ...

as well as other Durdzuk feudal lords. "Ele Badur", together with his son and grandson, Illes and Esutayer respectively, died during the Mongol conquest of southern

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

.Ангуни, Амин: Государственность Народа Нохчий, page 42

References

People A person (plural, : people) is a being that has certain capacities or attributes such as reason, morality, consciousness or self-consciousness, and being a part of a culturally established form of social relations such as kinship, ownership of pr ...

Eastern European people European people by nationality People by ethnicity Peoples of the Caucasus Nakh peoples