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Nogai, or Noğay (; also spelled Nogay, Nogaj, Nohai, Nokhai, Noqai, Ngoche, Noche, Kara Nokhai, and Isa Nogai; died 1299/1300) was a
general A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". O ...
and
kingmaker A kingmaker is a person or group that has great influence on a royal or political succession, without themselves being a viable candidate. Kingmakers may use political, monetary, religious and military means to influence the succession. Origina ...
of the
Golden Horde The Golden Horde, self-designated as Ulug Ulus, 'Great State' in Turkic, was originally a Mongol and later Turkicized khanate established in the 13th century and originating as the northwestern sector of the Mongol Empire. With the fragmen ...
and a great-great-grandson of
Genghis Khan Genghis Khan (born Temüjin; ; xng, Temüjin, script=Latn; ., name=Temujin – August 25, 1227) was the founder and first Great Khan (Emperor) of the Mongol Empire, which became the List of largest empires, largest contiguous empire in history a ...
. His grandfather was Bo'al/Baul/Teval, the seventh son of
Jochi Jochi Khan ( Mongolian: mn, Зүчи, ; kk, Жошы, Joşy جوشى; ; crh, Cuçi, Джучи, جوچى; also spelled Juchi; Djochi, and Jöchi c. 1182– February 1227) was a Mongol army commander who was the eldest son of Temüjin (aka G ...
. Nogai was also a notable convert to Islam. Though he never formally ruled the Golden Horde himself, he was effectively the co-ruler of the state alongside whatever khan was in power at the time and had unrestricted control over the portions west of the
Dnieper } The Dnieper () or Dnipro (); , ; . is one of the major transboundary rivers of Europe, rising in the Valdai Hills near Smolensk, Russia, before flowing through Belarus and Ukraine to the Black Sea. It is the longest river of Ukraine an ...
. At his height, Nogai was one of the most powerful men in Europe and widely thought of as the Horde's true head. The Russian chroniclers gave him the title of
tsar Tsar ( or ), also spelled ''czar'', ''tzar'', or ''csar'', is a title used by East and South Slavic monarchs. The term is derived from the Latin word ''caesar'', which was intended to mean "emperor" in the European medieval sense of the ter ...
, and the
Franciscan , image = FrancescoCoA PioM.svg , image_size = 200px , caption = A cross, Christ's arm and Saint Francis's arm, a universal symbol of the Franciscans , abbreviation = OFM , predecessor = , ...
missionaries in the
Crimea Crimea, crh, Къырым, Qırım, grc, Κιμμερία / Ταυρική, translit=Kimmería / Taurikḗ ( ) is a peninsula in Ukraine, on the northern coast of the Black Sea, that has been occupied by Russia since 2014. It has a p ...
spoke of him as a co-emperor.


Name

French historian
Paul Pelliot Paul Eugène Pelliot (28 May 187826 October 1945) was a French Sinologist and Orientalist best known for his explorations of Central Asia and his discovery of many important Chinese texts such as the Dunhuang manuscripts. Early life and career ...
wrote that Nokhai meant "dog". Although in the
Mongolian language Mongolian is the official language of Mongolia and both the most widely spoken and best-known member of the Mongolic language family. The number of speakers across all its dialects may be 5.2 million, including the vast majority of the residen ...
, "nokhoi" (in
Mongolian script The classical or traditional Mongolian script, also known as the , was the first Mongolian alphabet, writing system created specifically for the Mongolian language, and was the most widespread until the introduction of Cyrillic script, Cyrillic ...
: , ''nokhai'') literally means a "dog", it does not necessarily mean a particularly negative and insulting name in its context, since people were called "dogs" among the Mongols at the time and sometimes presently as "nokhduud" as in "you dogs (guys/men/people)". Genghis Khan also called his capable generals "dogs of war" or "men of war". This probably came about because Mongols had a lot of dogs, and dogs were very useful for people's lives in hunting and warnings. Thus dogs became big part of nomadic life and also played a big part in their religion. According to British historian J. J. Saunders, the name "Dog" was used to distract the attention of evil spirits (presumably, they would not be interested in a canine). The Mongols sometimes referred to the wolf as a "steppe dog".


Early life under Batu and Berke

Nogai was born to Tatar (Tutar), a son of Terval who was a son of Jochi. He would rule his grandfather's
appanage An appanage, or apanage (; french: apanage ), is the grant of an estate, title, office or other thing of value to a younger child of a sovereign, who would otherwise have no inheritance under the system of primogeniture. It was common in much o ...
after his father died. After the
Mongol invasion of Europe From the 1220s into the 1240s, the Mongols conquered the Turkic states of Volga Bulgaria, Cumania, Alania, and the Kievan Rus' federation. Following this, they began their invasion into heartland Europe by launching a two-pronged invasion of ...
,
Batu Khan Batu Khan ( – 1255),, ''Bat haan'', tt-Cyrl, Бату хан; ; russian: хан Баты́й was a Mongol ruler and founder of the Golden Horde, a constituent of the Mongol Empire. Batu was a son of Jochi, thus a grandson of Genghis K ...
left Nogai with a tumen (10,000 warriors) in modern-day
Moldavia Moldavia ( ro, Moldova, or , literally "The Country of Moldavia"; in Romanian Cyrillic: or ; chu, Землѧ Молдавскаѧ; el, Ἡγεμονία τῆς Μολδαβίας) is a historical region and former principality in Centr ...
and
Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...
as a frontier guard. He was a nephew of
Berke Berke Khan (died 1266) (also Birkai; , tt-Cyrl, Бәркә хан) was a grandson of Genghis Khan and a Mongol military commander and ruler of the Golden Horde (division of the Mongol Empire) who effectively consolidated the power of the Blue ...
Khan as well as Batu Khan and
Orda Khan Orda Ichen ( Mongolian: c. 1206 – 1251) was a Mongol Khan and military strategist who ruled the eastern part of the Golden Horde (division of the Mongol Empire) during the 13th century. First Khan of the White Horde Orda Ichen (-1251 ...
, and under his uncle, he became a powerful and ambitious warlord.


Second Mongol invasion of Poland

In his later years, Berke began to delegate more and more responsibility to his promising nephew. Nogai's leading role first appears, along with Talabuga, under famous Mongol general
Burundai Boroldai (or Burulday, Borolday), also known as Burundai, (Cyrillic: ''Боролдай'') (died 1262) was a notable Mongol general of the mid 13th century. He participated in the Mongol invasion of Russia and Europe in 1236-1242. The clan of Boro ...
as a battle commander in 1259/1260. He was a young sub-commander during the second major Mongol raid against Poland, undertaken to pay for Berke's war against Hulegu. Here Nogai distinguished himself and plundered
Sandomierz Sandomierz (pronounced: ; la, Sandomiria) is a historic town in south-eastern Poland with 23,863 inhabitants (as of 2017), situated on the Vistula River in the Sandomierz Basin. It has been part of Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship (Holy Cross Prov ...
,
Kraków Kraków (), or Cracow, is the second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula, Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city dates back to the seventh century. Kraków was the official capital of Poland un ...
and other cities.


Rise to power in Golden Horde and Europe: 1262–1266

Nogai's father Tatar died when he was serving under Hulegu.


Berke–Hulagu War

In 1262, a
civil war A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government polici ...
broke out between the Golden Horde and the Ilkhanate, with Berke and Hulagu supporting separate claimants for the title of khagan. Nogai Khan was given a high role in the army of the Golden Horde; Rashid Al-Din describes him as Berke's "commander-in-chief". He had a command of 30,000 men. He was first charged with raiding along the frontier into the territory of the
Ilkhanate The Ilkhanate, also spelled Il-khanate ( fa, ایل خانان, ''Ilxānān''), known to the Mongols as ''Hülegü Ulus'' (, ''Qulug-un Ulus''), was a khanate established from the southwestern sector of the Mongol Empire. The Ilkhanid realm ...
; Nogai made multiple reconnaissances in force into the Caucasus region, drawing Hulegu north with the bulk of his forces. He annihilated an advance guard under Shiramun, and raided as far as the Kur, but was himself repulsed near
Shabran Shabran District ( az, Şabran rayonu) is one of the 66 districts of Azerbaijan. It is located in the north-east of the country and belongs to the Guba-Khachmaz Economic Region. The district borders the districts of Khachmaz, Quba, Khizi and ...
in December 1262, and forced to retreat. Nogai then took on the task of repelling Hulegu's attempted invasion, as the latter was emboldened; Hulegu marched north with his army to invade Berke's territory, attempting to envelope Nogai's army at the Terek, but found only an abandoned camp. While Hulegu's men were looting the camp, Nogai's troops surprised Hulegu's at the Terek River, cutting down a great many of them in an ambush. Hulegu rallied his men and a day-long battle ensued; the fighting was fierce, but the Golden Horde's initial advantage was too great. The Ilkhanate army was routed and many thousands of them were drowned while trying to flee, and the survivors fled back into
Azerbaijan Azerbaijan (, ; az, Azərbaycan ), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, , also sometimes officially called the Azerbaijan Republic is a transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is a part of th ...
. This victory greatly enhanced Nogai's reputation in the Horde, and he was already a trusted lieutenant of Berke. In August 1264, the war effectively ended when
Kublai Khan Kublai ; Mongolian script: ; (23 September 1215 – 18 February 1294), also known by his temple name as the Emperor Shizu of Yuan and his regnal name Setsen Khan, was the founder of the Yuan dynasty of China and the fifth khagan-emperor of ...
was crowned khagan with the acknowledgement of Berke, Hulegu, and Chagatai. However the war was renewed between the Golden Horde and Ilkhanate in 1265. Nogai was given the task of leading an invasion of the Ilkhanate, now ruled by Hulegu's successor
Abaqa Khan Abaqa Khan (27 February 1234 – 4 April 1282, mn, Абаха/Абага хан (Khalkha Cyrillic), ( Traditional script), "paternal uncle", also transliterated Abaġa), was the second Mongol ruler (''Ilkhan'') of the Ilkhanate. The son of Hul ...
. He invaded Persia and plundered some areas before being met in battle by Abaqa on the Aksu. A fierce and severe battle ensued in which Nogai was personally injured (losing an eye) and his army was forced to retreat. Abaqa pursued Nogai's army across the Kur, hoping to wipe it out, but Abaqa was forced to withdraw when Berke arrived with reinforcements.Henry Hoyle Howorth (1876). ''History of the Mongols''. p. 1012.


War against the Byzantines

In 1265, Nogai led his army across the
Danube The Danube ( ; ) is a river that was once a long-standing frontier of the Roman Empire and today connects 10 European countries, running through their territories or being a border. Originating in Germany, the Danube flows southeast for , pa ...
, leading 20,000 men into Byzantine territory. He routed the
Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...
forces before him, and devastated the cities of
Thrace Thrace (; el, Θράκη, Thráki; bg, Тракия, Trakiya; tr, Trakya) or Thrake is a geographical and historical region in Southeast Europe, now split among Bulgaria, Greece, and Turkey, which is bounded by the Balkan Mountains to ...
. In 1266, the Emperor
Michael VIII Palaeologus Michael VIII Palaiologos or Palaeologus ( el, Μιχαὴλ Δούκας Ἄγγελος Κομνηνὸς Παλαιολόγος, Mikhaēl Doukas Angelos Komnēnos Palaiologos; 1224 – 11 December 1282) reigned as the co-emperor of the Empire ...
, anxious to make an alliance, gave his daughter Euphrosyne Palaiologina to Nogai as a wife. He gave much valuable fabric to the Golden Horde as tribute, and became an ally of the Horde, principally dealing with it through Nogai instead of the official khan. He also gifted Nogai pearls, jewels, and valuable garments, temporarily causing Nogai to abandon the animal skins he usually wore outside of battle. Nogai did however slyly ask if the jewels and clothes could ward off lightning bolts, prevent headache, or promote good health, before praising the practicality of the dog skins his people wore.


De facto rule: 1266–1294

Berke died sometime in 1266. Despite his influence, Nogai did not try to seize rulership of the Golden Horde, settling for serving
Mengu-Timur Munkh Tumur or Möngke Temür ( mn, ᠮᠦᠨᠺᠬᠲᠡᠮᠦᠷ, Мөнхтөмөр; russian: Мангутемир, Mangutemir) (?–1280), son of Toqoqan Khan and Köchu Khatun of Oirat (daughter of Toralchi Küregen and granddaughter of ...
Khan. However he managed to exercise de facto control, with near-total control over the lands west of the Dnieper. In addition to his Turkic subjects he ruled the
Ruthenians Ruthenian and Ruthene are exonyms of Latin origin, formerly used in Eastern and Central Europe as common ethnonyms for East Slavs, particularly during the late medieval and early modern periods. The Latin term Rutheni was used in medieval sou ...
of Galicia-Volhynia, the
Ossetians The Ossetians or Ossetes (, ; os, ир, ирæттæ / дигорӕ, дигорӕнттӕ, translit= ir, irættæ / digoræ, digorænttæ, label=Ossetic) are an Iranian ethnic group who are indigenous to Ossetia, a region situated across the no ...
and part of the
Vlach "Vlach" ( or ), also "Wallachian" (and many other variants), is a historical term and exonym used from the Middle Ages until the Modern Era to designate mainly Romanians but also Aromanians, Megleno-Romanians, Istro-Romanians and other Easter ...
s directly. He also undertook his own foreign policy, sending envoys to the
Mamluk Sultanate The Mamluk Sultanate ( ar, سلطنة المماليك, translit=Salṭanat al-Mamālīk), also known as Mamluk Egypt or the Mamluk Empire, was a state that ruled Egypt, the Levant and the Hejaz (western Arabia) from the mid-13th to early 16t ...
, forming marriage alliances with Byzantium and the Il-Khanate, and raiding various European kingdoms. In 1282, Nogai sent 4,000 Mongol soldiers to
Constantinople la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه , alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya (Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis (" ...
, to help his father in law Emperor Michael suppress the rebels headed by John I Doukas of
Thessaly Thessaly ( el, Θεσσαλία, translit=Thessalía, ; ancient Thessalian: , ) is a traditional geographic and modern administrative region of Greece, comprising most of the ancient region of the same name. Before the Greek Dark Ages, Thes ...
. But Michael died and Andronikos II used the allied troops to fight against Serbia.


Invasions of Bulgaria and of Eastern Roman Empire

In 1271 and 1274, Nogai led raids against Bulgaria and Byzantium. In the first raid, the East Roman Emperor
Michael VIII Michael VIII Palaiologos or Palaeologus ( el, Μιχαὴλ Δούκας Ἄγγελος Κομνηνὸς Παλαιολόγος, Mikhaēl Doukas Angelos Komnēnos Palaiologos; 1224 – 11 December 1282) reigned as the co-emperor of the Empire ...
avoided the battle and offered his daughter as wife for Nogai In 1277, a popular movement led by Ivaylo of Bulgaria gained the support of many soldiers and nobles and defeated a column of Mongols raiding into their territory. In 1278-79 Nogai, annoyed by the uprising, personally led a force into Bulgaria. He defeated the Bulgarians, raided the country, and besieged Ivaylo in
Silistra Silistra ( bg, Силистра ; tr, Silistre; ro, Silistra) is a town in Northeastern Bulgaria. The town lies on the southern bank of the lower Danube river, and is also the part of the Romanian border where it stops following the Danube. Si ...
, however he withdrew after three months. Ivaylo subsequently escaped the Mongol blockade and led a Bulgarian force to victory over Nogai's Byzantine allies at the
Battle of Devina 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 ...
. In 1280 Ivaylo began to lose support among his followers, who were not interested in unending wars with the Byzantines, sections of the Bulgarian nobility, and Mongol raiding parties. The nobles subsequently elected George Terter I as emperor. Ivaylo decided to appeal to Nogai, personally appearing before him with a small group of followers asking the khan to make Ivaylo emperor again; Nogai at first received him warmly and invited him to a feast. But at the feast, with Ivaylo and Ivan Asen III seated to his sides, Nogai pointed at Ivaylo and said "He is an enemy of my father, the Emperor
Michael VIII Michael VIII Palaiologos or Palaeologus ( el, Μιχαὴλ Δούκας Ἄγγελος Κομνηνὸς Παλαιολόγος, Mikhaēl Doukas Angelos Komnēnos Palaiologos; 1224 – 11 December 1282) reigned as the co-emperor of the Empire ...
, and does not deserve to live." Ivaylo was executed on the spot by Nogai's guards. Nogai considered executing Ivan as well, the second pretender to the Bulgarian throne, but his wife Euphrosyne requested he spare Ivan, and Nogai relented. Ivan was allowed to flee to Asia Minor. Nogai made the new Bulgarian Emperor George Terter his vassal. After George's flight to Constantinople, Nogai set his close associate Smilets on the Bulgarian throne, keeping Bulgaria a vassal of the Golden Horde.


Second Mongol invasion of Hungary

In the winter of 1285, Nogai and Talabuga Khan invaded
Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Cr ...
with Mongol and
Cuman The Cumans (or Kumans), also known as Polovtsians or Polovtsy (plural only, from the Russian exonym ), were a Turkic nomadic people comprising the western branch of the Cuman–Kipchak confederation. After the Mongol invasion (1237), many sough ...
troops, but unlike
Subutai Subutai (Classical Mongolian: ''Sübügätäi'' or ''Sübü'ätäi''; Modern Mongolian: Сүбээдэй, ''Sübeedei''. ; ; c. 1175–1248) was a Mongol general and the primary military strategist of Genghis Khan and Ögedei Khan. He directe ...
forty years earlier, they were defeated. They invaded on two fronts with a considerable army. Nogai had been told of the perilous political situation in Hungary by fleeing Cuman warriors (King Ladislaus IV's nobles were practically rebelling against him, and Hungary had just been weakened by a Cuman rebellion they had recently defeated), and planned to capitalize on it by launching a vast campaign against the apparently weakened kingdom. The invasion plan was devised by Nogai, with two columns led by him and Talabuga. Talabuga's troops devastated
Transylvania Transylvania ( ro, Ardeal or ; hu, Erdély; german: Siebenbürgen) is a historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and south its natural border is the Carpathian Mountains, and to the west the A ...
and raided as far as Pest, but the Hungarians' newly constructed fortification network gave them much trouble. The Mongol forces were unable to take any major stone castles or fortified cities and suffered from supply shortages, sallies by local Hungarian forces, and stiff resistance in any castle or town they assaulted. Eventually they were beaten by the Hungarian royal army under
Ladislaus IV of Hungary Ladislaus IV ( hu, IV. (Kun) László, hr, Ladislav IV. Kumanac, sk, Ladislav IV. Kumánsky; 5 August 1262 – 10 July 1290), also known as Ladislaus the Cuman, was King of Hungary and Croatia from 1272 to 1290. His mother, Elizabeth, wa ...
near Pest, and the retreating Mongol forces were ambushed by the
Székelys The Székelys (, Székely runes: 𐳥𐳋𐳓𐳉𐳗), also referred to as Szeklers,; ro, secui; german: Szekler; la, Siculi; sr, Секељи, Sekelji; sk, Sikuli are a Hungarian subgroup living mostly in the Székely Land in Romania. ...
, losing much of their invading force. Nogai was more successful than Talabuga, staying in Hungary into spring and retaining the bulk of his army, but still suffered several serious reverses at the hands of local Hungarian troops (primary Szekelys, Saxons, and Vlachs). He also failed to capture any major fortifications, with the exception of the Saxon castle of Ban Mikod. Nogai's column never came into contact with the royal army, as his losses to the local Hungarian forces in the areas he operated in were sufficiently serious to convince him to retreat prematurely. His column was also ambushed by the Szekelys on the return. Overall the campaign was a severe defeat for the Golden Horde and one of Nogai's biggest setbacks; there would be no major incursions into Hungary after it, only raiding along the frontier.


Ascension of Talabuga

Upon returning from their disastrous campaign in Hungary to the Horde's heartland in 1287, they found Tuda-Mengu Khan sunk in religious torpor. Later in the year, he relinquished the throne to his nephew, Talabuga. Eager to prove himself as a capable ruler and not a puppet of Nogai, and probably wanting to make up for his part of the loss in Hungary, Talabuga immediately launched an invasion against the Ilkhanate, attempting to seize the disputed territory of Azerbaijan. He failed, discrediting him and playing into the hands of his rival Nogai, who was still respected despite his own defeats in Transylvania. Nogai would remain a powerful ruler during Talabuga's brief term as khan of the Golden Horde.


Third Mongol invasion of Poland

Nogai and Talabuga made a third raid against Poland in 1287/1288 but were defeated by a contingency of Eastern European armies.


Raid on Circassia

Following the unsuccessful raid on Poland, Nogai and Talabuga made another expedition, this time into
Circassia Circassia (; also known as Cherkessia in some sources; ady, Адыгэ Хэку, Адыгей, lit=, translit=Adıgə Xəku, Adıgey; ; ota, چرکسستان, Çerkezistan; ) was a country and a historical region in the along the northeast ...
. There they pillaged and killed at will. However, on their return to their winter quarters, heavy snows caused Talabuga's army to get lost on the return and suffer greatly. Nogai's army made their way to winter quarters safe and sound. Talabuga blamed this on Nogai.Howorth, p. 139-140


Conflict with Talabuga

Nogai and Talabuga had never gotten along, and their quarrelling during the invasions of Poland and Circassia is held by 19th-century Russian historian
Nikolay Karamzin Nikolay Mikhailovich Karamzin (russian: Николай Михайлович Карамзин, p=nʲɪkɐˈlaj mʲɪˈxajləvʲɪtɕ kərɐmˈzʲin; ) was a Russian Empire, Russian Imperial historian, romantic writer, poet and critic. He is best ...
to be major reasons for the heavy losses taken in those expeditions. In autumn of 1290 Talabuga, thinking Nogai was conspiring against him, decided to muster an army and march against his general. Nogai decided to feign ignorance, though he knew full well Talabuga's distaste for him; he also sent letters to Talabuga's mother, saying he had personal advice to give to the khan that he could only do alone, essentially requesting a formal meeting of princes. Talabuga's mother advised him to trust Nogai, and subsequently, Talabuga disbanded most of his forces and showed up for a meeting with Nogai with only a small retinue. According to Rashid Al-Din, Nogai received Talabuga warmly and feigned illness to appear more harmless. However Nogai was duplicitous; he had arrived at the designated meeting spot accompanied by a large group of soldiers and
Tokhta Tokhta (Toqta, Toktu, Tokhtai, Tochtu or Tokhtogha) (died ) was a khan of the Golden Horde, son of Mengu-Timur and great-grandson of Batu Khan. His name "Tokhtokh" means "hold/holding" in the Mongolian language. Early reign under Nogai In 1 ...
, as well as three sons of Mengu-Timur. While Nogai and Talabuga met, Nogai's men sprung out in an ambush, quickly capturing Talabuga and his supporters; Nogai, with the help of protégés, then strangled Talabuga to death. After this, he turned to the young Tokhta and said: "Talabuga has usurped the throne of your father, and your brothers who are with him have agreed to arrest you and put you to death. I deliver them up to you, and you may do with them as you will." Tokhta subsequently had them killed. For his role in placing Tokhta on the throne, Nogai received the revenues of the Crimean trade cities. Nogai then beheaded many of the Mongol nobles who were supporters of Talabuga, in order to consolidate the rule of his supposed puppet khan. Tokhta was declared khan in early 1291.


Conflict with Tokhta and death: 1294–1300

However, Tokhta would prove a more headstrong ruler than either Tuda-Mengur or Talabuga. Nogai and Tokhta soon found themselves embroiled in a deadly rivalry; while they cooperated in raids against rebellious Rus' principalities, they remained in competition. Tokhta's father-in-law and wife often complained that Nogai seemed to consider himself superior to Tokhta, and Nogai repeatedly rejected any demands Tokhta made of him to attend his court. They also disagreed over the policy of trading rights for the Genoese and Venetian cities in Crimea. Two years after Nogai installed Tokhta, their rivalry came to a head and Tokhta set out to gather his supporters for a war against Nogai.


Battle of Nerghi Plains

Tokhta, with more control over the eastern portions of the empire, managed to gather a massive force, larger than Nogai's but reportedly less able at arms owing to the experience of Nogai's men in their wars in Europe. Marco Polo, drawing from Mongol sources, states that Nogai assembled 15 tumens (150,000 men) and Tokhta assembled 20 tumens (200,000 men), but these numbers are likely exaggerated. The two rulers made camp ten miles from each other on the plain of Nerghi in 1297, halfway between Nogai's lands and Tokhta's. One day's rest later, a hard battle ensued lasting most of the day, in which Nogai and Tokhta both personally distinguished themselves in battle (despite the former's age). In the end Nogai was victorious in spite of his numerical disadvantage. Reportedly 60,000 of Tokhta's men were killed (nearly a third of his army), but Tokhta himself managed to escape.


Battle of Kagamlik

However, Tokhta was not yet finished. After a few years he managed to reform his army and raise a larger host with which he confronted Nogai deep within Nogai's own territory, at , near the Dnieper. Here in 1299 or 1300, Tokhta finally prevailed, with his army defeating Nogai's. Nogai's sons escaped the battle with 1,000 horsemen, while Nogai was found fleeing with 17 when he was wounded by a Russian soldier in the service of Tokhta. He said: "I am Nogai. Take me to Toqta, who is the Khan." The soldier killed Nogai and brought his head to Tokhta; the enraged Tokhta, angered that a Mongol prince's blood had been shed (he planned to execute Nogai in a bloodless manner in keeping with tradition), had the soldier put to death. Nogai's sons were hunted down and executed soon after. Despite his power and prowess in battle, Nogai never attempted to seize the Golden Horde khanate for himself, preferring to act as a sort of kingmaker. He served under several Golden Horde Khans: Berke,
Mengu-Timur Munkh Tumur or Möngke Temür ( mn, ᠮᠦᠨᠺᠬᠲᠡᠮᠦᠷ, Мөнхтөмөр; russian: Мангутемир, Mangutemir) (?–1280), son of Toqoqan Khan and Köchu Khatun of Oirat (daughter of Toralchi Küregen and granddaughter of ...
, Tuda-Mengu, Talabuga, and
Tokhta Tokhta (Toqta, Toktu, Tokhtai, Tochtu or Tokhtogha) (died ) was a khan of the Golden Horde, son of Mengu-Timur and great-grandson of Batu Khan. His name "Tokhtokh" means "hold/holding" in the Mongolian language. Early reign under Nogai In 1 ...
.


Personality and character

Rashid Al-Din presents Nogai as both a capable general and as a wily old politician. He was content to remain a kingmaker and the power behind the throne, rather than seizing direct control of the Horde himself. Nogai self-consciously promoted Mongol ways, and took pride in his lineage. Despite this, his religious beliefs apparently followed his diplomatic needs; initially he was a devout Tengrist, like most of the Golden Horde, and remained one even after Berke's conversion to Islam. Later on, in a letter to Egypt in 1271, he claimed to have converted to Islam, and his name was included on a list of converts sent by Berke to the Mamluk Sultan
Baibars Al-Malik al-Zahir Rukn al-Din Baybars al-Bunduqdari ( ar, الملك الظاهر ركن الدين بيبرس البندقداري, ''al-Malik al-Ẓāhir Rukn al-Dīn Baybars al-Bunduqdārī'') (1223/1228 – 1 July 1277), of Turkic Kipchak ...
in 1263. Yet in 1288 he presented Buddhist relics to the Il-Khan Arghun. One of Nogai's wives, Yailaq, regularly visited a Franciscan convent in Qirim ( Staryy Krym) and was baptized a Catholic. After Toqto’a ascended the throne, Nogai married his daughter Qiyat to Yailaq (no relation to Nogai's wife), a Buddhist and son of the tribe commander Salji'udai. Nogai's daughter Qiyat, after her marriage, converted to Islam (Nogai had evidently not raised her as a Muslim).Vásáry, p.71 Nogai's first wife was named Chubei, and his second was named Yailaq, along with the Byzantine princess Euphrosyne. Chubei was described by Rashid Al-Din as "clever and competent". Nogai had two sons by Chubei: Joge (the eldest) and Tige. He had one son named Torai by Yailaq. He also had a daughter named Quiyaq. He had another wife named Alaka with which he had another son, Chaka, who ruled as the tsar of Bulgaria from 1299 to 1300. He was also close friends with Mankus, a Byzantine merchant from Crimea,Павлов, Пламен. Търновските царици. В.Т.:ДАР-ТХ, 2006. He arranged and held the marriage ceremony of Mankus's daughter Encona to Theodore Svetoslav of Bulgaria at his court, and his wife Euphrosyne became her god-mother.


See also

*
Nogais The Nogais ( Nogai: Ногай, , Ногайлар, ) are a Turkic ethnic group who live in the North Caucasus region. Most are found in Northern Dagestan and Stavropol Krai, as well as in Karachay-Cherkessia and Astrakhan Oblast; some als ...


Notes


References

* Saunders, J.J. ''The History of the Mongol Conquests'', 2001 *Ж.Бор ''Монгол хийгээд евроазийн дипломат шаштир'' Боть 2, 2003 *Howorth, H.H. "History of the Mongols from the 9th to the 19th Century: Part 2. The So-Called Tartars of Russia and Central Asia. Division 1" * *Vernadsky, G. "Mongols and Russia", Yale University Press, Dec 1953 *István Vásáry, ''Cumans and Tatars'', Cambridge University Press 2005 {{DEFAULTSORT:Nogai Khan Generals of the Mongol Empire Year of birth missing 1299 deaths Converts to Islam Khans of the Golden Horde 13th-century rulers in Asia 13th-century Mongol rulers Military personnel killed in action Mongol Empire Muslims Royalty and nobility with disabilities Mongolian people with disabilities