History 29/02/20 Paul Reginamaria-Tatar yoke: how many soldiers were in the army of Batu Khan
In most history books it is written that in XIII-XV centuries Russia suffered from the Mongol-Tatar yoke. However, in recent years, increasingly heard the voices of those who doubt that the invasion ever took place? Whether hordes of nomads came to the peaceful principalities, enslaving their inhabitants? Let’s examine the historical facts, many of which can shock.
the Yoke was invented by the poles
by Itself, the term “Mongol-Tatar yoke” was invented by Polish authors. Chronicler and diplomat, Jan Długosz in 1479 so called time existence of the Golden Horde. Behind him in 1517 was repeated by the historian Maciej miechowita, who worked in the University of Cracow. This interpretation of the relationship of Russia with the Mongol invaders quickly picked up in Western Europe, and from there it was borrowed from the native historians.
And the Horde troops themselves Tatars almost was not. Just in Europe well know the name of this Asian people, and so it spread to the Mongols. Meanwhile, Genghis Khan tried to destroy all the Tartar tribe, after defeating their army in 1202.
the First census of the population of Russia
the First in the history of Russia population census is conducted by the representatives of the Horde. They had to gather accurate information about the residents of each Principality, about their social status. The main reason for this interest in statistics on the part of the Mongols was the need to calculate the amount of tax that was imposed on the subjects.
In 1246 census was held in Kiev, Chernigov, Ryazan Principality was subjected to statistical analysis in 1257, Novgorod counted another two years, and the population of the Smolensk region – in 1275.
the people of Russia raised a popular rebellion and drove from their land for so-called “Busurmanov” who collected tribute for the Mongol khansAI. But the governors of the rulers of the Golden Horde, called baskaks, long time lived and worked in the Russian principalities, sending the collected taxes to the Sarai Batu and later Sarai Berke.
Joint tours
the Princely retinue and Horde warriors often conducted joint military campaigns against other Rus, and against the people of Eastern Europe. Thus, in the period 1258-1287 years of Mongol troops and the Galician princes regularly attacked Poland, Hungary and Lithuania. And in 1277 they participated in the military campaign of the Mongols in the North Caucasus, helping your allies to conquer the Republic.
In 1333 Muscovites stormed Novgorod, and next year Bryansk squad went to Smolensk. Every time in these internecine battles participated and the Horde forces. In addition, they regularly helped the great princes of Tver, who was considered in those days the main rulers of Russia, to subdue the rebellious neighboring lands.
the Foundation of the Horde were Russians
the Arab traveler Ibn Battuta, who visited the city Sarai Berke in 1334, in his essay “the Gift of beholding of the curiosities of cities and wonders of travels,” wrote that the capital of the Golden Horde, a lot of Russian. And they make up the bulk of the population: employed, and armed.
This fact is mentioned and the white emigre author Andrei Gordeev in the book “history of the Cossacks”, which was published in France in the late 20-ies of XX century. According to the researcher, most of the Horde troops were the so-called brodniki – ethnic Slavs who inhabited the sea of Azov and don steppes. These predecessors of the Cossacks did not want to obey princes, therefore, moved to the South for the sake of free life. The name of this ethno-social groups probably originated from the Russian word “wander” (to wander).
As we know from annalistic sources, in the battle of Kalka 1223 on the side of the Mongolian troops fought brodniki, which was led by Governor Ploskina. Perhaps his knowledge of tactics and strategy, princely warriors were of great importance to POBfood over the combined Russian-Polovtsian forces.
in addition, it is Ploskina cunning lured the ruler of Kiev Mstislav Romanovich, along with two Turov-Pinsk princes and handed them over to the Mongols for execution.
However, most historians believe that the Mongols forced the Russians to serve in their armies, ie the invaders forcibly armed by representatives of the enslaved people. Although it seems unlikely.
A senior researcher at the Institute of archaeology RAS Marina Poluboyarinov in the book “Russian people of the Golden Horde” (Moscow, 1978) suggested: “Perhaps later stopped the forced participation in the Tatar army of Russian soldiers. There were mercenaries, already voluntarily adopted the Tatar troops.”
the Invaders-Caucasians
Azuga-bagatur, father of Genghis Khan, was a representative of the genus Bordzhigin Mongolian kiyat tribe. The descriptions of many witnesses, and he and his legendary son, was a tall, fair-skinned people with reddish hair.
the word “borjigin”, according to some authors, translated as “green-eyed”. Other experts claim that the genus name means “blue-eyed”. In Mongolian sources preserved comparing the color of the eyes of Genghis Khan to the sea or ocean.
the Persian scholar Rashid ad-DIN in his “Compendium of Chronicles” (beginning of the XIV century) wrote that all the descendants of the great conqueror were mostly blond and gray-eyed.
This means that the elite of the Golden Horde belonged to the Caucasians. Perhaps, among other invaders prevailed the representatives of this race.
a few,
We tend to think that in the XIII century Russia was overrun by countless hordes of Mongol-Tatars. Some historians talking about 500-thousand army. But it is not. Even the modern population of Mongolia is just over 3 million people, and given the most severe genocide of fellow, hosted by the Genghis Khan on the road to power, the number of his army could not be so impressive.
it is Difficult to imagine how to feed polumilliona army, to tWMD is moving on the horses. Animals simply do not have enough pasture. But every Mongol rider led with a minimum of three racers. Now imagine a 1.5 million-strong herd. The horses of the soldiers, traveling in the vanguard of the army, would have eaten and trampled everything they could. The other horses died of starvation.
According to the most optimistic calculations, the army of Genghis Khan and Batu Khan could not exceed 30 thousand riders. While the population of Ancient Russia, according to historian George Vernadsky (1887-1973) was, before the invasion was about 7.5 million people.
Bloodless executions
the People of humble or not respecting the Mongols, like most peoples of that time were executed by chopping off their heads. However, if the sentenced had authority, he had broken the spine and left to die slowly.
the Mongols were convinced that the blood is the seat of the soul. To shed it is to complicate afterlife journey of the deceased to other worlds. Bloodless penalty applied to the rulers, political and military leaders, shamans.
the Reason for the death sentence in the Golden Horde could be any crime of desertion from the battlefield to petty theft.
the bodies of the dead were thrown in the desert
Method of burial of the Mongols is also directly dependent on its social status. Rich and powerful people have found peace in special graves, which together with the bodies of the dead buried valuables, gold and silver jewelry, household items. And the poor and died in the battle of ordinary soldiers are often just left in the desert, where they ended their way of life.
In disturbing the conditions of nomadic life, consisting of regular skirmishes with the enemy, it was difficult to arrange funeral rites. The Mongols often had to quickly move on, without delay.
it was Believed that the corpse of a worthy person will quickly eat animals are scavengers and vultures. But if birds and beasts did not touch the body for a long time, according to popular belief, this meant that for the soul of the deceased was considered a grave sin.
Origanum Tanatarova
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