Berke: Difference between revisions

| caption = Coinage of Berke, Qrim ([[Crimea]]) mint., Struckstruck circa AH 662-665662–665 (AD 1263-12671263–1267).

| succession = [[List of Khanskhans of the Golden Horde|Khan of the Golden Horde]]<br />''Western Half (Blue Horde)''

| spouse = Melike Hatun (Daughter of [[Kayqubad II]] or [[Kaykaus II]]

| mother = Sultan Khatun (Captured Khwarazmian Princess)

'''Berke Khan''' (died 1266); (also '''Birkai'''; [[Turki]]/[[Cuman language|Kypchak]]: {{Script|Arab|برکه خان}}, {{Lang-mn|Бэрх хан}}, {{lang-tt-Cyrl|Бәркә хан}}) was a grandson of [[Genghis Khan]] from his son [[Jochi]] and a Mongol military commander and ruler of the [[Golden Horde]] ([[division of the Mongol Empire]]){{NoteTag|The Russian colloquial name ''Golden Horde'' for the Kipchak Khanate is believed to have been derived from the steppe color system for the cardinal directions: black {{ndash}} north, blue {{ndash}} east, red {{ndash}} south, white {{ndash}} west, and yellow (or gold) {{ndash}} center, or from the golden field tent of the ruler.}} who effectively consolidated the power of the [[Blue Horde]] and [[White Horde]]{{NoteTag|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.}} from 1257 to 1266. He succeeded his brother [[Batu Khan]] of the Blue Horde (West), and was responsible for the first official establishment of Islam in a khanate of the [[Mongol Empire]].<ref>{{cite book |first = Devin |last = De Weese |title = Islamization and Native Religion in the Golden Horde |publisher = Penn State Press |year = 1994 |isbn = 0-271-01073-8 |page = 3 }}</ref> Following the [[Siege of Baghdad (1258)|Sack of Baghdad]] by [[Hulagu Khan]], his cousin and head of the Mongol [[Ilkhanate]] based in [[Iran|Persia]], he allied with the Egyptian [[Mamluk]]s against Hulagu. Berke also supported [[Ariq Böke]] against [[Kublai Khan|Kublai]] in the [[Toluid Civil War]], but did not intervene militarily in the war because he was occupied in his own war against Hulagu and the Ilkhanate.

[[File:Golden Horde 1389.svg|right|400px|thumb|The domains of the Golden Horde in 1389. The gold star shows the location of New [[Sarai (city)|Sarai]], capital of the [[Golden Horde]].]]

When Batu died in 1255, he was briefly succeeded by his sons [[Sartaq Khan]] and [[Ulaghchi]], before Berke assumed leadership in 1257. He was an able ruler and succeeded in maintaining and stabilizing the Golden Horde, the western khanate of the Mongol Empire. During his government, the Mongols finally defeated the rebellion of [[DanyloDaniel of HalychGalicia]] and made a [[Second Mongol invasion of Poland|second attack against Poland]] and [[Lithuania]], led by general [[Burundai]] (Lublin, Zawichost, Sandomierz, Kraków and Bytom were plundered) in 1259. Also in 1265 there was a raid against [[Bulgaria]] and Byzantine [[Thrace]]. Michael of the [[Byzantine Empire]] also sent much valuable fabric to the Golden Horde as a tribute thereafter.

In the meantime, the IlkhanatesIlkhanids led by [[Kitbuqa]] had fallen out with the crusaders holding the coast of Palestine, and the [[Mamluks]] had secured a pact of neutrality with them, passing through their territory, and destroyingdefeating the Ilkhanate army at the [[Battle of Ain Jalut]]. Kitbuqa was killed. [[Palestine (region)|Palestine]] and [[Syria]] were regained, 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 [[Möngke Khan]].

==Death and Aftermath==

As Berke sought to cross the Kura river to attack Hulagu's son, [[Abaqa Khan]], he fell ill and died sometime between 1266 and 1267.<ref>E.J. Brill's first encyclopaedia of Islam, 1913-1936, Volume 7 By Martijn Theodoor Houtsma, p. 708.</ref> He was succeeded by his grandnephew, [[Mengu-Timur]]. The policy of alliance with the Mamluks, and containment of the Ilkhanate, was continued by Mengu-Timur. ManyBut historians<ref>MichaelBy Pravdinthe 1270s, Levthey Nicholaevichhad Gumilev,signed Reuvena Amitai-Preiss,peace Ntreaty. Kruchki</ref>In areaddition in agreement thatto the interventionpeace bytreaty, BerkeAbagha againstallowed HulaguMongke savedTemur theto remaindercollect oftax theincome Holyfrom Land,some including Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem, fromof the sameworkshops fatein ashis Baghdadkhanate.{{full citation needed|date=July 2019}}

*[[List of Khanskhans of the Golden Horde]]

{{s-ttl|title=[[List of Khanskhans of the Golden Horde|Khan]] of the [[Golden Horde]]|years=1257–1266}}