Mamai father alish. Mamai is a biography of the temnik who ruled the Golden Horde

Name: Mamai

Years of life: OK. 1335 - 1380

State: Golden Horde

Field of activity: Army, politics

Greatest Achievement: Not being a descendant of Genghis Khan, he became the ruler of part of the Golden Horde. Led the Mongol army in the Battle of Kulikovo

The name Mamaia is widely known in Russia. How did it happen that the temnik managed to become not only the actual ruler of the Golden Horde within twenty years, but also entered into world history through your work? Mamai was born in Cafe, presumably in 1335, belonged to the Mongolian family of Kiyats. By origin, he could not be a khan - only Genghisides occupied the throne. But he managed to become the son-in-law of the last of the Batuids.

Viceroy Mamai

In the sixties of the fourteenth century, two very important events- Khan appointed him governor of the Northern Black Sea region. At that time, he was already married to the Khan's daughter, which undoubtedly made his appointments expected and logical.

In 1359, the eighth Khan of the Golden Horde, Muhammad Berdibek Khan, was killed as a result of the seizure of power by Kulpa, a self-proclaimed Khan, his distant relative. After the death of the father-in-law of the temnik, the twenty years began, which went down in world history as "". Mamai did not stay away from these events - he unleashed a war against the new ruler. Mamai controlled the western part of the state. He himself could not sit on the throne due to insufficiently noble origin. He needed a complaisant and weak-willed khan who would allow him to become the de facto ruler. In 1361, his choice falls on Abdullah from the Batuid family, a relative of the late ruler, whom he appoints as the ruler of the White Horde. But other khans began to challenge this decision, presenting their claims to the Khan's Golden Horde throne. For two decades, a total of 9 khans claimed it.

Mamai understood that in the struggle for the khanate he needed allies in international politics. And so he began to establish ties with Western countries.

Mamai and the Golden Horde

Abdullah Khan dies in 1370. There are different versions about his death, including a violent death. The next khan was, according to some versions, the wife of the temnik herself. Archaeologists even find minted gold coins with her image. But no matter how satisfied Mamai was with the candidacy of his wife, Tulunbek Khanum, he understood that a male Khan Chingizid should be at the head of the horde. The fate of this woman, Mamai's wife, subsequently developed tragically. After the death of Mamai, she was married to strengthen the authority of his power, but a few years later she was executed by him on suspicion of conspiracy.

In 1372, the eight-year-old Mohammed Sultan was proclaimed khan. Ten years later, he died in, but at that time he was quite convenient for Mamai as a well-managed ruler.

But everything was not easy with the legality of Mohammed's rights - according to Yassa, the law, the khans proclaimed by Mamai, were illegal.

Mamai in the Battle of Kulikovo

After the murder of his father, Tokhtamysh fled under protection. And he used the fugitive Genghisides to gain control over the Horde. Several times the army of Timur and Tokhtamysh tried to seize the throne, but failed each time. Circumstances helped - in 1380, in the Battle of Kulikovo, Mamai not only was defeated, but Bulak Khan, proclaimed a temnik, died in this battle. This did not break Mamai, but circumstances were still against him.

An attempt to hide in the Crimea under the protection of the Genoese, in his native Kafa, failed - he was not allowed into the city. Mamai was soon killed by mercenaries sent by Tokhtamysh. The most honorable funeral was arranged for the outstanding and famous temnik.

Regarding the most fatal event in the life of Mamai - the Battle of Kulikovo - historians have two versions. Some, led by L. Gumilyov, N. Karamzin, G. Vernadsky, believe that there was no battle, and the Tatars were more allies than oppressors. And it was this union that saved Russia from disappearing as a state during a difficult period of civil strife.

Opponents of this group of scientists rely on the descriptions of the atrocities of the Tatars in Russian chronicles - mass executions, destruction of cities, murders. But most of the annals could have been edited much later - during the reign of Ivan III, for political purposes, to please the current international situation - in particular, in connection with the aggravation of relations with the Principality of Lithuania, a long-time ally of the Mongols.

Both versions have the right to life, but perhaps the truth is somewhere in between.

His name entered everyday culture at the level of sayings: "how Mamai passed." One of the most famous pages of history is connected with it - the Battle of Kulikovo. He played secret political games with Lithuanians and Genoese. Beklyarbek of the Golden Horde Khan Mamai.

Origin

Khan Mamai became the prototype of the famous character of Ukrainian folk culture - the Cossack knight (knight) Mamai. Modern Ukrainian reformist historians even seriously write about the Ukrainian origin of the khan, and esotericists call the Cossack-Mamai "a cosmogonic personification Ukrainian people generally". For the first time in the everyday culture of the common people, it appeared rather late, in the middle of the 18th century, but it became so popular that it hung in every house next to the icons.

Mamai was half Polovtsian - Kipchak, half - Mongol. By father, he is a descendant of Khan Hakopa from the Kiyan clan, and by mother, from the clan of the Golden Horde temnik Mamai. Then it was a common name, meaning in Turkic Mohammed. He successfully married the daughter of the ruler of the Sarai - Khan Berdibek, who had previously killed his father and all the brothers, the Great Zamyatnya began in the Horde - a long period of civil strife. Berdibek himself was also killed, and the direct line of the Batuid dynasty on the main throne of the Horde was interrupted. Then the eastern descendants of Jochi began to lay claim to Saray. Under these conditions, Mamai captured the western part of the Horde and installed khans there - indirect heirs of the Batuid clan. He himself could not rule without being Genghisides. And here a big policy with the participation of Mamai unfolded.

“The talented and energetic temnik Mamai came from the Kiyan clan, hostile to Temujin and who lost the war in Mongolia back in the 12th century. Mamai revived the Black Sea power of the Polovtsians and Alans, and Tokhtamysh, heading the ancestors of the Kazakhs, continued the Dzhuchiev ulus. Mamai and Tokhtamysh were enemies." Lev Gumilyov.

Mamai vs Tokhtamysh

Tokhtamysh was an adherent of the old Horde order, striving to unite the splitting horde. In addition, he was a Chingizid and had uncontested rights to Sarai, as opposed to Mamai. Tokhtamysh's father was killed by the ruler of the White Horde, Urus Khan, but after the death of the latter, the nobility there refused to obey his descendants and called Tokhtamysh. Tokhtamysh lost the internal war, but escaped after a decisive battle, having sailed across the wounded Syr Darya - to the possessions of Tamerlane. He said: "You, apparently, are a courageous person; go, return your khanate to yourself, and you will be my friend and ally." Tokhtamysh took the White Horde, received the Blue Horde - by right of inheritance, and moved on Mamai. Now everything depended on alliances formed in the West.

big politics

Since the Golden Horde weakened in strife, the Lithuanians began to strengthen in the territories formerly controlled by the Mongols. Kyiv became practically Lithuanian, Chernihiv and Severskaya were under the influence of Lithuania. Prince Olgerd was a militant anti-Orthodox, while the majority of the population in the expanded Lithuania was already Russian, and Moscow used this against the Lithuanians. However, other Russian princes, on the contrary, used Lithuania against Moscow - first of all, Suzdal and Novgorod. There was also a division according to Western politics in the Horde.

Mamai bet on Lithuania, and Tokhtamysh on Moscow. Mamai led a pro-Western line, because he needed money to fight Tokhtamysh. The Crimean Genoese promised to help with money in exchange for concessions for the extraction of furs in the north of Russia. Mamai tried for a long time to persuade Moscow to fulfill the conditions of the Genoese in exchange for a label and other privileges. Both the Muscovites accepted. Metropolitan Alexy, who ruled de facto when Dmitry was a child, used Mamai to elevate, both legally and de facto, the Principality of Moscow. But in the end, Moscow turned its back on Mamai, and the so-called “great peace” took place. Not without the influence of Sergius of Radonezh, who said that there could be no business with the Latins (Genoese and Latins).

From the “Word on the Life and Repose of the Grand Duke Dmitry Ivanovich, Tsar of Russia”: “Mamai, incited by crafty advisers who Christian faith they held on, but they themselves did the deeds of the wicked, he said to his princes and nobles: “I will seize the Russian land, and I will destroy the Christian churches ... Where there were churches, I will put murmurs here.”

Before the Battle of Kulikovo

Interesting events took place before the Battle of Kulikovo. Since Mamai hoped to conclude an alliance either with Moscow, and then with other principalities against Moscow, he often sent embassies to Russia. To Ryazan, Tver, Moscow itself, etc. These embassies were often mistreated. This happened in Nizhny Novgorod (then under the reign of Suzdal), where he sat Suzdal Bishop Dionysius. He raised the townspeople against the Tatar embassy. As Lev Gumilyov writes, “all the Tatars were killed in the most cruel way: they were stripped naked, released onto the ice of the Volga and poisoned by dogs.” Mamai overtook the drunken Suzdal troops on the Pyana River and cut them, repeating the same thing a little later in Nizhny. On adrenaline, Mamai decided to continue moving towards Moscow, but the troops of Mamaisky Murza Begich were defeated on the Vozha River. After that, the main open clash between Mamai and Moscow became inevitable.

His name entered everyday culture at the level of sayings: "how Mamai passed." One of the most famous pages of history is connected with it - the Battle of Kulikovo. He played secret political games with Lithuanians and Genoese. Beklyarbek of the Golden Horde Mamai.

Origin

Khan Mamai became the prototype of the famous character of Ukrainian folk culture - the Cossack knight (knight) Mamai. Modern Ukrainian reformist historians even seriously write about the Ukrainian origin of the khan, and esotericists call the Cossack-Mamai "the cosmogonic personification of the Ukrainian people as a whole." For the first time in the everyday culture of the common people, it appeared rather late, in the middle of the 18th century, but it became so popular that it hung in every house next to the icons.

Mamai was half Polovtsian - Kipchak, half - Mongol. On his father, he is a descendant of Khan Hakopa from the Kiyat clan, and on his mother, from the clan of the Golden Horde temnik Mamai. Then it was a common name, meaning in Turkic Mohammed. He successfully married the daughter of the ruler of the Sarai - Khan Berdibek, who had previously killed his father and all the brothers, the Great Zamyatnya began in the Horde - a long period of civil strife. Berdibek himself was also killed, and the direct line of the Batuid dynasty on the main throne of the Horde was interrupted. Then the eastern descendants of Jochi began to lay claim to Saray. Under these conditions, Mamai captured the western part of the Horde and installed khans there - indirect heirs of the Batuid clan. He himself could not rule without being Genghisides. And here a big policy with the participation of Mamai unfolded.

“The talented and energetic temnik Mamai came from the Kiyat clan, hostile to Temujin and who lost the war in Mongolia back in the 12th century. Mamai revived the Black Sea power of the Polovtsians and Alans, and Tokhtamysh, heading the ancestors of the Kazakhs, continued the Dzhuchiev ulus. Mamai and Tokhtamysh were enemies." Lev Gumilyov.

Mamai vs Tokhtamysh

Tokhtamysh was an adherent of the old Horde order, striving to unite the splitting horde. In addition, he was a Chingizid and had uncontested rights to Sarai, as opposed to Mamai. Tokhtamysh's father was killed by the ruler of the White Horde, Urus Khan, but after the death of the latter, the nobility there refused to obey his descendants and called Tokhtamysh. Tokhtamysh lost the internal war, but escaped after a decisive battle, having sailed across the wounded Syr Darya - to the possessions of Tamerlane. He said: "You, apparently, are a courageous person; go, return your khanate to yourself, and you will be my friend and ally." Tokhtamysh took the White Horde, received the Blue Horde - by right of inheritance, and moved on Mamai. Now everything depended on alliances formed in the West.

big politics

Since the Golden Horde weakened in strife, the Lithuanians began to strengthen in the territories formerly controlled by the Mongols. Kyiv became practically Lithuanian, Chernihiv and Severskaya were under the influence of Lithuania. Prince Olgerd was a militant anti-Orthodox, while the majority of the population in the expanded Lithuania was already Russian, and Moscow used this against the Lithuanians. However, other Russian princes, on the contrary, used Lithuania against Moscow - first of all, Suzdal and Novgorod. There was also a division according to Western politics in the Horde.

Mamai bet on Lithuania, and Tokhtamysh on Moscow. Mamai led a pro-Western line, because he needed money to fight Tokhtamysh. The Crimean Genoese promised to help with money in exchange for concessions for the extraction of furs in the north of Russia. Mamai tried for a long time to persuade Moscow to fulfill the conditions of the Genoese in exchange for a label and other privileges. Both the Muscovites accepted. Metropolitan Alexy, who ruled de facto when Dmitry was a child, used Mamai to elevate, both legally and de facto, the Principality of Moscow. But in the end, Moscow turned its back on Mamai, and the so-called “great peace” took place. Not without the influence of Sergius of Radonezh, who said that there could be no business with the Latins (Genoese and Latins).

From the “Word on the Life and Repose of the Grand Duke Dmitry Ivanovich, Tsar of Russia”: “Mamai, instigated by crafty advisers who adhered to the Christian faith, and themselves did the deeds of the wicked, said to his princes and nobles: “I will seize the Russian land, and destroy the Christian churches … Where there were churches, I’ll put murmurs here.”

Before the Battle of Kulikovo

Interesting events took place before the Battle of Kulikovo. Since Mamai hoped to conclude an alliance either with Moscow, and then with other principalities against Moscow, he often sent embassies to Russia. To Ryazan, Tver, Moscow itself, etc. These embassies were often mistreated. This happened in Nizhny Novgorod (then under the reign of the Suzdalians), where the Suzdal Bishop Dionysius was sitting. He raised the townspeople against the Tatar embassy. As Lev Gumilyov writes, “all the Tatars were killed in the most cruel way: they were stripped naked, released onto the ice of the Volga and poisoned by dogs.” Mamai overtook the drunken Suzdal troops on the Pyana River and cut them, repeating the same thing a little later in Nizhny. On adrenaline, Mamai decided to continue moving towards Moscow, but the troops of Mamaisky Murza Begich were defeated on the Vozha River. After that, the main open clash between Mamai and Moscow became inevitable.

The princes of Glinsky called themselves descendants of Mamai. According to their family legend, the descendants of Mamai served in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and supposedly the Glinskys descended from Mamai's son Mansur Kiyatovich. If so, then Mamai was the ancestor of Ivan IV the Terrible by his mother, Elena Glinskaya.

Doom

In the Battle of Kulikovo, about which we have written a lot, Mamai lost not only the army, but also legitimacy: the infant Khan Mohammed, who ruled de jure in Saray, was killed. Thus, Tokhtamysh almost did not have to fight in order to finish off the remnants of Mamai's army on the Kalka River - people themselves went over to a more legitimate ruler. Mamai went to the Genoese in Kafa (present-day Feodosia), but it is clear that they were no longer interested in him. There he was killed. Whether by the Genoese, or Tokhtamysh's scouts: this is not so important, since his fate was sealed, and his time was over.

Mamai did not belong to the khan's family of Genghis Khanovich, seized power due to the ensuing general internal turmoil and was not recognized by a significant part of the tribes of both the Golden and the White Horde. His power was not recognized by the Nogai hordes and Cossacks. The attitude towards him was also defiant on the part of the Moscow prince.

Mamai, in order to strengthen his position, began to seek an alliance with the Lithuanian prince, and through him with some Russian princes. In 1377 Prince Olgerd died and his son Jagiello took his place. Mamai entered into an alliance with him and began to prepare for an internal war in order to bring the tribes recalcitrant to him into obedience, including the Moscow prince.

By that time, the possessions of the Lithuanian princes had spread far to the east and included the Ryazan principality. The Prince of Pronsk married the daughter of Prince Olgerd and, with his help, became the Prince of Ryazan. Thus, the Ryazan principality was made dependent on Lithuania. The prince of Tver was in alliance with the Lithuanian princes, continued to spread his possessions to the east and occupied several cities on the Volga. Prince Dimitry Donskoy, who had matured by that time, did not reckon with the labels of Mamai and openly began to resist the Tatar detachments attacking the borders of Russian possessions. Mamai, in order to humble the Moscow prince, sent a significant detachment under the command of Tsarevich Arapsha to the borders of the Moscow principality. Against the Tatars, Prince Dimitri sent troops under the command of his son, Ivan. The troops met on the river. Piave. During the battle, Tsarevich Ivan drowned in the river. Piyave, his troops were defeated and the Tatars occupied and defeated Nizhny Novgorod.

In 1378, Mamai sent a stronger detachment against Moscow, and they again captured Nizhny Novgorod and Ryazan and destroyed them. But Prince Dimitri spoke out against this detachment of Tatars, met with them within the Ryazan possessions on the river. Vozhe and defeated them. According to the chronicler: "Demetrius fought with the Tatars on the Vozha and the Tatars ran away." Fight on the river Vozhe put Russia in a position of open war with the Golden Horde. Mamai could not put up with the disobedience of Moscow and began to prepare for a campaign against her.

By the time of the imminent war against the Golden Horde, the possessions of the Moscow principality were limited to the Moscow and Vladimir-Suzdal regions and the Yaroslavl principality. In the southeast, the Meshchersky principality, formed by Khan Togai, entered the possessions of Moscow.

The son of Tog, Makhmet Useinovich, turned his possessions into a stable principality, and his son, Belimesh, converted to Christianity, received the name Michael, baptized his squad and "many people" and recognized the power of the Moscow prince; in the position of henchmen were: Beloozero, Kargopol, Kubensk, Mypom-Eletsk and some other petty rulers of the fragmented Russian principalities. The possessions of Moscow were compressed from all sides by its opponents and were limited to the limits of the flow of the Volga and Oka rivers, and in the south of the river. Gums and the borders of the Ryazan principality. The Tver and Ryazan princes were in alliance with the Lithuanian prince and, together with him, with Khan Mamai. Prince Daniel waged war at the same time with Tver and Ryazan; these wars ended in peace treaties, according to which the princes of Tver and Ryazan promised to live in peace and fight together with a common enemy. “Your enemy will be my enemy,” the treaties said. General environment for an open speech by Moscow against Mamai, could not give any hope of success. The Moscow prince could have hopes for success only on the condition foreign aid, and he could count on such help from the allies who appeared on his western borders.

After the death of Prince Olgerd, his eldest son Jagiello became the Lithuanian prince. He married a Polish princess, Jadwiga, converted to Catholicism and became king of the united Polish-Lithuanian kingdom. Catholicism was adopted as the dominant religion and became compulsory for all citizens. Lithuania. The independence of Lithuania was threatened by absorption by Poland. Lithuania could not reconcile with Jagiello's decision, and his three brothers rebelled against him. Prince Alexander of Pskov fled to Moscow and entered the service of the Moscow prince. Volyn and Bryansk princes got out of the power of their brother and took a position hostile to him. These Jagiello brothers decided to continue the policy of the former Lithuanian princes who created an independent Lithuania while preserving it inner life and orders. They couldn't refuse common purpose pursued by their father - the absorption of the Moscow principality and the destruction of the Golden Horde. Despite the split that occurred as a result of the Polish-Lithuanian Union adopted by their brother, they had enough means to continue their previous policy, counting; on the forces they had at their disposal, and on the sympathy of the Russian people. Only with their help could the Moscow prince have any hope of success in an open war against Mamai.

In the brewing conflict between Moscow and the Golden Horde, the policy of Jagiello and his brothers was the same, the difference was only in tactics. Jagiello entered into an alliance with Mamai, hoping in alliance with him to break the resistance of the Moscow prince and even to completely destroy his armed forces. His brothers wanted war between the Moscow prince and the Golden Horde, but they wanted to use it in. in order to weaken both sides. They saw that in the upcoming battle, the troops of the Moscow prince, poorly armed, without experienced commanders, would have to be defeated if they were not completely destroyed, after which the Golden Horde would be strengthened and the prestige of the khan would rise .. Therefore, in order to prevent the final destruction of the troops Moscow prince and undermine the prestige of Mamai, they wanted to provide little support to Moscow.

The unexpected meeting of the troops of the Moscow prince and the Lithuanian princes when approaching the battlefield is a legend of the distant past. The Moscow prince Dimitri knew that he was not against one khan of the Golden Horde, but a whole coalition: Mamai, Jagiello, the prince of Ryazan and Tver, and without securing support from the allies in advance, he could not lead the troops to their certain death. In solving an open war against Mamai and supporting him from the Lithuanian princes, Prince Dimitri had a plan developed in advance and his Western allies were the main advisers in this matter.

Mamai began to prepare for a campaign against Moscow. He went up the Volga and began to replenish the troops with the Volga tribes - Buryats, Cheremis and Tatars. The Moscow prince also began to gather troops and prepare to repulse the Tatars. He sent requests for help to all the princes and Novgorod. Ambassadors were sent to Mamai with rich gifts and a promise to pay tribute to the khan as before. Mamai did not agree and demanded more. Zakhary Tyutchev, who headed the embassy, ​​learned that Jagiello and the Ryazan prince Oleg kissed Mamai and signed an agreement on the campaign joint forces to Moscow with the aim of dividing it. The Allied troops were to unite on the river. Oka and from there to conduct a further offensive. Neither Novgorod, nor Tver, nor Suzdal, nor Nizhny Novgorod responded to the call of the Moscow prince. Only henchmen of Beloozero, Rostov and Pereyaslavl promised to join. By the end of August 1380, the troops of the Moscow prince united at Kolomna. From Kolomna, the prince ordered the troops to move to the upper reaches of the Don. At the mouth of the Lopast River, the troops crossed the Oka and continued to move in the indicated direction. By the time the troops approached the upper reaches of the Don, there was an event that in the history of the Battle of Kulikovo borders on a miracle.

The troops of the Moscow prince were joined with the troops by the Pskov and Bryansk princes Olgerdovichi and the troops of the Volyn prince under the command of the governor Bobrok. Another miracle also dates back to the same time: the Don atamans came with the troops to the Moscow prince, about whom the chronicler reports: “There, in the upper reaches of the Don, the people of the Christian military rank live, called “Cossacks”, in joy meeting the Grand Duke Dimitry, with holy icons and with crosses congratulating him on his deliverance from the adversary, and bringing him gifts from his treasures, even if he has Miraculous Icons in his churches. The “unexpected” appearance of the troops of the Lithuanian princes and Cossacks when approaching the battlefield answered in the best way general plan upcoming battle. The troops of the Moscow prince, going to the upper reaches of the Don, moved away from Moscow by 250-300 miles, and approaching the battlefield, they were placed in a position surrounded on three sides by their opponents. The troops of Mamai, the Ryazan prince and Jagiello from the mouth of the Nepryadva were at the same distance, in relation to the Moscow troops, occupying an enveloping position in relation to them. The appearance of the troops of the Lithuanian kings and Cossacks from the southwest and south separated the troops of Jagiello from the troops of his allies, and, in addition, reinforced the troops of the Moscow prince with units well prepared for battle and excellent military leaders.

The Don Cossacks in the upcoming war between Mamai and Moscow were not on the side of Mamai and some of them took the side of the Moscow prince. The collapse of the Golden Horde and the seizure of power by the usurper posed the question for the Cossacks, where to look for a way out of the situation, and, if not all, then some of them joined the troops of the Moscow prince and opposed Mamai. Coming out of Moscow, "watchmen" were sent from the troops to search for the enemy, from whom no information was received. After the joining of the Lithuanian and Cossack troops, outfits of new "watchmen" were sent, under the command of Semyon Medic. Information was received from Melik that Mamai's troops were on the river. Vorone, the Lithuanian prince Jagiello - near Odoevsk, and the Ryazan prince on his territory, the distance of the location of these and other troops from Nepryadva was about one hundred and fifty miles, more than close range Mamai was with the troops. Semen Melik was all the time in contact with the troops of Mamai. From the captured Tatar, information was received that “Mamai has all the Tatar and Polovtsian strength, and he also hired Besermen, Armenians, Fryazi, Circassians, Yases and Buryats ...” and that his army is innumerable and cannot be counted. On September 2, Melik's watchmen withdrew gradually under pressure from the Tatars to Nepryadva, to Red Hill, from the top of which the whole neighborhood was visible. By September 5, the troops of the Moscow prince and his allies approached the mouth of the river. Nepryadvy. The chronicler writes: “And having come to the Don and stash and thinking a lot ...” Grand Duke gathered council in the village. Chernov, and asked all the princes and governor to express their opinion on the order of the battle. At the council, some said “go the prince for the Don”, others - “do not go, for the sake of multiplying our enemies, not only the Tatars, but also Lithuania and Ryazan ...” The voice of the Volyn governor, Bobrok, turned out to be decisive. He stated: “If you want the prince to have a strong army, then they ordered him to fuss over the Don, so that there would not be a single one who thought back, but the great forces would say nothing, as God is not in power, but in truth Yaroslav is transporting the river - the Holy Regiment of Victory; and your great-grandfather, the great prince, Alexander, Izhera crossed the river, defeat the king. God also called you to do the same, if we win, then we will be saved, if we die, then we will accept all common death from the prince and until ordinary people... ". After listening to Bobrok and the opinion of other princes, the Grand Duke said: “Brothers, better death evil belly, and it was better not to go against the godless, rather than having come, and having done nothing, to turn back: we will come now, therefore, this day for the Don in all, and there we will put our heads all for the holy churches and for Orthodox faith and for our brothers, for Christianity.” It was ordered to build bridges for each regiment: advanced, large, right and left hand and ambush, - the troops began to cross the Don on five bridges. After the crossing, the bridges were ordered to be destroyed so that no one thought about retreat. Semyon Melik continued to observe the Tatar army and on September 7 reported that the Tatars were on the "goose ford", 8-9 versts from the river. Nepryadvy, and advised the prince to prepare for battle.

The combat disposition of the troops was entrusted to the voivode Bobrok. Bobrok "arranging half a dozen and placing them according to their property, where it is appropriate for anyone to stand." A large regiment was placed in the center under the command of the boyar Timofey Velyaminov; on the flanks - regiments of the right and left hands under the command of Prince Andrei Olgerdovich, the second - Prince Vasily Yaroslavsky; behind the left flank was put in the form of a reserve - the regiment of the Lithuanian prince Dmitry Olgerdovich; an advanced regiment was placed in front of the troops, under the command of princes Semyon Obolensky and Ivan Tarussky; in Zelenaya Grove, an "ambush regiment" was set up, under the command of the voivode Bobrok, under whom was the brother of the Grand Duke, Vladimir.

The identity of the voivode Bobrok has not been clarified to date, there is no doubt that he was one of the chieftains of the Dnieper Cossacks who came from Volhynia, whose descendants among the Don Cossacks existed until recently.

Zelenaya Grove was located in the northeast corner of the Kulikovo field and adjacent to the Don, where bridges were left, which were under the supervision of an ambush regiment, in whose firmness there was no doubt.

The number of troops is calculated by the chroniclers, according to ancient custom, regardless of reality, but with the calculation of more strong action to the imagination of the reader. According to the chronicler Safony Ryazanets, who wrote about a hundred years after the event, it appears: “And having gathered our hundred thousand and one hundred, contrary to the Russian princes and local governors. Byache of all the strength and all the armies in the number of 150,000 or 200,000; the troops were replenished with the approaching princes of Lithuania, whose number was 40,000 and were brought to 400,000 soldiers. The number of troops, of course, is exaggerated, their number could not exceed 50,000 - 60,000 people. These considerations are based on the fact that the dimensions of the Kulikovo Field were 5 versts in length and 4 versts in depth, and were not sufficient for the deployment of 400,000 armies. In addition, the population of the Moscow possessions could not put up such a number, which is why the actual number could not exceed 50-60 thousand. With 40,000 troops who joined from outside, all the troops could number 90-100 thousand.

Exaggerated troops and Mamai, the number of which also could not have an overwhelming superiority over Moscow.

“Mamai, hearing the arrival of the Grand Duke to the river. Don, gave the order to move with all his strength and stand at the Don against Prince Dmitry Ivanovich, until the adviser Jagiello, the prince with all the strength of Lithuania, comes to us ... ".

Mamai sent ambassadors to the Moscow prince for negotiations, and Prince Dmitry offered tribute on the previous agreement, but Mamai demanded more. From these secondary negotiations it is clear that Prince Dmitry Donskoy did not flatter himself with the hopes of liberation from the dependence of the Mongols, and, consequently, his military campaign against Mamai was forced.

Even with a favorable outcome of the upcoming battle, the prince should have foreseen that the Mongols would not leave him alone and own forces will not be enough to repel their invasion.

Mamai left a significant mark on history: it was under him that the famous Battle of Kulikovo took place. It was an ambiguous, but influential personality of his time. Consider who Mamai is, what he did for his country, what he became famous for.

Origin

Mamai was born around 1335. He came from the Kiyat clan (an ancient Turkic tribe, whose representative was Genghis Khan himself). Mamai married very favorably, taking as his wife Tulunbek, the daughter of Muhammad Berdibek (the eighth ruler of the Horde).

Berdibek died in 1359. This ended the reign of the Batuid dynasty. Mamai began the so-called "Great Jam" period, which lasted almost until his death. He tried to restore the dynasty, making only representatives of the clan khans. However, according to the law of the Golden Horde, they were impostors.

Ranks and positions

Answering the question of who Mamai is, one cannot ignore his rank and position. He ruled the troops of the Golden Horde from 1361 to 1380, was a military leader. The Russians called him temnik. This is military rank the person who leads big group its army (approximately 10 thousand people). He did not have the title of khan, since he did not belong to the Genghisid family. He was also a beklyarbek - the head of the Golden Horde state administration.

The history of events before the Battle of Kulikovo and Mamai's policy

When Berbidek, the father of Tulunbek, was killed by Khan Kulp, Mamai declared war on him and, as already mentioned, the period of the “Great Jail” began. For 11 whole years since 1359, Mamai fought as many as nine khans, who opposed the fact that he put Khan Abdullah at the head. In 1366, Mamai conquered some lands in the west of the possessions of the Golden Horde (near the Crimea) and began to rule there. This weakened the central government. Temporarily, he even ruled the capital - New Saray (when he managed to win it back).

The Eastern states did not support Mamai, so he mainly turned to European states(most often to Lithuanian, to Genoa and to Venice). Mamai's reign was very ambiguous. Historians know that at first he supported the Moscow principality, even concluded an agreement with Metropolitan Alexy, who, one might say, ruled Moscow while Prince Dmitry was little. For Russia, the benefit of such an alliance was that Mamai reduced taxes levied on Russians.

Some time later, Mikhailo Alansky himself asked the temnik (remember, this is how Mamai was called in Russia) to give a label to the principality of Dmitry Donskoy. Alani made many gifts to Temnik, and he agreed. Donskoy became dependent precisely on the Mamaev Horde (a self-proclaimed state in the Golden Horde), and not on those rulers who ruled in Sarai. Seven years later, Mamai took away the label for the principality from the prince, and gave it to Mikhail of Tver. But already matured at that time, Prince Dmitry managed to regain this label a year later. It was handed over to him by Khan Mohammed Bulak, who was placed on the throne by Mamai.

At the same time, there was a struggle with Tokhtamysh (legitimate khan of the Horde). He was a Chingizid and from 1377 tried to become a full-fledged ruler. His the main objective was to remove Mamai. A year later, he and his troops invaded the temnik's domain. By 1380, Tokhtamysh returned his lands, and only the North of the Black Sea and Crimea remained for Mamai. Tokhtamysh won and established legal power, and the "Great Zamyatnya" ended. It was almost at the same time as the Battle of Kulikovo, which we will discuss below.

Battle of Kulikovo

To know who Mamai is, you need to understand what role he played in the clash on this battle between the troops of Mamai and Dmitry Donskoy. There are several reasons that led to this battle.

Relations between the Mamayev Horde and Moscow worsened when the temnik took away the label already given to him for the Moscow principality from Donskoy. For this, Prince Dmitry stopped paying tribute. Temnik decided to send his ambassadors, but they were all killed by order of the prince, who had many supporters. After that, there were small clashes between the warring parties, but Mamai himself had not yet attacked. So far, only Arapsha (Khan of the Blue Horde serving under Mamai) has ruined some large Russian principalities.

In 1378, the temnik sent his troops to fight Dmitry, but the Horde were defeated. Around the same time, Mamai began to lose part of his territory, as Tokhtamysh and his people attacked him from the other side. In 1380, preparations for battle began. Moscow troops, led by Dmitry, were going to head to the Don through Kolomna. The main regiment was led by Donskoy himself, the second regiment was commanded by Vladimir the Brave, and the third by Gleb Bryansky. Very many Russian cities also provided great military support to Prince Dmitry, sending their troops to help.

It is also interesting to note the number of troops. AT different sources the number of Russian soldiers is mentioned from 40 thousand to 400 thousand. But many historians believe that these numbers are exaggerated and that the number of soldiers did not exceed 60 thousand. But in the troops of Mamai, there were from 100 to 150 thousand people.

The Battle of Kulikovo took place on September 8, 1380 on the banks of the Don at the Kulikovo field. It is known that the Russians advanced with banners depicting Jesus Christ. First, there were small clashes between the advanced troops, in which the Tatar-Mongol Chelubey and the Russian monk Peresvet died.

Since the troops of Mamai outnumbered the troops of the Don, the Russians initially had little chance of winning. But they had a certain tactic. They hid the ambush detachments of princes Vladimir Serpukhov and Dmitry Bobrok-Volynsky, who helped a lot at the end of the battle. Thus, Mamai's side began to lose. Almost all the Horde warriors were killed. The battle ended with the flight of the Tatar-Mongol.

This battle had great importance. Although Russia still continued to be under the yoke of the Golden Horde, it became more independent, the Moscow principality was greatly strengthened. A hundred years later, Russia finally freed itself from the influence of the Horde.

Death

After losing to the Russian troops and Khan Tokhtamysh, Mamai fled to the territory of present-day Feodosia, but he was not allowed to go there. Mamai tried to hide in the city of Solkhat (now it Old Crimea), but did not manage to get there. On his way, Tokhtamysh's people attacked him. By this time, all Mamai's supporters had gone over to the side of the legitimate ruler, so the temnik had no reliable protection. In the battle with the people of Tokhtamysh, he was killed. Khan buried the body of his opponent with full honors. His grave (mound) is located in the village of Aivazovskoye near Feodosia ( former city Sheikh Mamai). Our glorious painter Aivazovsky found the grave.

Rod Mamaia

According to historical genealogies, the descendants of Mamai were princes living in the Principality of Lithuania. great family the well-known Glinskys, it is assumed, was conducted from Mansur Kiyatovich, the son of Mamai. The prince, for example, is known for his rebellion in Lithuania, after which he and his family moved to Moscow. Also, the descendants of Mamai are the Ruzhinsky, Vishnevetsky, Ostrogsky and Dashkevich families. The princes of these families are very famous in the history of Zaporozhye as people who have done a lot for Ukraine in military terms.

Several informative facts are known about the temnik Mamai:

• There is a saying “how Mamai passed”, which means disorder, devastation. It is also said about a person who left behind a mess. This expression occurred after the troops of Mamai successfully devastated the cities of Russia.
• In addition to numerous historical books and sources, the name of the temnik is mentioned in the song "Mamai" (performer: Ukrainian group"Screams of Vidoplyasov"). But here it is worth noting the fact that there is such a concept as "Cossack Mamai" - which means the collective image of the hero-Cossack of Ukraine. But the name did not come from the name of the temnik, but from the ancient word "mamayuvati" (to travel, lead a free lifestyle). So it has nothing to do with darkness.

Conclusion

We found out who Mamai is. beklyarbek and military leader of the Golden Horde, the unofficial ruler of the self-proclaimed state of Mamaev Horde. He managed to win the trust of many Tatar-Mongols, to make many victories.

He became famous for his successful campaigns in Russia, but at the very end of his life he lost in the great Battle of Kulikovo, and a little later to Khan Tokhtamysh, with whom long time fought for power. His mistakes led to the weakening of the influence of the Golden Horde, and his own death.