By the mid-fourteenth century, the power and influence of the Golden Horde had begun to weaken. Following the deaths of their dynamic leaders, the western Mongol empire became overly involved in succession disputes for nearly twenty years. The Grand Duchy of Lithuania took advantage of the political instability and attacked the Golden Horde in the […]
Tag: defeat
Great Stand on the Ugra River
Considered the cause of Mongol retreat from Russia and the end of foreign rule in Moscow, the Great Stand on the Ugra River has been romanticized in Russian literature. Though historians downplay the battle’s importance, it remains ingrained in Western minds as the end of Tatar reign in Europe. Following two centuries of Mongol control […]
Cairo
After conquering Syria and the eastern Mediterranean basin, the Mongols tried to push southward toward Egypt. Just two years after sacking Baghdad, the Mongols were positioned in Gaza ready to invade Egypt. In 1260 the Mongol military commander Hulegu sent a message to Cairo demanding that the ruling Mamluks surrender. Instead the Mamluk leader, Qutuz, […]
Battle of ‘Ain Jalut
The Battle of ‘Ain Jalut was a major military defeat for the Mongols. The battle took place in early fall of 1260 in the Jezereel Valley of modern-day Israel. This battle marked a distinct turning point for the Mongols, as it was the first conquest which they not only lost, but never avenged. It also […]
