Tokhtamysh

Tokhtamysh (Turki and Persian: توقتمش; Kazakh: Тоқтамыс; Tatar: Тухтамыш, romanized: Tuqtamış; c. 1342 – 1406) was Khan of the Golden Horde from 1380 to 1395. He briefly succeeded in consolidating the Blue and White Hordes into a single polity. Tokhtamysh belonged to the House of Borjigin, tracing his ancestry to Genghis Khan. Spending most of his younger years fighting against his father's cousin Urus Khan and his sons, Tokhtamysh sought help from the Turco-Mongol warlord Timur, with whose help he succeeded in defeating his enemies. Tokhtamysh rose to power during a tumultuous period in the Golden Horde, which was severely weakened after a long period of division and internecine conflict. From a fugitive, Tokhtamysh had become a powerful monarch, quickly solidifying his authority in both wings of the Golden Horde. Encouraged by his success, as well as the growth of his manpower and wealth, Tokhtamysh went on a military expedition to the Russian principalities, besieging and sacking Moscow in 1382. He reasserted the Tatar–Mongol hegemony over its Russian vassals and brought about the recommencement of tribute payments. A turning point in Tokhtamysh's rule was the military confrontations with his former protector Timur, who invaded the Golden Horde and defeated Tokhtamysh twice. Crushing defeats for the Golden Horde undid all of Tokhtamysh's previous achievements and ultimately led to his destruction. Tokhtamysh has often been called the last great ruler of the Golden Horde.