Military affairs in the Golden Horde and Turan: a comparative analysis

Abstract

The purpose of the article is a historical reconstruction of the most important components of the military affairs of the Golden Horde and Turan, their comparative analysis, establishment of common features and differences, as well as clarification of the social and military-technical reasons that led to the military defeat and subsequent decline of Ulus Juchi. The research methodology, in addition to observing the principles of objectivity and historicism, consisted in the consistent application of the historical comparative method, its heuristic, analytical, descriptive functions and the function of identifying borrowings and influences. The scientific novelty is contained in the systematic application of a comparative analysis of the military affairs in Ulus Juchi and in the state of Timur, revealing the effectiveness of transfers and durability of elements of the military art of the Mongolian and Turkic ethnic communities. Conclusions. The author has found the military affairs of the Genghisids to be based on Mongolian military traditions and experience. Decimal system and the left-right arms and the center structuring underlay the military organization of the countries. Golden Horde and Ulus Chagatai preserved general military duty. Mobilization resource comprised hundreds of thousands of prepared warriors called horse-soldiers. The paper has identified that the would-be reinforcement training was naturally held in professional and living environments of the Nomads. It was battue hunting that played a significant role in military organization and tactics. The armies of Golden Horde and Turan consisted of light and heavily armed cavalry. The article has demonstrated that the Tymur’s infantry was of great importance and performed special vital urgent tasks but supporting role. Being a general, Tymur among the followers of Mongolian war principal was the first to take notice of the new tendency in military affairs. The army of Golden Horden was proved to successfully know the Nomads’ basic tactical techniques – “round dance”, “crow’s flock”, “shiuchi” and “tulgam”. “Tulgama” known as bypassing the enemy from one or two flanks and getting behind his lines when battling, was the most effective tactical military instrument of the Genghisids states. The Turan army lead by Tymur, was able to contrast “tulgama” with their own organizational and tactical innovations. Tymur covered cavalry corps of the left and right arms were by “canbulas” – protective corps with the number no less than the main divisions. Their clear task included to prevent the enemy’s cavalry from going around from the flanks. They fought together with the vanguard corps. The most important Tymur’s innovation was introducing a powerful rearguard – a corps of patches of twenty koshuns. Unlike the Golden Horde warriors, Tymur enriched the Mongolian art of war with systemic use of reserves. The paper has found that military organization of Golden Horde and Turan was tightly connected with the social structure. In the middle of the 14th century Ulus Dzhuchi survived the political crises “Great Confusion” that provoked increasing of centrifugal motion. After political anarchy, uluses were assigned to the Juchid clans. Bekliarbek (a stoker) position creation was a sign of feudalization and central power weakening in Golden Horde. The way Khan Tokhtamysh had distributed suurgals (patches) in order to increase the number of his adherents, didn’t bring power consolidation, but loose it contrariwise. In the Tokhtamysh army it was revealed with commanders (oglans and beks) betrayal. The Tymur’s state was in the ascendancy; allowance of uluses and suurgals was developed with establishing clear and definite military duties. Feudalization tendency hadn’t appeared clearly in Turan yet. That lead to more solidarity and motivation of the Tymur’s army in his resistance with Tokhtamysh.