The Successors of Genghis Khan - Robert Bedrosian's Armenian ...

THE SUCCESSORS OF GENGHIS KHAN
of his life, and, after his death, during the reigns of Sartaq and Ulagh-
chi and the greater part of the reign of Berke, the path of friendship
and unity was trodden between the family of Tolui Khan and that of
Batu.
It was still during Batu's lifetime that Mongke Qa'an dispatched his
third brother, Hulegii Khan, at the head of large forces against the
countries of Persia. Of the armies of the princes, he appointed two
out of every ten men to accompany Hiilegii Khan and render assistance
to him. Orda dispatched his eldest son, Quli, with an army of I lumen
by way of Khwarazm and Dihistan. Batu sent Balaqan, the son of
Shiban, and Tutar, the son of Mingqadur, the son of Bo'al, the seventh
son of Jochi Khan, by way of Darband. They came and rendered
service as a reinforcement to the army of Hiilegii Khan.
Batu died at Sarai" on the banks of the Etil in the year 650/1252-
1253, being forty-eight years of age.100 Mongke Qa'an received his
son Sartaq with honor, settled the throne and the kingdom upon him,
and gave him permission to return. He died upon the way, and Mongke
Qa'an sent ambassadors and, having won over his wives, sons, and
brothers, set Ulaghchi, the grandson of Batu, upon the throne and
distinguished them all with every kind of favor. Ulaghchi too died
after a short time and left the throne and the kingdom to others.101
History of the accession of Berke as ruler of the ulus of Jochi and
the events of that period
When Batu passed away and his son Sartaq, and Sartaq's son
Ulaghchi, who succeeded him, died one after the other, his younger
brother Berke sat in his place, in the year 652/1254-1255. His rule was
absolute within his ulus., and he continued to tread the path of friendship
and affection with the family of Tolui Khan.
In 654/1256-1257 Balaqan, who was in this country, plotted treason
and treachery against Hiilegii Khan and had recourse to withcraft.
An informer came forward, and he was questioned and confessed. In
99 That is, Old Sarai (so called to distinguish it from the "New Sarai" founded by
Berke) on the eastern bank of the Akhtuba, about 65 miles north of Astrakhan.
100 In fact, Batu's death probably occurred about the middle of 1255. See Horde d'Or,
P-29-
101 See above, p. 108, note 56.
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