Golden Horde, Timurid Empire, and Grand Duchy of Lithuania

Started after the death of its ruler Berdi Berg Khan in 1359 the Golden Horde
experienced a series of succession disputes and wars that lasted two decades (1359–81). The
Horde began fracturing into separate districts (ulus). Taking advantage of internal disorder
within the Horde, Grand Duke Algirdas of Lithuania organized a campaign into Tatar
lands. He aimed to secure and expand southern territories of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania,
particularly the Kiev. Kiev had already come under semi-Lithuanian control after the Battle
on The Irpin River in early 1320s, but still paid tribute to the Horde. On the 1363, Battle of
Blue Waters happened and won by The Grand Duchy of Lithuania, kiev belong to them and
change the territory.

Meanwhile, in 1360 Timurlane a son from minor noble of Transoxiana, which part of
Chagatai Khanate starting his legacy as military leader. After The Siege of Balkh in 1370,
Timur become the main power in the western Chagatai but the laws laid down by Genghis
Khan prevented him from become a Khan in his own right. Only, the decendant of Genghis
Khan could be a Khan. Tamerlane creating a 'puppet' khan instead, and later married Saray
Mulk, a prencess with Genghis Khan descnedant. Timur chose Balkh as the site for a
ceremony in which the tribal leaders of the western Chagatai agreed to accept his rule. Timur
spent most of the next decade securing his authority over the Chagatai as well as on
campaigns in the east, before beginning his famous series of conquests during the 1380s.

Tokhtamysh is the descendan of Genghis Khan's grandson, Tuqa-Timur. Before his

time Golden Horde was seperated between Blue Horde and White Horde. His name appears
in history in 1376, trying to overthrow his uncle Urus Khan, ruler of the White Horde with
the help of the great Timur. Tokhtamysh outlived Urus and both his sons, and forcefully
ascended to the throne of the White Horde in 1378, with Timur's backing. Tokhtamysh
dreamed of emulating his ancestors and made plans to reunite the Golden Horde. In 1380, he
invaded the Blue Horde by fording across the Volgai River, and defeated Mamai during the
Battle of Kalka River. The ruler of the Blue Horde Mamai, was killed shortly after the Battle
of Kulikovo, marking Tokhtamysh's victory and the reunification of the Golden Horde.

Conflict between Tokhtamysh and Timur started when Golden Horde try to expand.
After regaining his horde, in 1385 with 50.000 army Tokhtamysh Invade Invade Persia and
took Tabriz. This proved to be a fatal error for Tokhtamysh, who moved north from the
Caucasus, thus allowing his Ilkhanate rivals to side with Timur, who annexed Persia to his
own expanding kingdom. Furious, Tokhtamysh turned back and made war on his former ally.
Then the war between Tokhtamush and Timur begin. The Battle of the Kondurcha River was
the first major battle of the war. It took place in Bular Ulus of Golden Horde, in what today
is Samara Oblast, Russia. Timur won. Despite the setback, Tokhtamysh recovered his
position and in the spring of 1395 raided the Timurid territory of Shirvan. Timur then
counter-attacked, reconquering the area and raiding the Golden Horde's territories.

In 1395 Tokhtamysh was dethroned by Temur Qutlugh and Emir Edigu. Tokhtamysh
escaped to the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and asked Vytautas for assistance in retaking the
Golden Horde in exchange for surrendering his suzerainty over Ruthenian lands. Vytautas
gathered a large army which included Lithuanians, Ruthenians, Poles, Moldavians, and
Wallachians. To enlist support from the Teutonic Knight, Vytautas signed the trety of
Salynas and surrendering Samogtia to The Knights. Vytautas's son-in-law, Vasily I of
Moscow, didnt join the vessel because under the tatar vassal.

The joint forces organized three expeditions into Tatar territories, in 1397, 1398, and
1399. The first expedition reached the Black Sea and Crimea. Vytautas took several thousand
captives without much opposition. Half of these captives were settled near Trakai and
awarded privileges to practice their faith and from there the community survived until this
day. In 1398, the army of Vytautas moved from the Dniper River and attacked northern
Crimea, reaching as far east as the River Don. In order to strengthen his position, Vytautas
built a castle at the mouth of Dnieper. Inspired by their successes, Vytautas declared a
"Crusade against the Tatars" and in May 1399 received blessing from Pope Boniface IX. On
August 5, Vytautas Joined Army face the Tatars at the Vorskla River.

The two armies finally met but Temur Quthulgh ask for a three-day ceasefire. It was a
trick to win time while Edigu's reinforcements arrived. Vytautas planned to build a
great wagon fort to stop charging horsemen, and then to destroy them with cannons and
artillery. However, Temur Qutlugh feigned a retreat (a tried and tested Tatar tactic) and
Vytautas left his wagon fort to pursue him. Once Lithuanian forces were suitably far away
from the wagon fort, the units of Edigu appeared from behind and surrounded the Lithuanian
army. The strategy used was a well known pincer movement strategy which also used by
Alexander the Great, Hannibal Barca, and Khalid Ibn Walid. Vytautas barely escaped alive,
but many princes of his kin and allies died in the battle. The victorious Tatars besieged Kiev,
but it paid a ransom
 Vytautas was forced to abandon his plans to break the Union of Kreva and to ally
himself once again with his cousin and King of Poland, Jogaila. The Polish-Lithuanian
union was reaffirmed in the Union of Vilnius and Random. Vytautas also turned his plans
from expansion southwards to east (against Moscow) and west (against the Teutonic Knight).
It is suggested that Vytautas learned the staged retreat tactic during the battle and successfully
used it himself in the Battle of Grunwald (1410), an important defeat of the Teutonic Knights.

Tokhtamysh tried to regain his Khanate with Lithuanian aid, but was defeated in
1399. He continued his campaign until he died c. 1405. Jalal al-Din then fled to Lithuania. He
too sought assistance from Vytautas the Great. In 1410, he fought under Vytautas in the
Battle of Grunwald against the Teutonic Order. The next year, while Edigu was Khwarezm,
Jalal al-Din returned to the Golden Horde. With Lithuanian support, he overthrew Khan
Temur son of Temur Quluth and retook the throne of Sarai.. Sometime after 1411 he minted
coins bearing his name.