The court is the 'orda', the queen is the 'khatun'
Editorial contextA page of ranks and offices shows how the Horde's court looked to Italian traders. Latin 'curia' (court) is Persian 'ordu' and Cuman 'orda', the word behind English 'horde'. An empress is 'khan khatun', a queen 'sultan khatun', a lord is 'bey' or 'khoja'. The khan's court, the orda, was the capital in the steppe.
lord: (Persian) khwaja / (Cuman) bey or khoja; crown: taj / tagz; court: (Persian) ordu / (Cuman) orda; empress: (Persian) wife of the padishah / (Cuman) khan khatun; queen: (Persian) wife of the king / (Cuman) sultan khatun.
Working translation
Original wording
dominus ghoya bey ul coia corona taz tagz curia ordu orda imperatris xen i padixa can catonj regina xen y patia soltan catonj
About Cumans and Golden Horde Tatars
Keep in mind
A word list, so it shows the vocabulary the compilers needed, not a description of the court.
Checked against the page image; 'ul' stands for Latin 'vel', 'or'.
Ruins of an imperial city, its stones carried off to build Astrakhan
Editorial contextNear Tsaritsyn Struys passed the ruins of Czaresgorod, the 'Imperial City', which he says Tamerlane destroyed. It had been built of hard stone, some remains of which could still be seen, but most of it had been carried off to Astrakhan to build that city. This matches the known reuse of brick and stone from the ruined Golden Horde capital, though Struys does not say who built it.
we passed near the ruins of Czaresgorod, or Imperial City, which was destroyed by Tamerlane during the war we spoke of above. It was built of hard stones, of which some remains are still seen, but most were carried to Astrakhan and served to build it.
Working translation
Original wording
nous passâmes prés des ruines de Czaresgorod ou Ville Impériale, qui fut détruite par Tamerlan pendant la guerre dont nous avons ci-dessus parlé. Elle étoit bâtie de pierres dures dont on voit encore quelques restes, mais la plupart furent portées à Astracan, & servirent à la construire.
About Golden Horde (not named as such)
Keep in mind
Struys saw ruins from the river; the Tamerlane story and the stone reuse he had from others.
Raising a khan on white felt
Editorial contextSchiltberger says the Great Tartars sow only millet, eat no bread and drink no wine, but drink mare's and camel's milk and eat horse and camel meat. The khan and his people live in the open fields winter and summer. A new khan is set on a white felt and lifted up three times, carried round the tent, and given a golden sword.
It is also to be noted, that when they choose a king, they take him and seat him on white felt, and raise him in it three times. Then they lift him up and carry him round the tent, and seat him on a throne, and put a golden sword in his hand.
About Tartars of the Golden Horde
Keep in mind
He witnessed several quick changes of khan while with Chekre, but does not say which enthronement he saw.
The Lord's Prayer in the language of the Horde
Editorial contextThe German Franciscan part of the Codex contains Christian texts turned into Cuman for preaching. This is the start of the Lord's Prayer: 'Our father who art in heaven, blessed be thy kingdom, thy will be done as in heaven so on earth, give us this day our daily bread'. Elsewhere in the Codex the word for God is 'Tengri', the old Turkic name of the sky god, as Kuun's word index shows.
Our father who art in heaven. Blessed be thy kingdom (khanate). Thy will be done, as in heaven so on earth. Give us today our daily bread.
Working translation
Original wording
Atamis kim köctä sen. Algiszle bulsun senig hanlechin. bulsû senig tilemegin nezikkim kocta alley ierda. kundegi ötmackimisni bisga bugun bergil.
About Cumans (Qipchaqs)
Keep in mind
A missionary translation, so it shows the language, not the beliefs of the people who spoke it. 'Kingdom' is rendered with the Turkic word for a khan's realm.
Checked against the page image.
Three tribes of the Great Tartars
Editorial contextSchiltberger names three tribes among the 'Great Tartars': Kayat, Inbu and Mugal. The editors identify these as the Kerait, the Uighurs and the Mongols, so he correctly grasped that the Horde was a mix of peoples with the Mongols as one part. He also notes that Russia paid tribute to the Tartar king.
Item, the kingdom of Rewschen, which is tributary to the Tartar king. It is to be noted, that there are three tribes amongst the Great Tartars. One is called Kayat, the other Inbu, the third Mugal.
About Great Tartars
Keep in mind
The tribe identifications (Kerait, Uighur) are the editor's footnotes.
A Tatar history: 'The habitations of the Chans were stone buildings'
Editorial contextAt Mozdok Klaproth bought a history of the Tartars in the Nogai dialect and translates its list of where the khans lived: Sarai, the Akhtuba, Madzhar, and vice-khans at Astrakhan and Kazan. He notes that the word he renders 'stone buildings' is 'Madshar' itself. The Nogais near the ruins also told him it had been the residence of Khan Mamai.
The habitations of the Chans were stone buildings. The residence of one Chan was Urisch, and the residence of another Chan was Churssan… Dshan Beg Chan's residence was at Ack Adil, with the name of Ssaray Aldy… Jaick Chan's was Madshar. There were three vice-chans; at Adshdruchan was the place of abode of Timur Ckutlu-Chan, Borki Chan's habitation was at Ckathatdr, and Sheich Aly Chan's residence at Ckasan.
About Golden Horde khans
Keep in mind
A late native chronicle of unknown date and author; place names are Klaproth's transcriptions.
One language and one script 'in all these kingdoms'
Editorial contextKuun quotes a Franciscan missionary from the order's annals: he decided first to learn the language of the land, and 'by the grace of God' learned Cuman and the Uighur script, which were used in common 'throughout all these kingdoms'. It shows the Horde as a literate world with a shared Turkic language and an old Uighur script, not a land without writing.
But I, after taking counsel, wished first to learn the language of the land, and by the grace of God I learned the Cuman language and the Uighur script, which language and script are used in common throughout all these kingdoms.
Working translation
Original wording
Ego vero, consilio habito, prius volui linguam terrae addiscere, et per gratiam Dei addidici linguam Cumanicam et literaturam Uiguricam, qua quidem lingua et literatura utuntur communiter per omnia regna ista
About Cumans and Tatars of the Golden Horde
Keep in mind
The missionary is not named on this page; Kuun cites the annals of the Friars Minor (Rome, vol. VII).
Checked against the page image.
Ruined cities between Kazan and Astrakhan, their stones reused
Editorial contextNear Simbirsk de Bruyn was told of very old and important cities between Kazan and Astrakhan, among them 'Achtoeba'. Nothing of it remains, he says, because all its stones were carried away to build Astrakhan and other places. The name almost certainly points to the Akhtuba branch of the Volga, where the ruins of the Golden Horde capital lay; Struys (W249) reported the same stone-robbing in 1669.
Moreover, it is said that there are very ancient and very considerable cities between Kazan and Astrakhan, among others Achtoeba … It is also known that the town of Achtoeba stood on this river, but not the least trace of it remains, all the stones having been carried away to build Astrakhan and some other places.
Working translation
Original wording
Au reste on affirme qu'il y a des villes fort anciennes & fort considerables entre Casan & Astracan, & entr'autres Achtoeba … On sait aussi que la ville d'Achtoeba étoit située sur cette riviere, mais il n'en reste pas les moindres vestiges, toutes les pierres en aiant été transportées pour bâtir Astracan & quelques autres places.
About unnamed ancient builders (the Golden Horde)
Keep in mind
Hearsay; de Bruyn says he could learn nothing certain about these cities.
What ‘the Horde’ meant
Editorial contextSchlözer explains that orda, from which the German word Horde was corrupted, is Turkish and Tatar ordu: first a field camp, then the sutlers' quarter of the camp and everyone who trailed after the army. Because the Mongols and Tatars of Kipchak long stayed nomads and warriors, Russian annals added a third meaning: the headquarters of the khan to whom the Russians paid tribute. ‘Going to the Horde’ meant appearing before the overlord as supplicant, vassal or litigant, just as Greek princes after 1453 went ‘to the Porte’ of the sultan.
Because the Mongols and Tatars in Kipchak long remained nomads and mere warriors, a third meaning arose in the Russian annals, by which Orda denoted the headquarters of the Tatar commander, namely the one under whose yoke the Russians stood. To go to the Horde now meant to appear before the supreme ruler as a supplicant, as a vassal, as a defendant or as an accuser.
Working translation
Original wording
Weil nun die Mogolen und Tataren in Kaptschak lange Zeit Nomaden und blosse Krieger blieben: so kam in den rußischen Annalen eine IIIte Bedeutung auf, nach der Orda das Hauptquartier des tatarischen Heerführers, und zwar desjenigen, unter dessen Joche die Russen stunden, bezeichnete. In die Orde gehen, hieß nun so viel, als wie Supplicant, wie Vasall, wie Beklagter, oder wie Ankläger, vor dem Ober Regenten erscheinen.
About Mongols and Tatars of the Kipchak khanate
Continue in this sourceSchlözer's history of Lithuania (Northern History, part two)1771 · 4 passagesThe Tartars of the West and their kings
Editorial contextPolo calls the Golden Horde the 'Tartars of the Ponent' (of the West). Their first king, 'Sain', conquered Russia, the Cumans, Alans, Circassians, Goths of Crimea and Khazaria. He lists the later khans down to Toqta, who reigned in Polo's time. Yule's note points out that 'Sain' (the Good) was really Batu's own surname, so Polo turned one khan into two.
The first lord of the Tartars of the Ponent was Sain, a very great and puissant king, who conquered Rosia and Comania, Alania, Lac, Menjar, Zic, Gothia, and Gazaria ; all these provinces were conquered by King Sain.
About 'Tartars of the Ponent' (the Golden Horde)
Continue in this sourceThe Book of Ser Marco Polo (Yule's edition)c. 1271 to 1295 · 14 passagesKhan Uzbek turns Muslim, with an army counted in tens
Editorial contextSanudo warns the Pope that the Sultan of Egypt, with gifts and treaties, had drawn 'the Emperor of the Tartars named Husbecho, who rules in Gazaria and other northern parts' to accept Islam. Trustworthy people told him Uzbek's cavalry was so vast that, his army being organised in tens, he could take just three of every ten and still field an almost unbelievable host.
the said Sultan so changed and drew the Emperor of the Tartars, named Uzbek, who rules in Gazaria and other northern parts, that he received the law of the faithless Muhammad ... For it is asserted by some trustworthy people that the said Uzbek has so numerous a multitude of horsemen that, taking three out of ten, since he has his army ordered by tens, from the threes alone he puts so large a force in the field that it seems almost incredible.
Working translation
Original wording
prædictus Soldanus Imperatorem Tartarorum, nomine Husbecho, qui in Gazaria, & aliis Septentrionis partibus dominatur, immutauit taliter & attraxit, vt legem receperit perfidi Mahumeti … Nam à nonnullis dignis fide asseritur quod dictus Husbecho, habet equitum multitudinem adeò numerosam, vt subtrahendo tres de decem, cum per decuriones habeat exercitum ordinatum, ex solis ternariis in campo ponit ita militiam copiosam, quod quasi incredibile videatur.
About Golden Horde under Uzbek Khan ('Husbecho')
Keep in mind
Uzbek's conversion was his own and not simply the Sultan's doing; the army figure is hearsay.
Transcribed from the page image; long s normalized.
Batu's campaign west and his capital, Coc-orda
Editorial contextAbu'l Ghazi tells how Ögedei gave Batu an army to conquer the Russians ('Uresses'), Circassians and Bulgars. After a forty-day feast Batu set out, 'filled all the West' with his exploits, returned to the Kipchak steppe and died in his capital, which Abu'l Ghazi calls Coc-orda (probably Kök Orda, the 'Blue Horde'). The name shows the royal camp, the orda, serving as the capital.
gave him a numerous Army to go and subdue the Uresses, the Zerkass, the Bulgars, and other neighbouring Nations … Batu-sagin Chan after he had filled all the West with the Glory of the great Exploits which he atchieved upon that Occasion, at length return'd happily into his own Country of Dasht Kipzak, where he died some time after in the Capital of the Country called Coc-orda.
About Batu Khan and the Mongols of the Golden Horde
Keep in mind
Written four centuries after Batu; he does not describe the capital or mention Sarai here.
Transcribed from the page image (corpus OCR for this volume is unreadable); long s normalized.
Berke, first Muslim khan of the Golden Horde
Editorial contextBatu's brother and successor Berke ('Burga'), Abu'l Ghazi says, met merchants from Bukhara on the road, was won over by their explanations of Islam, adopted it on the spot, and on his return ordered his subjects to follow. It is an early step in the Horde's move to Islam, the religion of the later Volga and Crimean Tatars.
he met upon the Road with several Merchants of Great Bucharia and falling into discourse with some of them, particularly upon the Articles of the Mahometan Faith, he was so pierced with the Explanations which these Men gave him of it, that he resolv'd off-hand to embrace that Religion
About Burga (Berke) Khan and his subjects
Keep in mind
A simplified story told four centuries later. The page ends 'but he died before...', so check the next page for how far the conversion got.
Transcribed from the page image (corpus OCR for this volume is unreadable); long s normalized.
The Lord's Prayer in Tartar
Editorial contextSchiltberger ends his book with the Lord's Prayer written phonetically in Armenian and in 'Tartar', a rare early European sample of a Turkic language as a captive heard it. It begins 'Atha wysum' ('our father').
Roughly: 'Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come...' in a Turkic language.
Working translation
Original wording
This is the Tartar Pater Noster. Atha wysum chy chockta sen algusch ludur senung adung kel suii senung hauluchig belsun
About Turkic-speaking Tartars
Keep in mind
The phonetic spelling is his German ear's rendering; the translation given here is a rough gloss of the opening only.
