Berke's Choice: Faith and Feud in the Mongol West

In this episode, we explore the pivotal moment when the Mongol Empire fractured not just over succession but over faith. Berke Khan, grandson of Genghis Khan and ruler of the Golden Horde, embraced Islam, setting him apart from his cousin Hulegu, the Buddhist-leaning Ilkhan who had just sacked Baghdad. Their mutual distrust erupted into open war on the Terek River in 1262, a battle that pitted Mongol against Mongol for the first time. We trace Berke's conversion, his alliance with the Mamluks of Egypt, and how his feud with Hulegu split the empire into rival khanates that never reunited. Along the way, we untangle the role of the kurultai, the shifting loyalties of the Jochid and Toluid lines, and the strange afterlife of the Mongol peace. This is the story of how faith and family tore the steppe apart. #BerkeKhan #Hulegu #GoldenHorde #Ilkhanate #MongolEmpire #TerekRiver #Mamluks #Islam #Jochid #Toluid #Kurultai #Baghdad #ChinggisKhan #CentralAsia #History #FexingoHistory #MongolSplit #1262 Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo