Khan Berke's Conversion: Islam in the Golden Horde

In this episode of The Golden Horde, Lucas and Luna explore the pivotal moment when the Mongol Empire's western khanate began its turn toward Islam. They focus on Khan Berke, grandson of Genghis Khan and the first Mongol ruler to convert, and examine how his faith reshaped the Horde's identity, diplomacy, and internal politics. The conversation covers Berke's early exposure to Islam through Sufi merchants, his break with the Mongol tradition of religious pluralism, and the tensions this created with his cousin Hulagu, the Ilkhan. They also discuss the role of the scholar Qutb al-Din al-Shirazi, the spread of Islam among the steppe nomads, and how Berke's conversion set the stage for the later Islamization under Khan Uzbek. The episode touches on the establishment of mosques and madrasas in Sarai, the shifting alliances with the Mamluk Sultanate, and the complex legacy of a khan who chose faith over clan loyalty. #BerkeKhan #GoldenHorde #MongolIslam #JochidUlus #Sarai #Ilkhanate #Hulagu #MamlukSultanate #Qutb_al-Din_al-Shirazi #Sufi #Yasa #ReligiousConversion #SteppeDiplomacy #13thCentury #CentralAsia #Islamization #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo