The Black Death and the Golden Horde: Plague at Caffa

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the pivotal role of the Mongol Golden Horde in the spread of the Black Death to Europe, focusing on the 1346 siege of Caffa (present-day Feodosia, Crimea). They discuss how Janibeg Khan, ruler of the Horde, besieged the Genoese trading outpost, and the controversial theory that Mongol catapults launched plague-infected corpses over the walls — an early instance of biological warfare. The conversation examines the evidence from the account of Gabriele de' Mussi, a Genoese notary, and the modern scholarly debate around it. They also cover the broader context: the Horde's commercial ties with Genoa and Venice, the outbreak of plague in the Mongol ranks, and how fleeing Genoese ships likely carried the disease to Constantinople, Sicily, and the rest of Europe. The episode ends by reflecting on how this catastrophic event reshaped the Horde's power and the course of Eurasian history. #GoldenHorde #BlackDeath #Caffa #JanibegKhan #BiologicalWarfare #Genoese #Crimea #Mongols #Plague #Siege #GabrieleDeMussi #HistoryOfDisease #Eurasia #MedievalHistory #TradeRoutes #FexingoHistory #Podcast #History #MongolEmpire #BatuKhan Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo