The Horde's Slave Trade: Russia's Human Cargo

Long before the Mongol invasion, the slave trade was a grim fixture of Eurasian commerce. But under the Golden Horde, it became a state-backed industry that reshaped economies from the Volga to the Mediterranean. In this episode, Lucas and Luna trace the routes, the merchants, and the human cost: how the Horde supplied Mamluk armies with Turkic slaves, how Italian traders from Caffa shipped thousands through the Black Sea, and how Russian principalities both resisted and profited. They explore the mechanics of the slave market at Sarai, the role of the Genoese in Tana, and the devastating impact of raids that filled the holds with captives. Along the way, they ask: who were the slaves—Russians, Cumans, Circassians—and what happened to them? And how did this trade shape the very identity of the Horde itself? A close look at an ugly but essential part of the Mongol legacy. #GoldenHorde #SlaveTrade #MongolRussia #Caffa #Sarai #Genoese #MamlukSultanate #BlackSeaTrade #Tana #VolgaRiver #TurkicSlaves #Circassians #Cumans #KhanBerke #MedievalEconomy #FexingoHistory #CentralAsia #History Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo