Beglerbegi in the Structure of the Mongol and Turkic State System »

• Main Author: V.V. Trepavlov
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: State Institution «Sh.Marjani Institute of History of Tatarstan Academy of Sciences» 2014-07-01
• Series: Zolotoordynskoe Obozrenie
• Subjects: beglerbegi; amir al-umara; ulugh beg; aristocracy; wings; Turkization; Manghyts; Edigu.
• Online Access: http://goldhorde.ru/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/%D0%97%D0%BE%D0%BB-%D0%9E%D0%B1%D0%BE%D0%B7%D1%804-21-34.pdf

This article is first to discuss the position of beglerbegi as one of the highest elite ranks in the system of traditional Turkic-Mongolian statehood. The author proposes some assumptions about its genesis analyzing information from medieval written and folklore sources. The study of this institution can contribute to the understanding of the peculiarities and regularities of social development of Turkic peoples throughout the long historical period. The beglerbegi institution (i.e. of the supremacy among the military elite) was formed among the Turkic Oghuzes not earlier than in the 11th century, but had a lengthy background in ancient societies of the proto-State stage. It became one of the matrix forms for the functioning of the Turkic nomadic polities and was revived in the Ulus of Jochi as a result of the social strengthening of nomadic aristocracy. It was introduced, firstly, due to the favorable economic and demographic conditions of the 13th century; and secondly, with the crisis and repressions in the ruling house of Batu during the reign of khan Tokhta and early reign of Uzbek khan, when Jochids, fighting for power, lost a support of their relatives and members of the dynasty and found it among the nomadic begis. The revival of Turkic institution of beglerbegi was stimulated both by Turkization of the Golden Horde court and bureaucracy and by penetration of the Iranian and Oghuz-Seljuk elements into a state system. The latter phenomenon was promoted both by a temporary reconciliation between traditionally hostile uluses of Jochi and Hulagu as well as by adoption of Islam as State religion in the Golden Horde. A typological correspondence between the Golden Horde beglerbegi and archaic leader of druzhina allows us to see in this institution the element of ancient Turkic legacy. The logic of historical development of the Golden Horde led to an excessive increase in the competence of chief begi, although he did not replaced the khan. By the weakening of Jochid statehood, the beglerbegis’ impact on the life of post-Horde States significantly increased since the late 14th century. In some of them, this position was monopolized by begis from the Turkic tribe of Manghyt.