Mongol invasion of Russia | Battle of the Vozha River 1378

Mongol invasion of Russia | Battle of the Vozha River (1378)
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Mongol invasion of Russia | Battle of the Vozha River (1378). In the second half of the 14th century, the Mongolian empire became an extremely loose state entity that lost its internal unity. The decline of the Yuan Empire, which was ruled by the descendants of Kublai, and of Hulagu, began. Chagatai Khanate burned out in an incessant civil war: over the 70 years, more than twenty khans changed there, and only under Timur, order was restored. Golden Horde, which included a significant part of Russia, was also not in the best position.
During the reign of Khan Uzbek and his son Jani Beg, the Golden Horde reached its peak when the route trade from the Black Sea to Yuan dynasty China flourished.

Mongol invasion of Russia | Battle of the Vozha River (1378). However, After the death of Jani Beg in 1357, things spiraled out of control. For almost 20 years—from 1359 to 1381—the Horde was consumed by civil wars. Leaders kept changing, one after another, no less than 24 khans (possibly even more) ascended the throne.
That period became notorious as the Great Troubles. It was a mess: the political structure was collapsing, and the military was struggling to keep order. In far-off regions, like the Rus principalities, the chaos was even worse—they were practically abandoned by the central government.
Now, this is where Mamai enters the scene. Mamai emerged as a formidable leader. He wasn’t just any local commander; he held the title of beklarbeg, essentially the military governor of Crimea and the northern Black Sea region. While the central power of the Horde was collapsing, Mamai was cleverly consolidating his own influence. By the time the 1370s rolled around, he had expanded his control over a vast area, stretching from Crimea all the way to the Volga River—an incredibly strategic and valuable region. This area was critical for the trade routes connecting Europe, the Middle East, and Central Asia, through which goods like silk, spices, and slaves flowed. Mamai used this economic power to strengthen his position.

Mongol invasion of Russia | Battle of the Vozha River (1378). Despite his growing power, Mamai had a problem: he couldn’t claim the title of Khan. He didn’t have the right bloodline—he wasn’t a descendant of Genghis Khan. And in the Mongol world, that was a big deal. You couldn’t just claim the throne without Genghis Khan’s blood running through your veins. So, He played it smart and put an eight-year-old boy named Muhammad Bolak on the throne. This kid had the right bloodline, being from the Mongol aristocracy, and that made him a legitimate Khan. But of course, at eight years old, Muhammad wasn’t ruling anything. Mamai used the boy as a puppet Khan, keeping the façade of legitimacy while he held all the real power behind the scenes.
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