The most ancient history of Bulgars – 3

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Chapter 21. Last campaign of Chelbir and reign of Mir-Gazi (1220 – 1229 AD)

Defeated Karabash fled to the Djaik and asked for a permission to hide inside the State. He got a refusal, and on his own, he crossed the river and was attacked by the Kan, who desired to destroy the Khan in the name of the friendship with Juchi. Gazan, Bachman, the Masgut’s son Ishtyak and the Mardanian Badjanaks achieved a victory for the Kan without efforts and pressed the Kypchaks to the river. The position of the Oimeks, who have lost their Khan in a fight, was pitiful, but Chelbir suddenly died, and that has changed it all. Immediately in the field the Beks raised to the reign Mir-Gazi, to whom came Gali and asked to spare the poor Kypchaks. 

Kan could not refuse his friend and, ordering to settle the Oimeks in the Bashkort, galloped with him away to the Bulyar. Kalych was disgracefully expelled from the capital, and Gali became the Seid. Soon he persuaded Mir-Gazi to cancel the tax increase on all subashes, al-chirmyshes, merchants and owners of small houses but did not have time to do more. Djurgi, learning about the death of Chelbir, grew bolder and started a war with the State, and the Kan was distracted to struggle against the Uruses.

Bulyarians refused to bury Gabdulla in the city, and only the Bolgarians agreed to rest his body in their land. It was because Chelbir especially loved the Bolgar and even allowed it to mint its own coin, with inscribed name of the caliph Nasyr-Litdin. It was done because Gabdulla, as Almysh, held himself viceroy of the caliph and, consequently, as having the right to appoint the seids.

After the death of the Kan it became unnecessary to hide me, and I was released the from the nasty incarceration in exchange for the forced consent to enter the Balyn service. Djurgi immediately brought me to the Djun-Cale and announced that he had the Bulgarian Emir Gazi-Baradj with him. The Misharian Bulgars were confused and retreated from the mouth of the Sain-Idel, wherein the place of the Bulgarian balik Djurgi built again an Urusian fortress. He was helped by the grandsons of Urman wrathful with the State.

Even during the Gabdulla’s time the Kisanian twins Khalib and Altynbek began a war with the Kisan, but then pretended to agree to negotiate with the sons of Urman. Those came armed to the camp of the brothers and stopped in the stan beside the camp. Being confident in the safety, the Kisans drank too much and after some threats toward the twins fell dead asleep. At daybreak Ünus, summoned beforehand by the brothers, suddenly attacked the Kisanian camp and hacked all Kisanians to the last man, total about 8 thousand men with 5 Beks. Only one Kisanian was saved, who in a state of intoxication got lost at night in the forest.

Another time, in 1224, the poor Hakim also had to help the brothers but drowned crossing the Kara-Idel near the Burat. Having waited in vain for him, the twins and the Mardanians retreated. Emir Khalib also called Gali-biy, took the post of the Kazan Ulugbek. Emir Altynbek, removed in 1218 from the Uchel, settled in the Bandja, married the daughter of the Khoresmian Khan Mohammed and time to time disturbed the Kisans with his intrusions. Later, after the death of the Mohammed son Emir Djelaletdin, he took his name, put on his belt and swore to conduct a jihad against the Tatars and all infidels.

In one of the campaigns on the Kisan flared a quarrel of Mergen with Altynbek for the spoils. The Tarkhan in full fury snatched his sword and hurled on the Emir. Ünus tried to prevent the murder, but himself fell under a blow of Mergen and died on the spot. While the shocked Mardanians were coming to senses, the Tarkhan jumped on the horse and dashed away to the Tubdjak. Altynbek married the widow of Ünus, the younger sister of his first wife, the daughter of Ishtyak Fatima, and, becoming the Bellak Ulugbek, swore to severely revenge the murderer. 

Chelbir, however, prohibited the revenge. After the death of the Kan, the Tarkhan, fearing Djelaletdin, totally separated from the State and was kicked out from the Tubdjak by Altynbek. Mergen drove off to Juchi and managed to gain his trust by presenting him a captured Kisanian boyaress, and promised to help the Tatars to conquer the State. Through a seized merchant, whom he roasted on the fire to extort information, Mergen learned about the secret connections between Juchi and Chelbir, and rushed to pass them to Chingiz. The Great Khan came to fury and ordered to kill his son. On one of the hunting trips with the trusting him Juchi, Mergen killed him from behind with a chirkes.

Meanwhile Djurgi, not being content with pillages on the border, invaded the Djun-Mishar district of biy Markas and strongly burnt it. But when intoxicated by the victory Uruses undertook to besiege the Deber, Gazan attacked them from the rear and drove away. Djurgi himself managed to flee safely but was wounded in the back, and since then could not ride a horse. His army, consisting of the Balynss and the militia of the Kisan’s and Kan’s Beks, was driven into a deep snow and was shot up from the bows… 9 Kisan’s and Kan’s Beks were killed, and 450 their boyar, from whom were taken chain armours, and the simple soldiers were 12 thousand.

After that Mir-Gazi himself wished to participate in the war and with Gazan came to the Djun-Cala, whose commander at that time was I. And the sardar went to the city directly from the Deber and could not take sheredjirs with him. He expected to take the city by a sudden strike, by his custom, but Markas on his own attacked the vicinities and in a blind fury began burning them, which steered up everybody, and warned us about the attack. When Gazan approached, everyone was ready to fight to the death, for from the kusyrbays no mercy could be expected. For his guilt, the sardar sent Markas to capture any of the gates, and himself stayed with the Kan at some distance and observed.

My militiamen, however, beat off the biy, but got carried away in a pursuit and suddenly faced the kursybay. They immediately raced back, but only had time to reach a monastery near the fortress and hid behind its fence. Gazan ordered Markas to throw wood on the fence and to set it aflame. From a fence, all monastery engaged. People in horror started fleeing, but the kusyrbays did nor spare anybody. In total two thousand Djuns burned up and were killed there.

Only one monk As-Azim, who was in the prison cellar for the spread of heresy, has survived. We in complete powerlessness observed the destruction of all our army, and many of my people were already reading a doleful pray. But the attack was not coming. We spent on the walls all night, and in the early morning, As-Azim came to me running with tremendous news, that at night the Kan suddenly left to the State. We did not believe it, and I thought that it is the next trick of Gazan, but a few daredevils, who rode from the fortress, confirmed the truthfulness of the message. Later I learned that the reason for his departure was the news about an attack of the Mergen on the Bashkort.

Kan knew, that Mergen would never venture alone to attack the State, and understood correctly that behind him were the Tatars.