khanate · Central Asia and the Steppe

Great Horde

1466 CE – 1502 CE (approx.) · capital Sarai

The last remnant of the Golden Horde on the lower Volga, whose khan Ahmad's retreat from the Ugra River in 1480 ended Mongol overlordship of Russia.

Origins

By the mid-15th century the Golden Horde had shed the Khanate of Kazan, the Crimean Khanate and other states. The rump around Sarai, ruled by Küchük Muhammad and his sons, became known as the Great Horde, claiming to be the senior Jochid state.

Rule and society

Its khans still demanded tribute from Moscow and fought the Crimean Khanate for the Golden Horde's heritage, allying with Poland-Lithuania. Akhmed Khan, or Ahmad, was its strongest ruler. Its nomadic economy suffered as trade shifted and the Volga cities declined.

Decline and legacy

In 1480 Ahmad faced Ivan III's army on the Ugra River and withdrew without battle, ending Muscovy's tribute. He was killed in 1481 by Ibak Khan of the Tyumen Khanate. In 1502 the Crimean khan Meñli I Giray sacked Sarai and destroyed the horde.

Lineage

Golden Horde 1242 CE – 1502 CEGreat Horde

Connections (2)

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Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Great Horde. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/great-horde
MLA
“Great Horde.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/great-horde. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Great Horde.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/great-horde.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Great Horde’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/great-horde (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻