"Ozbeg" as a General Term for Ulus-i Juji after Islamization

Abstract

The Ulus-i Juji (the "Golden Horde"), over which descendants of Joci (Juji. Ciηγiz qaγan's eldest son) reigned, was situated on the "Dast-i Qipcaq" steppe in the northwest of Inner Eurasia. At first, the Ulus consisted of three nomadic fiefs: the center, the left wing, and the right wing. Early in the 14th century, during the reigns of Toqto'a and Ozbeg xan, this organization was changed to just two wings: the right (western) and left (eastern). The leader of the right wing was the chieftain of the whole Ulus. According to some general surveys of Central Asian history, from the middle of 14th through the 15th century, in the eastern part of Dast-i Qipcaq (territory of the Ulus left wing), a new nomadic group called "Ozbegs" was formed after the collaspe of the "Golden Horde", and founded an independent state under the rule of Abu al-Xayr xan, a descendant of Siban, Joci's fifth son. However, a part of the "Ozbegs" separated from Abu al-Xayr xan's state, and became the Qazaqs. In the study of the "Nomadic Ozbegs", the relationship between the name "Ozbegs" and Ozbeg xan has been one of the problems which has not yet been solved. Now, many scholars who specialize in the field think that there is no relation, because the "Ozbegs" were formed in the eastern part of Dast-i Qipcaq, the left wing of the Ulus-i Juci, while Ozbeg xan was a ruler of the right wing. However, this opinion is incorrect, for Ozbeg xan was the chieftain of the whole Ulus. According to the source in which the "Golden Horde" was consisted of two wings, the right wing is also called "Ozbeg". The "Ozbegs" were named after Ozbeg xan. After Islamization at the time of Ozbeg xan, "Ozbeg" became the general term for the whole Ulus-i Juci.