Boroldai

Boroldai(or Burulday, Borolday), also known asBurundai,(Cyrillic:Боролдай) (died 1262) was a notableMongolgeneral of the mid 13th century. He participated in theMongol invasion of RussiaandEuropein 1236-1242and other Mongol raids to Europe until 1263.

The clan of Borolday is not clear. He was probably from one of four tribes thatChinggis Khaan(1162–1227) assigned to his eldest son,Jochi:theSanchi'ud (or Salji'ud), Keniges, Uushin, and Je'ured clans.

Career

Serving under Jochi's successor and son,Batu Khan,Borolday's vanguard surprised and crushed the great army ofYuri II,theGrand PrinceofVladimir,at thebattle of the Sit Riverin 1238. He also participated in theSiege of Kievin 1240. After the conquest of Rus, the Mongols invaded Eastern Europe and parts of Central Europe. His name appears as Bujgai or Bujakh inThe Secret History of the Mongols.According toThe Secret History of the Mongols,Ögedei,Khagan of theMongol Empire,praised Subutai and Bujgai's merit when he criticized his sonGüyük's arrogant behaviour during the campaign. Borolday assistedSubutaito prepare the strategy of the final assault during theBattle of Mohi(1241). Borolday's division directly attacked the main camp of KingBéla IV of Hungary.Batu's brother Shiban's vanguard supported this attack. After a very hard fight, Batu's army crushed theHungariansand their allies,CroatsandTemplar Knightsat Mohi on April 11, 1241.

During the succession struggle over the throne of the Mongol Empire in early 1251, 100,000Jochidtroops under Borolday were stationed nearOtrarto keep an eye on theChagatayidswho allied with theÖgedeidsagainst Batu's cousin and ally,Möngke.

In 1255,Daniel of Galiciarevolted against the Mongol rule. He repelled the initial Mongol assault under Orda's son Quremsa.Berkereplaced Quremsa, son of his eldest brother,Orda,with the much experienced Borolday. The latter led a force that overcame the resistance ofDanylo of Halychin 1259. According to some sources, Daniel fled to Poland leaving his son and brother at the mercy of the Mongol army. He may have hidden in the castle of Galicia instead. The Mongols needed to halt Poland's aid to Daniel as well as war booty to feed the demand of their soldiers. Boroldai forced him to demolish all walls of cities in Galich and Volhynia.The Mongols knew that the Lithuanians had raided Mongol vassals, Smolensk and Torzhok, in the previous year.AlongsideTalabugaKhan andNogai,Boroldai led apunitive expeditionagainst theGrand Duchy of Lithuania.The Mongols attacked Lithuania, but the Lithuanians fled before the decisive battle. After pillaging several villages and towns in Lithuania, Borolday returned to Galich and demanded Daniel assist him in his battle against the Poles. The Rus soldiers under Daniel's son, Lev, and brother, Vasily, joined the Mongol expedition.Lublin,Sandomierz,Zawichost,Kraków,andBytomwere ravaged and plundered by the Mongol army. Berke had no intention of occupying or conquering Poland. After this raidPope Alexander IVtried without success to organize acrusadeagainst the Mongols.

After 1259, Boroldai's name does not appear again in Russian annals. A general named Burulday was killed in the battle at theTerek Riveron January 13, 1263, during theBerke–Hulagu war.This may have been Boroldai. His name appears in the operaThe Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh and the Maiden FevroniyabyNikolai Rimsky-Korsakov,and in Mongolian fairy tales.

Sources

• Ж.Бор -Монгол хийгээд Евразийн дипломат шаштирботь 2
• Grousset, René (1970).The Empire of the Steppes: A History of Central Asia.New Brunswick, N.J: Rutgers University Press.ISBN0-8135-0627-1.
• Rashid-al-Din Hamadani.Jami' al-Tawarikh( "Compendium of Chronicles")