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| Ulugh Muhammad | |
|---|---|
 Ulugh Muhammad arrives atMurom with an army, miniature from theIllustrated Chronicle of Ivan the Terrible | |
| Khan of the Golden Horde | |
| 1st reign | 1419 – 1423 |
| Predecessor | Hajji Muhammad Khan ibn Oghlan Ali |
| Successor | Barak Khan |
| 2nd reign | 1428 – 1437 |
| Predecessor | Barak Khan |
| Successor | Sayid Ahmad I |
| Khan of Kazan | |
| Reign | 1438 – 1445 |
| Predecessor | Monarchy established |
| Successor | Mäxmüd of Kazan |
| Born | 1405 (1405) |
| Died | 1445 (aged 39–40) Kazan |
| Dynasty | Borjigin |
| Father | Ichkile Hassan |
| Religion | Sunni Islam |
Ulugh Muhammad orMuhammad Khan (1405–1445;Chagatai,Volga Türki, andPersian: الغ محمد;Kypchak: محمد خان; written asUlanus by orientalists) was a medievalTatar statesman, Gengisid,Khan of theGolden Horde (before 1436), ruler of Crimea (1437), and the founder of theKhanate of Kazan, which he ruled from 1438–1445. He was the son of the oglan Ichkile Hassan and the cousin ofTokhtamysh. He received the nickname "Ulugh", meaning older or large, in contrast toKüchük Muhammad, meaning younger or small.
Ulugh Muhammad was Khan of theGolden Horde in 1419–1423, 1426, and 1428. In 1428–1432 he waged a stubborn struggle for possession of theUlug Ulus with the representatives of a minor branch of the Tukaytimurids (one of the branches of the Gengisids). After being defeated, Ulugh Muhammad escaped to Volga Bulgaria vilayet in 1423. With the support ofVytautas, Ulugh Muhammad was able to regain the throne of the Golden Horde in 1426. He succeeded in spreading the power of the Horde toCrimea and established friendly relations with the Ottoman SultanMurad II. Ulugh Muhammad sent an embassy to Egypt in 1428–1429. In 1431 the son and grandson of the ruler of Moscow,Dmitriy Donskoy came to the court to Ulugh Muhammad in order to reach a decision about princely succession. Ulugh Muhammad ruled in favour of the grandson,Vasiliy II .
Ulugh Muhammad was most likely the son ofJalal ad-Din khan and the grandson ofTokhtamysh, although he may have been descended fromHassan Jefai, a relative of Tokhtamysh.[1] Either way, he was a descendant ofJochi and therefore ofGenghis Khan.[2] Ulugh Muhammad's son Mustafa died fighting near Ryazan in 1444. His sonQasim Khan went to collect ransom after the battle of Suzdal, entered Russian service and in 1452 founded theQasim Khanate. His sonMäxmüd of Kazan succeeded him.
Ulugh Muhammad first came to power following the death ofYeremferden. His main competitor for control of the Horde was his cousin[3]Dawlat Berdi, the son of Yeremferden. For much of his reign Ulugh Muhammad controlledSarai, and was therefore seen as the most legitimate ruler within the Horde, although Sarai was captured by his rival after theSiege of Sarai in 1420 and held by him for two years.
In 1422Baraq Khan defeated both Ulugh Muhammad and Dawlat and drove them out of the country. While Dawlat remained inCrimea, Ulugh Muhammad fled to theGrand Duchy of Lithuania and pled for assistance fromVytautas the Great. With this assistance, he was able to march on Baraq and recapture Sarai.
After regaining control over the Khanate, Ulugh Muhammad marched on Crimea, where Dawlat Berdi had re-established himself following Baraq's defeat and death. After a series of indecisive skirmishes his invasion was cut short due to the death of Vytautas, which forced Ulugh Muhammad to concentrate his forces on Lithuania, where he supportedSigismund Kęstutaitis againstŠvitrigaila in the fight for the Lithuanian throne. Švitrigaila, in turn, supportedDawlat Berdi and laterSayid Ahmad I, as didVasili II of Moscow.
Ulugh Muhammad lost control of the Golden Horde in 1436 and fled to Crimea. He quarreled with the Crimeans, led a 3000-man army north and took the border town ofBelyov. In 1437Vasili II of Moscow sent a large army against Ulugh Muhammad under the command ofDmitry Shemyaka, but they were defeated at theBattle of Belyov. Ulugh Muhammad subsequently moved to Volga and in 1438 capturedKazan, separating it from the Golden Horde. In 1439 he raided Muscovy, burningKolomna and the outskirts of Moscow. Nothing is known of his life from 1439–1444, but in 1444–45 Ulugh Muhammad occupiedNizhny Novgorod and marched on Murom. Vasili II counterattacked in 1445 but was defeated and captured at theBattle of Suzdal, only to be ransomed. Ulugh Muhammad died a few months later, possibly murdered by his son Mäxmüd.
Ulugh Muhammad House of Borjigin (Боржигин) (1206–1635) | ||
| Regnal titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Khan of theGolden Horde (withDawlat Berdi) 1419–1421 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Khan of theGolden Horde (withDawlat Berdi) 1427–1437 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by the Khanate established | Khan of theKazan Khanate 1437–1445 | Succeeded by |