Unlike the Mongols in China or Persia who directly governed and assimilated into local urban cultures, the Golden Horde chose a unique path.
: Known natively as the Ulus of Jochi or the Kipchak Khanate , the term "Golden Horde" entered European languages later. Historians suggest the name may stem from the striking yellow or golden tents used by the ruling khans.
The roots of the Golden Horde trace back to the division of the Mongol Empire.
: Following Jochi's death, his son Batu Khan spearheaded brilliant military campaigns between 1236 and 1240. His armies devastated the Kievan Rus' and famously sacked the capital city of Kyiv in 1240.
: Genghis Khan designated the westernmost lands of his empire to his eldest son, Jochi.