Pages: 113-117

The article addresses the flourishing period of the city of Bolgar after the Mongol conquest, as one of the leading economic and political centers of the Jochi Ulus. Numerous written records by Arabic and European authors and Russian chroniclers allow highlighting the general history of Bolgar in the Golden Horde period. Advantageous geographical position contributed to the rapid restoration of the city and the attainment of its capital status, as well as the further development of handicrafts and trade. Bolgar became one of the first centers of minting Golden Horde coins. According to archaeological data, the features of urban development were recovered. In the 14th century, the Cathedral mosque, administrative buildings, and mausoleums for distinguished persons were built in Bolgar. The decline of Bolgar in the second half of the 14th century was connected with the onset of the general political instability in the Jochi Ulus, the plague and the reduction of trade along the Great Silk road.

Keywords: Golden Horde, Bolgar Ulus, written sources, urban layout, trade, heyday, crisis

Information about author:

Iskander L. Izmailov. Doctor of Historical Sciences. Institute of archaeology named after A. Kh. Khalikov of the Tatarstan Academy of Sciences. Address: Butlerov St., 30, Kazan, 420012, Republic of Tatarstan, Russian Federation
E-mail: [email protected]