Wikipedia:Today's featured article/December 29, 2024
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Jochi (c. 1182 – c. 1225) was a prince in the Mongol Empire. For many months before his birth, his mother Börte had been a captive of the Merkit tribe, one of whom forcibly married and raped her. Although there was thus considerable doubt over his parentage, Börte's husband Genghis Khan considered Jochi his son and treated him accordingly. Many Mongols, most prominently Börte's next son Chagatai, disagreed; these tensions eventually caused Jochi's exclusion from the line of succession. After Genghis founded the Mongol Empire in 1206, he entrusted Jochi with nine thousand warriors and a large territory in the west of the Mongol heartland; Jochi campaigned extensively to extend Mongol power in the region. He also commanded an army during the invasion of the Khwarazmian Empire, but during the Siege of Gurganj in 1221, tensions arose between him and his family. They were still estranged when Jochi died of ill health c. 1225. His descendants continued to rule his territories, which became known as the Golden Horde. (Full article...)