2026, vol. 14, no. 1. Qiu Y.

2026, vol. 14, no. 1, pp. 37-52

DOI: https://doi.org/10.22378/2313-6197.2026-14-1.37-52

EDN: https://elibrary.ru/HFZTPA

   THE GOLDEN HORDE’S STANCE ON THE YUAN DYNASTY
AS SEEN FROM BAYBARS AL-MANṢŪRĪ’S ACCOUNTS

Yihao Qiu
Fudan University
Shanghai, China
kafka_qiuyihao@yahoo.com

Abstract. This article analyzes Baybars al-Manṣūrī’s chronicle, Zubdat al-Fikra, from the perspective of the Golden Horde’s relationship with the Yuan Dynasty, combining Chinese and Persian sources with case studies to explore the Juchid Khan’s stance toward the Yuan and the Golden Horde’s role in facilitating Mamluk-Yuan diplomatic and commercial relations.
Research materials: Contemporary Arabic sources are utilized, including Baybars al-Manṣūrī’s chronicle, Ibn al-Shaddād’s biography of Sultan Baybars, and al-ʿUmarī’s encyc­lopedia. Additionally, official histories compiled during the Yuan Dynasty and the Ilkanate are examined, including Rashīd al-Dīn’s Jāmiʿ al-Tavārīkh, Vaṣṣāf’s Tārīkh-i Vaṣṣāf, and Ibn Bībī’s local history of Anatolia.
Results and novelty of the research: In this article, much attention is paid to the analysis of Baybars al-Manṣūrī’s Zubdat al-Fikra, particularly its previously overlooked accounts related to the Yuan Dynasty. Through meticulously examined case studies, the author aims to highlight the chronicle’s unique and detailed records – verifiable yet absent from extant Chinese and Persian sources. Consequently, this study demonstrates that Baybars al-Manṣūrī’s accounts offer new insights into the internal affairs and diplomatic policies of the Golden Horde while shedding light on its stance toward the Yuan Dynasty.

Keywords: Baybars al-Manṣūrī, Golden Horde, Yuan Dynasty, Mamluk Sultanate, Qubilai, Jāmiʿ al-Tavārīkh, Khitai

For citation: Qiu Y. The Golden Horde’s stance on the Yuan Dynasty as seen from Baybars al-Manṣūrī’s accounts. Zolotoordynskoe obozrenie=Golden Horde Review. 2026, vol. 14, no. 1, pp. 37–52. https://doi.org/10.22378/2313-6197.2026-14-1.37-52

Financial Support: Research for this article was sponsored by the National Social Science Fund under the “International and Regional Studies Program” (19VJX013).

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Yihao Qiu – Associate Professor at the Department of History, Fudan University (Handan Road 220, Yanpu District, Shanghai, China); ORCID: 0009-0007-2604-9004. E-mail: kafka_qiuyihao@yahoo.com

Received  02.04.2025
Revised  18.02.2026
Accepted  10.03.2026