14th–15th centuryReputable sourceWell documented
The Long Decline of the Golden Horde
On the timeline · around 14th–15th century ·
What happened
The Golden Horde outlasted the other khanates but slowly weakened through the 14th century, torn by succession struggles and battered by the Black Death. In 1380 a Russian army under Dmitry Donskoy of Moscow won a famous victory at Kulikovo — a crack in Mongol invincibility — and over the following century the Horde fractured into smaller khanates before fading away.
Why it matters
The Horde's decline freed the Russian principalities, and the rise of Moscow as the leader of that resistance laid the foundation of the future Russian state.
Sources
- World History Encyclopedia. Golden Horde · Reputable source