WI: Sartaq Khan lives

Sartaq Khan is an interesting figure in the history of the Mongol Empire, most notable for the fact that he was Christian (most likely Nestorian but possibly also Orthodox). In 1256 he succeeded Batu Khan as leader of the Golden Horde, but his reign was short lived, dying later that year, likely poisoned by his Muslim Uncles Berke and Berkhchir. He was succeeded by Ulaghch, who died a year later in 1257, leading to Berke, Sartaq's uncle, to take the throne and establish Islam as the dominant religion in the Golden Horde. A few years later the Mongol Empire would begin to fracture following the death of Möngke Khan in 1259, resulting in its constituent Khanates effectively becoming independent.

What if Sartaq survives the assassination attempt, eliminates his treacherous Uncles and is able to consolidate his rule and establish Christianity in the Golden Horde in time for the disintegration of the Mongol Empire?

Would Nestorian Christianity gain a significant stronghold in Eastern Europe, or would Sartaq convert to either the Orthodox or Catholic Churches to gain foreign support?

There were still Pagan holdouts in Lithuania at this time. Would a Christian Golden Horde get involved in the Northern Crusades, and what will the long-term consequences be, especially given OTL Golden Horde incursions into Poland and Lithuania and the Great Prussian Uprising in 1260?

How will this affect the balance of power in the Middle East. IOTL Berke formed an alliance with the Mamluks against the Ilkhanate, but with him out of the way and a Christian in charge of the horde, might the proposed Franco-Mongol alliance work out ITTL? Will this lead to the Crusader States holding out, or even expanding with Mongol assistance?

I would also appreciate it if people could point me in the direction of any useful sources that deal with this particular era, as I might want to expand this into a more developed timeline later on.
 
I am also interested about this prospect, as in my TL, Sartak will survive and become the Golden Horde new Khan...
However, the TTL Mongol invasion is still ongoing and it's different than OTL one.
 
I think that regardless of Sartaq's personal beliefs, he's unlikely to enforce them on the broader population. A surviving Sartaq Khan will have to keep his faith semi-private, I think. There's too many Tengri-worshippers and Muslims in the core part of the Golden Horde that Sartaq needs the loyalty of.

One of the most interesting things you'll see is probably a strengthening of the Prester John myth. An alliance with France seems unlikely to have any practical benefits for Sartaq, even if it would benefit the Crusader States (something even a Christian Mongol is unlikely to care overmuch about). An alliance with the Mamluks by contrast is still a practical move, one way or another.

If the Golden Horde conquered some part of the Ilkhanate, I think that would only hasten the conversion to Christianity and strengthen any various plots agaisnt Sartaq that might emerge. The longer the Horde remains, the more pressure its going to have to establish religious uniformity, and I believe Islam is the obvious choice. The Mongols belonged to a wide variety of religions, but I feel that those choices did not shape their policies all that much. Generally they seem to have had a relatively pragmatic outlook on such things.
 
The question here is does it really matter, in and of itself? The most you may get is the Russian states may change how the Tatars are viewed as enemy from heathens to just schismatics, and might make any future conquests much easier to manage. There may be more significant marriages between Russian Princes and Mongol family members as well.

The big problem is that the Golden Horde was a train wreck of succession struggles, and a few shadow khans as it where. This was the longest lasting Mongol successor state mind you. Only when you had a strong successor did you ever see the Horde get it together to become powerful on paper as it was. Even if Sartaq lives can his successors manage to rule with the same stability issues around the corner?
 
Sartaq Khan is an interesting figure in the history of the Mongol Empire, most notable for the fact that he was Christian (most likely Nestorian but possibly also Orthodox). In 1256 he succeeded Batu Khan as leader of the Golden Horde, but his reign was short lived, dying later that year, likely poisoned by his Muslim Uncles Berke and Berkhchir. He was succeeded by Ulaghch, who died a year later in 1257, leading to Berke, Sartaq's uncle, to take the throne and establish Islam as the dominant religion in the Golden Horde. A few years later the Mongol Empire would begin to fracture following the death of Möngke Khan in 1259, resulting in its constituent Khanates effectively becoming independent.

What if Sartaq survives the assassination attempt, eliminates his treacherous Uncles and is able to consolidate his rule and establish Christianity in the Golden Horde in time for the disintegration of the Mongol Empire?

Would Nestorian Christianity gain a significant stronghold in Eastern Europe, or would Sartaq convert to either the Orthodox or Catholic Churches to gain foreign support?

There were still Pagan holdouts in Lithuania at this time. Would a Christian Golden Horde get involved in the Northern Crusades, and what will the long-term consequences be, especially given OTL Golden Horde incursions into Poland and Lithuania and the Great Prussian Uprising in 1260?

How will this affect the balance of power in the Middle East. IOTL Berke formed an alliance with the Mamluks against the Ilkhanate, but with him out of the way and a Christian in charge of the horde, might the proposed Franco-Mongol alliance work out ITTL? Will this lead to the Crusader States holding out, or even expanding with Mongol assistance?

I would also appreciate it if people could point me in the direction of any useful sources that deal with this particular era, as I might want to expand this into a more developed timeline later on.

It is very difficult to speak about conversions of the early Chingizzids; and Sartaq Khan is pretty early.
They tend to look at all the religions like different kinds of 'magic' which might be useful to achieve some success, to avoid some danger, to get healed, to make the weather better, to predict future, whatever.
And it was wise (from their point of view) to use as many kinds of magic and magicians as possible. One week a Chengizzid (actually any Mongol) might visit a Buddhist temple, a Christian Church, a mosque, a shaman and consult his astrologer.

With time passing by a Chengizzid might find some kinds of magic or some individual magicians to be more helpful, more efficient then the others. For example Christianity and/or a shaman/astrologer.
A Mongol might take part even in some Christian rituals. Which was very misleading as a Chengizzid did not feel any particular obligation to Christianity, but for some Christians it looked like adoption/conversion.

I don't mean to say that Sartaq Khan was not a Christian, we just have to be very careful in such matters.

* Actually this kind of misunderstanding raised some (evidently futile) hopes of the European Christians to form an alliance with the early Mongols against the Muslims.
 
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