Narchat

13th-century Moxel Queen
Narchat Of Moxel
Khanazorava[1]
Monument to Queen Narchat near Ancient Noronshasht, Penza region, Russia
Princess regent of Moxel
Regency1237–1241
MonarchKanazor (King) Puresh (under the reign of Öz Beg Khan)
Khanazorava (Queen) of Moxel
Reign1241–1242
PredecessorPuresh
Born
  • 1216
    Noronshasht
Died20 November 1242(1242-11-20) (aged 25–26)
Moksha river
FatherPuresh
OccupationQueen of Moxel and Burtas[2][3]

Narchat, Narchatka, Naricha [1] (Moksha: Нарчат, Нарчатка, Нарича, romanized: Narchat, Narchatka, Naricha) was a Moksha Queen,[4] ruler of Moxel mentioned in Russian sources as Murunza.[5] She was daughter and successor of king Puresh and sister of Atämaz. She led the uprising against Mongols in 1242 and was slain in Battle of Sernya in 1242.

Mongol Takeover

In September 1237 the Mongols invaded Kingdom Moxel ('Moksha Kingdom' in Latin sources[6]). They seized the capital Noronshasht and killed all the city dwellers. Narchat's father and brother together with Moxel army joined the Mongol hordes on their way to Europe.[7] It was she who remained to rule when her father and brother left with the Mongols.[8] As soon as she found out her father, brother and many Moksha warriors were killed in Germany[9] she attacked the Mongol convoys passing Mokshaland. On their way from Europe, Mongols returned to Moxel and seized Sernya. The city was burnt down, all the defenders were killed. Queen Narchat with a small group of warriors broke out of the burning fortress but Mongols chased her. Her men were slain and she jumped into the ice-hole in river Moksha and drowned together with her horse.[10]

Historical Personality

Russian professor from Penza State Pedagogical University Vitaliy Lebedev wrote:

All legends of Narchat mention that there was a battle of local population with Tatar-Mongols. The battle took place in winter time <...> Almost in all legends she is known as Mordvin Queen and in two as Burtass

— Vitaliy Lebedev, Лебедев В. И. Загадочный город Мохши[4]

Doctor of Sciences Dmitriy Madurov of Chuvash state Institute of Humanities writes:

She might be only Moksha. First she was daughter of king Puresh, second war was waged in Mokshaland, third other ethnic groups are known they might have had a female as the head of state but not the army[11]

Indeed, it is known the Burtas had been ruled by elders.[12]

Narchat in coinage

Ethnographer Vladimir Aunovsky wrote that he encountered coins with Narchatka portrait in traditional Moksha woman's headdress and they say: "This is our queen".[13] These coins are called mordovkas in slang, or silver coins type A as they are described by Bogdan Zaikovsky with inscription in Moksha language in Greek Uncial script (Moksha: μοΛͷ ΑΗςͷ οκΑΗ ΠεΛκͷ 'goes only for half Oka (gold coin name)') and might be dated as 4-8th century AD.[14] Triangle coins, pre-Mongolian silver Valfs, 22x23 mm size, with a depiction of a woman in a headdress» are described by Vyacheslav Zavaryukhin as he specifies they should be referred to as Mukhsha coinage according to the Christian Frähn's list.[15]

Narchat in Epic Tales

See also

Literature

  • Masztorava, Erza és moksa népköltészeti anyag feldolgozásával írta Alekszandr Markovics Saronov, Budapest, 2010
  • Лебедев В. И. Нарчатка / Пензенская энциклопедия. М.: Научное издательство «Большая Российская энциклопедия», 2001, с. 376
  • Алихова А. Е., М. Ф. Жиганов, П. Д. Степанов. Из древней и средневековой истории мордовского народа. Саранск, 1959.
  • Пудалов Б. М., Начальный период истории древнейших городов Среднего Поволжья. (XII ѕ первая треть XIII в.) Нижний Новгород, 2003
  • Фомин В. В., Пургасова Русь. Институт Российской истории РАН, 2007.
  • Устно-поэтическое творчество мордовского народа в 12 томах, Саранск, 1963-2003
  • Мордовская мифология/ Энциклопедия. Саранск, 2013

References

  1. ^ a b Inzhevatov & Pomerantseva 1983, p. 49
  2. ^ Lebedev 1990
  3. ^ Minorsky & al-ʿĀlam 1952
  4. ^ a b Лебедев В. И. Загадочный город Мохши, Пенза, 1958, p.15
  5. ^ Карамзин Н. М. История государства Российского. Т. II. Москва, 1991, ISBN 978-5-02-009493-2
  6. ^ Itinerarium fratris Willielmi de Rubruquis de ordine fratrum Minorum, Galli, Anno gratia 1253. ad partes Orientales.
  7. ^ John Bridges. The «Opus Majus» of Roger Bacon. Elibron Classics, 2000, ISBN 978-1-4021-9735-2
  8. ^ Козлов, Александр (2022-05-15). Древнейшая история Пензенского края: мифы и реальность. Взгляд на историю с точки зрения новейших исследований ДНК-генеалогии (in Russian). Litres. p. 216. ISBN 978-5-04-255329-5.
  9. ^ Itinerarium fratris Willielmi de Rubruquis de ordine fratrum Minorum, Galli, Anno gratia 1253. ad partes Orientales
  10. ^ Kryukov 2008
  11. ^ Мадуров Д. Ф. Волжские земли в истории и культуре России: Материалы Всероссийской научной конференции//Мадуров Д. Ф. События XIII века в истории эрзи и мокши., О сражении на Золотарёвском городище осенью 1237 г. [Dmitry Madurov. 13th Century Events in Moksha and Erzya History., Sernya battle in autumn 1237, Mordovian State University, Saransk: Krasnyy Oktyabr, 2004. Part I — p. 264]
  12. ^ Brasos — Moscow: Soviet Encyclopedia, 1971. — 600 с. — (Soviet Encyclopedia, 30 volumes / chief editor А. М. Prokhorov ; 1969—1978, Vol. 4)
  13. ^ Aunovsky 1869, pp. 85–108
  14. ^ Zaikovsky 1929
  15. ^ Заварюхин, Вячеслав Юрьевич (Aug 27, 2006). "Памятники нумизматики и бонистики в региональном историко-культурном процессе". Retrieved Aug 27, 2022 – via cheloveknauka.com.

Sources

  • Shtereshis, Michael (2013), Tamerlane and the Jews, London and New York: Routledge, ISBN 9781136873669
  • Minorsky, Vladimir; al-ʿĀlam, Ḥudūd (1952), Ḥudūd al-ʿĀlam. The regions of the world: a Persian geography, 372 A.H./982 A.D para 52. The Alān Capital *Magas and the Mongol Campaign, Cambridge University Press, JSTOR 608675
  • Inzhevatov, I.K.; Pomerantseva, E.V., eds. (1983) [First published 1963]. "UPTMN". Oral Poetry Of Mordvin people, 1963–2003. Vol. 10. Mordovian Research Institute for Language, Literature, and Economy. p. 255.
  • Aunovsky, V (1869), Ethnograpical Essay Of Mordva-Moksha. Simbirsk Governorate Memorial Book for 1869, Simbirsk, pp. 85–108{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  • Zaikovsky, Bogdan (1929). "Mordovkas Problem". Nizhne-Volzhskaya Oblast Ethnological Scientific Society Review (36–2). Saratov: 30–32.
  • Mayorov, Aleksandr (2021). "Woman, Diplomacy and War. Russian Princes In Negotiations With Batu Before Mongol Invasion". Шаги/Steps. 7 (3). Steps Journal: 124–199.
  • Lebedev, Vitaly (1990), Legends of Burtas Tsarina Narchatka. Problems of Volga-Don Ethnic History in Middle Ages and Burtas Problem (in Russian), Penza{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  • Kryukov, N. (17 June 2008). "Sernya the Jewelers' City". Nasha Penza (in Russian). No. 30.