Nogai Khan

General and de facto ruler of the Golden Horde

Key facts

Died: c. 1300
Spouse: Euphrosyne Palaiologina Alagh (Алаг)
Issue: Chaka, Tsar of Bulgaria
House: Borjigin
Father: Tatar
Religion: Tengrism , later , Sunni Islam , (in 1262/1263)
Allegiance: Golden Horde
Branch: Golden Horde army
Service years: 1250s – 1290s
Rank: Army General
Conflicts: Berke–Hulegu war Mongol invasion of Europe Second Mongol invasion of Hungary Second Mongol invasion of Poland Third Mongol invasion of Poland

via Wikipedia infobox

Article

Nogai, or Noğay (Kypchak and Turki: نوغای; also spelled Nogay, Nogaj, Nohai, Nokhai, Noqai, Ngoche, Noche, Kara Nokhai, and Isa Nogai; died 1299/1300) was a general and kingmaker of the Golden Horde. His great-grandfather was Jochi, son of Genghis Khan.

Though he never formally ruled the Golden Horde himself, he was effectively the co-ruler of the state alongside whatever khan was in power at the time and had unrestricted control over the portions west of the Dnieper. At his height, Nogai was one of the most powerful men in Europe and widely thought of as the Horde's true head. The Russian chroniclers gave him the title of tsar, while the Franciscan missionaries in the Crimea spoke of him as a co-emperor. Nogai was also a notable convert to Islam.