Battle of the Kalka River (1381)

The Battle of the Kalka River in 1381 was fought between the Mongol warlords Mamai and Tokhtamysh (also spelt Toqtamish) for control of the Golden Horde. Tokhtamysh was the victor and became sole ruler of the Horde.

Mamai previously had de facto control over the Horde (though he was never declared khan), but his control began to crumble when Tokhtamysh of the White Horde invaded. At the same time the Rus' princes rebelled against his rule, removing a valuable source of tax income from Mamai. Mamai was defeated at the famous 1380 Battle of Kulikovo, at which a Muscovy-led coalition of Rus' princes scored a pyrrhic victory. Mamai raised more troops and prepared another operation to subdue these rebellious Rus' principalities once more. Meanwhile in the east, Tokhtamysh had seized the Golden Horde's capital, Sarai. Mamai was forced to abandon his planned second Rus' campaign to deal with Tokhtamysh first. The armies clashed at the region around the northern Donets and Kalka Rivers. No details of the battle remain but Tokhtamysh, who probably had a larger army, won a decisive victory. He subsequently took over the Golden Horde as undisputed khan.

According to the earliest version of the "Chronicle Tale" (Letopisnaia povest’), Tokhtamysh informed Muscovite prince Dmitry Donskoy that he had defeated their mutual enemy Mamai.