Subutai facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Subutai
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| ᠰᠦᠪᠡᠭᠡᠳᠡᠢ | |
Medieval Chinese block print depiction
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| Born | c. 1175 Burkhan Khaldun, Mongolia
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| Died | 1248 (aged 72–73) Tuul River, Mongolia
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| Nationality | Mongol |
| Other names | Latin transcriptions: Subetei, Subetai, Subotai, Tsubotai, Tsubodai, Tsubetei, Tsubatai Classic Mongolian: Sübügätäi, Sübü'ätäi Modern Mongolian: Sübeedei (Mongolian: Сүбээдэй), Middle Mongolian: "Sube'edei", Сүбэдэй |
| Occupation | General |
| Title | Örlög baghatur, Noyan of a Mingghan |
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Subutai (born around 1175, died 1248) was a brilliant Mongol general. He was the main military planner for Genghis Khan and his son Ögedei Khan. Subutai led over 20 campaigns and won 65 major battles. He conquered more land than almost any other commander in history. This helped the Mongol Empire become the largest empire ever.
Subutai was known for his clever and complex strategies. He often moved armies hundreds of kilometers apart, making them work together. His expeditions took him from central Asia to Russia and Europe. Many people consider him one of the greatest military leaders of all time.
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Subutai's Early Life
Historians believe Subutai was born in 1175. This was likely near the upper Onon River in what is now Mongolia. Some stories say he was from the Uriankhai clan. This clan was known for herding reindeer, not horses. This would have made him an outsider among the horse-riding Mongols.
However, newer studies suggest this story might not be true. Subutai's family had been connected to Temujin's family for many years. Temujin later became Genghis Khan. Subutai's great-great-grandfather, Nerbi, was an ally of a Mongol Khan. Subutai's father, Jarchigudai, helped feed Temujin's followers. Subutai's older brother, Jelme, was also a general. Jelme was a close friend of Temujin and even saved his life once.
One story from the Secret History of the Mongols tells of Subutai's bravery. His father was taking sheep to Genghis Khan when robbers attacked. Subutai and his brother Huluhun arrived and fought off the robbers. They saved their father and the sheep.
Subutai was born a commoner, the son of a blacksmith. This shows that the Mongol Empire valued skill, not just birth. When he was 14, Subutai joined Temujin's army. He followed his older brother Jelme, who had joined at 17. Subutai quickly rose through the ranks. Within ten years, he became a general. He commanded one of four large army units.
In 1211, during the invasion of Northern China, Subutai worked with General Jebe. They were partners until Jebe's death in 1223. In 1212, Subutai captured the city of Huan. This was his first big independent success.
As a teenager, Subutai became a guard for Genghis Khan's tent. This allowed him to listen to important strategy meetings. He later joined these discussions. He learned a lot from top generals like Jebe and Muqali, and from Genghis Khan himself.
Subutai's first chance to lead his own army came in 1197. He was 22 years old. His mission was to defeat a Merkit camp. Subutai tricked the Merkits by pretending to be a Mongol deserter. He convinced them the main Mongol army was far away. The Merkits relaxed their guard. This allowed Subutai's army to surprise and surround them easily. They captured two Merkit generals. He also helped win a key battle against the Naiman in 1204. This victory gave the Mongols full control over Mongolia.
Subutai's Military Genius
Subutai was a master of war. He often led large forces that were far apart. His plans aimed to trick enemies and attack from unexpected places. For example, in the 1232 invasion of the Jin, he kept their armies guessing. The Jin could not tell which Mongol attacks were real and which were fake. This split their forces, making them weak.
The Mongols would often ignore strong forts. They would instead destroy the farms around them. This would starve the people inside the walls. They only attacked important forts.
Unlike other horse archer armies, Subutai fought quickly and decisively. He used strong attacks to create openings for fast cavalry charges. At the Battle of the Kalka River in 1223, his 20,000 men defeated 80,000 Russians. He made the Russians chase him for nine days. Then he suddenly turned and attacked. The Russians were spread out and easily defeated.
Subutai was also one of the first Mongol generals to use engineers. These engineers helped with siege warfare. He even used siege machines in open battles. At the Battle of Mohi, Hungarian crossbowmen stopped the Mongols from crossing a river. Subutai ordered huge stone-throwing machines to clear the riverbank. This allowed his cavalry to cross safely. This was an early use of artillery to break enemy lines before an attack.
Like Genghis Khan, Subutai was skilled at dividing his enemies. The Mongols' fearsome reputation helped. They also used spies to spread rumors and offered deals to local leaders. This stopped their opponents from uniting against them.
Campaigns in Central Asia
In 1217, Genghis Khan sent Subutai to find the Merkits and their allies, the Cuman-Kipchak confederation. Subutai defeated them in Kazakhstan in 1217 and 1219. Before one battle, Subutai had his soldiers leave children's toys behind. This made the Merkit think they were chasing fleeing families. This trick allowed Subutai to surprise and capture the Merkit leaders.
Mohammed II of Khwarizm attacked Subutai near the Irghiz River. Subutai had fewer soldiers, but he held off the Sultan's elite army. He then retreated at night. This battle made Mohammed lose confidence in fighting the Mongols.
In 1219, Genghis Khan led the Mongol army to invade Khwarizm. This was revenge for the Khwarizm ruler killing Mongol ambassadors. Subutai served as Genghis Khan's chief of staff. He marched with the Khan's army through the Kyzylkum Desert. They appeared behind the Khwarizm defenses at Bukhara. After capturing Samarkand, Genghis Khan sent Subutai and Jebe to hunt down Shah Mohammed. The Shah fled into central Persia. He avoided capture but could not gather his forces. Mohammed died on an island in the Caspian Sea in 1221. His scattered armies were then easily defeated by Genghis Khan.
The Great Raid
Subutai and Jebe spent the winter of 1219 in Azerbaijan and Iran. They raided and looted, stopping western Khwarizm forces from helping the east. Subutai then planned a daring mission. About 20,000 Mongol soldiers would ride around the Caspian Sea. They would go through the Caucasus Mountains to attack the Wild Kipchaks and Cumans from behind.
After defeating forces in Persia and Azerbaijan, the Mongols invaded the Christian Kingdom of Georgia. Subutai and Jebe forced the Georgian king, George IV of Georgia, to fight. They did this by destroying the countryside. Subutai and Jebe then defeated the Georgian army. They tricked the Georgian knights with a fake retreat. Then they surrounded and crushed them. Subutai had even used spies to spread rumors that the Mongols were Christian helpers. This Mongol mission may have changed the history of the Crusades. Georgia had planned to send its army to the Fifth Crusade. Instead, their army was destroyed.
After raiding Georgia, the Mongols crossed the Caucasus Mountains in winter. They used clever diplomacy to divide their enemies. Subutai defeated the Alans, Circassians, and Don Kipchaks separately. Then, Russian princes and the Cuman confederacy united. They formed an 80,000-man army to fight the Mongols. Subutai's smaller army was heavily outnumbered. He sacrificed 1,000 men in his rear guard. This made the enemy chase them carelessly and become separated. The plan worked. After retreating for nine days, Subutai suddenly turned. He crushed the combined Russian and Cuman army at the Battle of the Kalka River in May 1223.
Campaigns in China
Subutai played a key role in the campaigns against the Xi Xia in 1226. He commanded a flank army. While Genghis Khan attacked from the north, Subutai attacked from the west. He went over mountains and deserts. This caused the Tangut resistance to fall apart. The Tangut Empire was cut in two. Subutai conquered the west and joined Genghis Khan to conquer the east. In 1227, he conquered Jin areas along the upper Wei River. He even raided Tibet.
Mongol operations against Jin China were stopped when Genghis Khan died in 1227. His son Ögedei became the new leader in 1229.
Conquering Jin China
In 1230–1231, the Mongols suffered a big defeat by the Jin. Ögedei then personally led the main Mongol army. He put Subutai in charge of fixing the situation. Subutai had been sent to Russia, but he was called back to China. The Jin generals retreated and used a "scorched earth" policy. They burned everything to deny resources to the Mongols. They also held strong forts like Tongguan Pass.
Subutai tried to outflank the Jin in 1231–1232. He used a daring plan, similar to what he did in Khwarizm. The Mongols split into three armies. One attacked from the north. Another tried to cross the Yellow River in the east. The last, led by Subutai and Tolui, invaded the Song Empire from the south. The Song first refused to let the Mongols pass through the mountains. But Subutai bypassed their forces. The Song then agreed to help. This allowed Subutai to outmaneuver the Jin armies. He crossed the Han River and invaded Henan from the south.
The main Jin army marched to stop Subutai. Their commander, Wan Yen Heda, tried to ambush the Mongols. But the Mongols found out. They then tried to trick him with a fake retreat, but he stayed in his strong position. After a day of fighting, the Mongols retreated at night. They tried to hide their tracks and outflank the Jin. Wan Yen Heda retreated to the city of Tengzhou for supplies. Subutai realized the Jin were vulnerable to losing supplies. He used a fake attack to distract the Jin. Then he seized their supply train with a hidden force.
Instead of attacking the Jin directly, Subutai split his army. They targeted supplies in the area. While some harassed the Jin, others moved around their flanks. They aimed to destroy or steal supplies in villages along the Jin's retreat path. Ögedei Khan was able to send reinforcements to Subutai. This brought the Mongol strength to 50,000 men. With the Jin army's food running low, Subutai forced a battle. He won a major victory at the Battle of Sanfengshan. He captured Wan Yen Heda and destroyed the main Jin army. He then quickly defeated other Jin armies.
The city of Kaifeng was heavily fortified. It took an eight-month siege to capture. Subutai built huge walls around the city, 54 miles long. The Jin used new gunpowder weapons called "Thunder Crash Bombs." These made it hard for the Mongols to get close. Subutai cut off Kaifeng from outside help. He used intense bombardments with trebuchets and captured gunpowder. The Mongols avoided a plague that hit Kaifeng. The Jin Emperor fled, and the city surrendered. Subutai wanted to execute everyone in Kaifeng for their long resistance. But Ögedei ordered him to treat them fairly. The last Jin stronghold fell in 1234.
The Song Dynasty soon fought with the Mongols. Two Song armies took Kaifeng and Luoyang. Subutai returned, destroyed the Song armies, and retook the cities. He then raided Song territory to make them defensive. Subutai was then called back to the west. His victories taught the Song a lesson: they never dared to attack Mongol territory again.
Conquering Rus'
Ögedei decided to send a large part of the army west. Their goal was to finally defeat the Wild Kipchaks and Bulgars. Subutai was put in charge of these operations. Prince Batu was the overall commander. This mission was also to train the next generation of Mongol princes.
To defeat the Volga Bulgars, Subutai used another huge encirclement plan. The Mongols marched up the Volga River. This force kept the Bulgars busy. Subutai sent a second army to surprise the Bulgars from the east. They crossed the Ural mountains. After defeating the Bulgar armies, he defeated a guerrilla leader named Bachman. Bachman was hiding on an island. The Mongols built a small navy of 200 boats. They trapped Bachman and captured him.
In 1222–23, the Russian states had united against Subutai. This time, the Mongols attacked so fast that the Russians were too slow to unite. In late 1237, Subutai attacked Ryazan and Vladimir-Suzdal. He used three columns, attacking in winter when rivers froze. The Russian forces were defeated in three battles. Their cities were quickly captured. The Mongols rested in the summer of 1238. They sent armies to conquer tribes around the Black Sea. In 1239, the Russian state of Chernigov was defeated. The city of Novgorod surrendered and paid a large bribe.
A key battle was the battle of the Sit River in 1238. Grand Duke Yuri of Vladimir left his city to raise an army. He wanted to defeat the Mongols. But the Mongols avoided his army and captured Vladimir. Yuri's army was easily defeated. The Mongols also made a treaty with Galicia-Volhynia. Then they suddenly attacked in December 1240. Kiev, Vladimir, and other cities were quickly taken.
Invading Central Europe
Subutai planned and led the attack on Europe. He sent spies to Poland, Hungary, and Austria. He learned about the European kingdoms. He then planned a five-part attack. Batu Khan was the overall leader, but Subutai was the real commander. He led the central army against Hungary.
King Bela IV of Hungary knew about the Mongol invasion of Russia. He tried to prepare. He blocked mountain passes with trees and traps. But Subutai's army moved incredibly fast, even in deep snow. The Mongols had engineers who cleared paths through forests.
One day after a smaller Mongol army won the Battle of Legnica in Poland, Subutai attacked. This started the Battle of Mohi on April 10, 1241. At Mohi, the Mongols attacked a bridge to keep the Hungarians busy. Meanwhile, Subutai secretly built a pontoon bridge to the south. He crossed the river with a large force. This second group attacked from the south. A third group attacked from the north.
The Hungarians were surrounded. They retreated into their wagon camp. The Mongols then bombarded the camp with trebuchets, gunpowder, and flaming arrows. Hungarian cavalry charges were lured away and surrounded. The Mongols left a gap in their encirclement. This was a trick by Subutai. He wanted the Hungarians to flee and be easily killed. The Hungarians poured through the gap into a swampy area. The Mongol archers then picked them off. Many thousands of Hungarian soldiers died.
Mongol Control of Hungary
Subutai had to manage the Mongol princes during the Hungarian campaign. At Mohi, he had to convince Batu to keep fighting. Batu blamed Subutai, but Subutai reminded him of the plan. Batu apologized. Subutai also had to help Batu during the invasion of Russia. Batu struggled to capture the fortress of Torzhok. Subutai took command and captured it in three days.
Despite these issues, the Mongols tried to control Hungary. Peasants tried to resist, but it was hard in the open plains. Subutai used a stolen royal seal to issue fake orders. This tricked many people.
Subutai split his forces to keep pressure on King Bela. A cavalry force chased Bela along the Adriatic Coast. The main army under Subutai and Batu tried to control Hungary. Other Mongol forces raided outside Hungary, even reaching Austria. The Mongols besieged several cities. This included Oradea and the capital Esztergom.
By early 1242, Subutai was planning to invade the Holy Roman Empire. But then news came that Ögedei Khan had died. There was also a revolt by the Cumans in Russia. Some say the Mongol princes went back to Mongolia for a new Great Khan. Others say they had already started to leave. Ögedei's death stopped the Mongols from returning to Europe for many years.
The invasion caused huge damage. Subutai destroyed farms in areas that resisted. Many civilians hid in castles or forests. But they returned to ruined fields and starved. Some historians believe a quarter to half of Hungary's population died. Even eight years later, King Bela wrote that Hungary could not survive another invasion.
Subutai's Final Years
After putting down a Cuman revolt in Russia, Subutai went back to Mongolia. He wanted Batu to attend the meeting to choose Ögedei's successor. Batu refused. Güyük was chosen after three years, with Subutai's support. Güyük did not like Batu. He put Subutai, at age 71, in charge of a campaign against the Song dynasty in 1246–1247.
A papal envoy, Plano Carpini, saw Subutai in Karakorum, Mongolia. He said Subutai was highly respected and called him a hero. Subutai returned from the Song campaign in 1248. He spent the rest of his life at his home near the Tuul River (near modern Ulaanbaatar). He died there at age 72.
Subutai's descendants continued to serve the Mongol Khans. His son, Uriyangkhadai, conquered the kingdom of Dali. He also invaded Dai Viet and helped invade the Song from the southwest in 1258. Subutai's grandson, Aju, fought with his father. He later led the five-year Mongol siege of Xiangyang-Fancheng. This opened the way into the heart of the Song Empire. It led to their complete conquest in 1279.
Subutai's Legacy
Subutai's amazing strategies were largely forgotten for centuries. Other military leaders had to rediscover them much later. Subutai had crushed armies in Russia, Georgia, Hungary, Poland, and Bulgaria. Yet, Western military experts ignored him until the 20th century.
The Mongols did not fight as one big mass. They moved in several groups, often hundreds of kilometers apart. They threatened many targets at once. Like Napoleon, Subutai would spread out his forces. Then he would quickly bring them together at key points. This allowed him to defeat enemies in detail. Their methods aimed to completely break the enemy's will to fight. Subutai is seen as one of the first generals to use modern command and control methods.
Even though he was unknown in the West for centuries, Subutai's achievements were highlighted by British military writer B. H. Liddell Hart. This was after World War I. Liddell Hart used the Mongols as an example of how a modern army could fight. He showed how they used speed, spreading out, and surprise. Subutai's new tactics inspired later generals. Erwin Rommel and George Patton studied Mongol campaigns closely.
'Deep Battle' Theory
Russia learned the most from studying Mongol campaigns. They were closer to the steppe lands. Russian General Mikhail Ivanin first analyzed Mongol campaigns in the 19th century. His work became a recommended text in Russian military schools. Ivanin's ideas were used in the Deep Battle doctrine. This was developed by Soviet marshals like Mikhail Tukhachevsky.
Deep Battle doctrine was very similar to Mongol strategies. Tanks, motorized troops, artillery, and airplanes replaced Mongol horse archers and lancers. The Red Army even copied Subutai's use of smoke screens to hide troop movements. Later, American military writer John Boyd used Genghis Khan and Subutai's campaigns. He used them as examples of maneuver warfare.
Descendants of J̌arči'udai
- J̌arči'udai ebügen（札児赤兀歹/zháérchìwùdǎi）
- J̌elme（者勒蔑/zhělèmiè,جَلمه اوهَه/jalma ūha）
- Yesü buqa（也速不花/yĕsù bùhuā,ییسوبوقا تایشی/yīsū būqā tāīshī）
- Yesün te'e（也孫帖額/yĕsūn tièé,ییسون توا طرقی/yīsūn tūā ṭarqī）
- Subutai（速別額台/sùbiéétái,سوبداى/sūbdā'ī）
- Uriyangkhadai（兀良合台/wùliánggĕtái,اوريانكقداى/ūrīānkqadāy）
- Kököčü/Kökötei（闊闊帯/kuòkuòdài,كوكچو/kūkuchū）
- Aǰu（阿朮/āzhú,آجو/ājū）
- Uriyangkhadai（兀良合台/wùliánggĕtái,اوريانكقداى/ūrīānkqadāy）
- J̌elme（者勒蔑/zhělèmiè,جَلمه اوهَه/jalma ūha）
'*'Bürilgitei（卜憐吉帯/bŭliánjídài）
Historical Fiction
- Until the Sun Falls by Cecelia Holland (1969)
- The Snow Warrior by Don Dandrea (1988)
- Conqueror series by Conn Iggulden (2007, 2008, 2008, 2010, 2011)
- The Mongoliad series by Neal Stephenson, Erik Bear, Greg Bear, Joseph Brassey, Nicole Galland (aka E.D. deBirmingham), Cooper Moo, Mark Teppo and others, including fans. (2010–2014)
- "The Red Blades of Black Cathay" by Robert Erwin Howard (February–March 1931)
See also
In Spanish: Subotai para niños
