Russian designation for the western part of the Mongol empire.
The Golden Horde flourished from the mid-13th century to the end of the 14th century. The name is traditionally said to derive from the golden tent of Batu , a grandson of Genghis Khan , who expanded the domain of the Golden Horde in a series of brilliant campaigns that included the sacking and burning of Kiev in 1240. At its peak, its territory included most of European Russia. The outbreak of the Black Death in 1346 marked the beginning of its disintegration; in the 15th century it broke into several smaller khanates.