Tamerlane's Boys 6

By Pueros

Chapter 6 – Moscow

(Banks of the River Kuban, Khanate of the Golden Horde, March 1390)

Genghis Khan had awarded his oldest son, Juchi, the lands that comprised the Khanate of the Golden Horde but it was actually his son, Batu, who had finally fully subdued the territories in the mid-13th century. The name ‘Golden Horde’ was derived from the Russian ‘Zolotaya Orda’, used by the local populace to describe the Mongol host that had set up a magnificent gleaming tent encampment alongside the Volga River.

The Empire, also called the ‘Kipchak Khanate’, had its first capital at Sarai Batu near Astrakhan on the lower Volga and later at Sarai Berke on the Volga near present-day Volgograd. Its ascendancy terminated the rise of the state of Rus, ruled from Kiev, a city razed by the invaders in 1240.

Under the Golden Horde, the Russian principalities retained their own rulers and internal administration. However, they were tributaries of the Khan, who confirmed princely succession and exacted exorbitant taxes. The Khans themselves were under the nominal suzerainty of the Great Khans at Karakorum.

In the early 14th century, the Mongols of the Golden Horde adopted Islam as their religion. Thus, Russia was exposed to both Asian and Muslim civilisation. However, a loss of central control had resulted in internecine warfare among the subsidiary Mongol and Tartar leaders, some of whom conducted such independent and ill-advised adventures as the raids into Georgia. The loss of authority by the Khans additionally led to attempts by the Russian Princes to end tributary payments. Thus, the Empire of the Golden Horde was in decline towards the late 14th century and it was upon this scene that the dreaded Tamerlane now intruded.

From his winter base on the banks of the River Kuban, the conqueror chose not to make first for Astrakhan or the capital, Sarai Berke, in the north-east. Instead, he decided to pursue the particular Mongols who had been responsible for raiding Georgia and who were retreating before him towards the north-west. He had received intelligence that they were based in the vast forests south-east of a distant city called Moscow.

(Moscow, Principality of Muscovy, March 1390)

During Batu’s invasion of Rus in 1237-8, Moscow had, like many other towns in the Kievan Empire, been burnt to the ground. However, it quickly recovered to develop further as a significant metropolis, aided by the fact that, despite being located in the midst of dense forests, it was situated at the crossroads of many major trade routes.

A Prince, Ivan Kalita, who ruled from 1325 to 1340, turned the small town into the capital of the Muscovy Principality, commissioning the first stone structures, even though funds were scarce because of the huge annual tribute paid to the Khan. He was also instrumental in moving the residence of the Metropolitan, the patriarchal leader of the Orthodox Church, to his city, so making it Russia’s main spiritual centre.

Ivan Kalita’s grandson, Dmitry Donskoy, Prince from 1359 to 1389, had strengthened the influence of Moscow and built the city’s first walls. He also rebelled against the Khan’s hegemony, which had so drained his peoples’ resources, winning the first military victory over the Mongol army in the history of ancient Rus at Kulikovo Field in 1380, making him a popular hero. However, the enemy regrouped successfully and Moscow was brought back under the Khan’s overlordship two years later, being burnt yet again and with some important nobles losing their second sons as permanent hostages against future resurrection. One of these was Nicolai, aged 2.

Very pretty blonde-haired blue-eyed Nicolai, now 10 years old, was making the annual visit to Moscow to see his family, permitted to all the young hostages by the Mongols for two reasons. The first was to prove that the boys were still alive and being well looked after. The second was to re-establish familial bonds that would discourage their fathers and elder brothers from supporting future dissension against Khanate suzerainty.

As usual, the trip from the Mongol encampment, far to the south-east, was both happy and sad. There was much joy at the annual reunion and many tears at the yearly departure one week later.

(Near Azof, Khanate of the Golden Horde, April 1390)

The Governor of the city of Azof, a heavily fortified enclave ruled at the time by the Italian city of Genoa and located on the Sea of Azof, an inlet of the Black Sea, had despatched emissaries with splendid gifts to Tamerlane’s camp. The citizens wished to pay their respects to the dreaded conqueror in the hope that he would not try to take their metropolis.

Tamerlane had considered the option but had decided that assaulting the mercantile centre would be too much of a diversion from his main objective. He also reasoned that he could always return later to plunder the port. He therefore accepted the presents and demanded free provisions for his army to encourage him to move on. The people of Azof thought that the requisitions, although significant and very costly, were a small price to pay for salvation, as was the request to host some visits from members of the conqueror’s entourage.

Tamerlane’s lines of communication with his own domains were now stretched and he had been encountering difficulties in obtaining certain supplies. The most distressing problem had been in securing adequately fine replacement clothing for Vissarion and Arman, who were not only rapidly outgrowing their present costumes but also regularly damaging them because of their playful escapades. Attire obtainable from local communities had not matched the desires for his boys of the conqueror, in terms of quality of cloth or workmanship. In fact, the two 13 years olds had had to use all their charms to discourage their master from beheading several poor tailors. However, Italian clothing and craftsmanship were renowned and so the young Georgian and Armenian were despatched to Azof with their bodyguards to acquire new finery.

Vissarion and Arman were treated by the citizens of Azof as if they were royalty, Tamerlane’s boys even being welcomed to the walled city by the Governor himself. A formal party escorted the young Georgian and Armenian to the metropolis’ best tailors, all of whom measured the wonderful 13 years old bodies before offering the best materials and designs for the new clothes, for which there would naturally be no charge. However, after the fresh garb had been ordered, the lads, who had never previously seen the sea or large ships and who were now both bored with and embarrassed by all the attention, asked permission to explore the busy harbour alone.

The Azof escorts of Vissarion and Arman were very reluctant to grant the request but also very fearful of the possible consequences of denying the wish, as they were after all dealing with Tamerlane’s boys. The lads’ bodyguards were also worried, not wanting another scare after what had happened during the visit to the young Georgian’s uncle. However, they succumbed to the entreaties of the 13 years olds, now being as vulnerable to their beautiful pleading eyes as the conqueror.

Vissarion and Arman left their bodyguards to be hosted by their Azof escorts in a harbour tavern whilst they proceeded down the quayside, amazed at the sight of the many boats and the sea beyond. “No cheating by secretly following us!” were the young Georgian’s final words, issued to the bodyguards with a disarmingly sweet smile, so ruining one of the men’s plans.

The Mongols had let the Genoans keep Azof because of their mercantile expertise and the city’s trading importance. Ships came to the port from all over the Black Sea and the Mediterranean and many different types were visible from the quayside. There were, for example, improbably squat Italian galleons with high fore and aft turrets contrasting sharply with sleek Levantine caiques and Arab dhows. Vissarion and Arman discussed the various attributes of them all as they walked, wondering whence they came and what purpose certain seemingly incongruous parts served. The boys were also absorbed at the sight of the multifarious skin colours and garments displayed by the seafarers and citizenry.

Vissarion and Arman came alongside one boat, apparently being readied to sail and crewed largely by people with black skin, a pigmentation they had not seen previously. The bearded Arab captain saw the beautiful richly-attired boys approach and noticed their interest in his vessel. Being a cosmopolitan trader of many years standing, the man knew several languages and used some of them to try to communicate with the lads. He met with success when he spoke Turkish.

Vissarion and Arman could interpret most of the particular Turkish dialect spoken by the captain and accepted his kind invitation to board his vessel for a look around. They were also pleased to accept his hospitality to enjoy a drink of fresh orange, their walk and debate under a warm sun having made them thirsty.

When the boys later awoke, they found themselves chained naked in the hold of the Arab’s ship, which was now at sea.

(Forests of Rus, Khanate of the Golden Horde, April 1390)

Nicolai was on his bed in the huge tent that he and his fellow Muscovite hostages occupied in the midst of the massive semi-permanent Mongol encampment. The 10 years old was the youngest of his compatriots, who now aged up to 15. However, he was respected by the others, some of whom had unsuccessfully tried to bully him only to receive brave retorts. The youngster had, as a result, received some beatings but these did not break his spirit and so admiration for him had quickly replaced disdain.

Because of their importance in helping to maintain an uneasy local peace, the boys were well cared for by the Mongols, a retinue of slaves from southern Rus looking after their needs, including their education. Their accommodation, food and clothing were the best that could be provided and they went unmolested despite the attractiveness of several to their captors, many of whom were temporarily absent seeking plunder elsewhere. However, hormonal development had caused some of the young male hostages to toy with each others' bodies, some forming stable partnerships. Nicolai had up until the present resisted the regular advances from some of his friends, who liked the way in which the 10 years old was blossoming into the prettiest member of their group, but he was now beginning to experience sexual desire for the first time.

Before Nicolai’s visit home, he had started to think about succumbing to one of the approaches, which were becoming even more frequent. However, such thoughts had been subsumed by the acute homesickness, now worse than ever, that he felt every year after returning to the Mongol encampment. The deeply morose boy just wanted to be left on his own to brood and the best efforts of his friends could not encourage him to emerge from his lonely melancholy.

The 10 years old cried quietly as he lay on his bed thinking of his loving family, whom he would be unable to see again for another eleven months.

(Sea of Azof, April 1390)

Vissarion’s advice to the bearded Arab that he was dealing with Tamerlane’s boys had not had the same desired effect as it had with the scar-faced Mongol. The captain had just laughed and replied “No-one in Azof knows that you’re on board my boat and no-one ever will. Anyway, we are voyaging far out of Tamerlane’s reach. Pretty boys like you will fetch good prices in the slave markets of the port to which I’m heading, especially if the one who isn’t yet gelded also loses his balls. It’s something to which I’ll attend soon so that the wound is fully healed by the time of our arrival!”

(Forests of Rus, Khanate of the Golden Horde, April 1390)

Nicolai slipped unnoticed out of the torch-lit Mongol encampment in the middle of the night and entered the creepy blackness of the surrounding trees. He hoped to avoid the soldiers who would inevitably be sent in pursuit, as well as the many bears and wolves that inhabited the forest, during his long and very dangerous journey back to his family in Moscow.

(To be continued in chapter 7 – ‘Redress’)