Lesson plan

Berke

Berke Khan (died 1266/1267; also Birkai; Turki/Kypchak: برکه خان, ᠪᠡᠷᠬᠡ ᠬᠠᠭᠠᠨ ) was a Mongol military commander and the ruler of the Golden Horde, a division of the Mongol Empire, who effectively consolidated the power of the Blue Horde and White Horde from 1257 to 1266. He was officially a grandson of Genghis Khan from his son Jochi (whose paternity is highly uncertain). He succeeded his brother Batu Khan of the Blue Horde (West), and was responsible for the first official establishment of Islam in a khanate of the Mongol Empire. Following the Sack of Baghdad by Hulagu Khan, his cousin and head of the Mongol Ilkhanate based in Persia, he allied with the Egyptian Mamluks against Hulagu. Berke also supported Ariq Böke against Kublai in the Toluid Civil War, but did not intervene militarily in the war because he was occupied in his own war against Hulagu and the Ilkhanate.

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Article summary

Berke Khan (died 1266/1267; also Birkai; Turki/Kypchak: برکه خان, ᠪᠡᠷᠬᠡ ᠬᠠᠭᠠᠨ ) was a Mongol military commander and the ruler of the Golden Horde, a division of the Mongol Empire, who effectively consolidated the power of the Blue Horde and White Horde from 1257 to 1266. He was officially a grandson of Genghis Khan from his son Jochi (whose paternity is highly uncertain). He succeeded his brother Batu Khan of the Blue Horde (West), and was responsible for the first official establishment of Islam in a khanate of the Mongol Empire. Following the Sack of Baghdad by Hulagu Khan, his cousin and head of the Mongol Ilkhanate based in Persia, he allied with the Egyptian Mamluks against Hulagu. Berke also supported Ariq Böke against Kublai in the Toluid Civil War, but did not intervene militarily in the war because he was occupied in his own war against Hulagu and the Ilkhanate.

Key claims

  1. date of birth: 1219 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
  2. date of death: 1266 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
  3. date of death: 1255 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
  4. date of death: 1265 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
  5. date of death: 1266 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95

Discussion questions

  1. Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
  2. The record states that the date of birth is "1219". What evidence would count against this claim?
  3. The record states that the date of death is "1266". What evidence would count against this claim?
  4. The record states that the date of death is "1255". What evidence would count against this claim?
  5. The record states that the date of death is "1265". What evidence would count against this claim?
  6. The record states that the date of death is "1266". What evidence would count against this claim?
  7. Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
  8. If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?

Bibliography

  1. Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1369785575

Key claims and bibliography are generated from the same tracked claims and sources as the article page.