Mongol invasion of Europe
Against Thrace (1265)
During the reign of Berke there was also a raid against Thrace. In the winter of 1265 Nogai Khan led a Mongol raid of two tumens (20,000 soldiers) against the territories of Bulgaria and Byzantine Eastern Thrace. In the spring of 1265 he defeated the armies of Michael VIII Palaeologus. Instead of fighting, most of the Byzantines fled due to powerful Mongol army. After this Thrace was plundered by Nogai's army, and the Byzantine emperor made an alliance with the Golden Horde, giving his daughter Euphrosyne in marriage to Nogai. And also Michael had sent much if valuable fabrics to Golden Horde as tributary since then.
Against Bulgaria (1242, 1271, 1274, 1280 and 1285)
In the return after the premature end of the invasion of Europe, Mongols devastated Bulgaria. In 1271 Nogai Khan led a successful raid against the country, which was a vassal of Golden Horde until the early 14th century. Bulgaria was again raided by the Tatars in 1274, 1280 and 1285. However, Bulgarian tsar accepted suzerainty of Khan Tokhta (Toqta), Mongol control loosen since Nogai and Chaka's deaths.
http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entr..._of_Europe
http://www.answers.com/topic/batu-khan
Post: #122
Mongol invasion of Europe
Against Thrace (1265)
During the reign of Berke there was also a raid against Thrace. In the winter of 1265 Nogai Khan led a Mongol raid of two tumens (20,000 soldiers) against the territories of Bulgaria and Byzantine Eastern Thrace. In the spring of 1265 he defeated the armies of Michael VIII Palaeologus. Instead of fighting, most of the Byzantines fled due to powerful Mongol army. After this Thrace was plundered by Nogai's army, and the Byzantine emperor made an alliance with the Golden Horde, giving his daughter Euphrosyne in marriage to Nogai. And also Michael had sent much if valuable fabrics to Golden Horde as tributary since then.
Against Bulgaria (1242, 1271, 1274, 1280 and 1285)
In the return after the premature end of the invasion of Europe, Mongols devastated Bulgaria. In 1271 Nogai Khan led a successful raid against the country, which was a vassal of Golden Horde until the early 14th century. Bulgaria was again raided by the Tatars in 1274, 1280 and 1285. However, Bulgarian tsar accepted suzerainty of Khan Tokhta (Toqta), Mongol control loosen since Nogai and Chaka's deaths.
http://www.answers.com/topic/batu-khan
Mongol Empire
In the late 1230s, the Mongols under Batu Khan invaded Russia and Volga Bulgaria, reducing most of its principalities to vassalage, and pressed on into Eastern Europe. In 1241 the Mongols may have been ready to invade Western Europe as well, having defeated the last Polish-German and Hungarian armies at the Battle of Legnica and the Battle of Mohi. Batu Khan and Subutai were preparing to start with a winter campaign against Austria and Germany, and finish with Italy. However news of Ögedei's death spared Western Europe as Batu had to turn his attentions to the election of the next Great Khan. It is often speculated that this was one of the great turning points in history and that Europe may well have fallen to the Mongols had the invasion gone ahead.During the 1250s, Genghis's grandson Hulegu Khan, operating from the Mongol base in Persia, destroyed the Abbasid Caliphate in Baghdad and destroyed the cult of the Assassins, moving into Palestine towards Egypt. The Great Khan Möngke having died, however, he hastened to return for the election, and the force that remained in Palestine was destroyed by the Mamluks under Saif ad-Din Qutuz in 1261 at Ayn Jalut.
1241 and 1242 Mongols under Batu and Khadan invaded Bulgaria and forced them to pay annual tribute as vassal
* Second Bulgarian EmpireРинчен Хара Даван - Чингис хан гений] During the end of Mongol invasion of Europe, Balkan bulgars tried to destroy Mongol tumen. But Kadan's raids through Bulgaria on his retreat from Central Europe induced the young Kaliman I of Bulgaria to pay tribute and accept Mongol suzerainty. According to a letter of Bela IV to the pope written in 1254 indicates that at that time the Bulgarians were still paying tribute to the Mongols.
http://en.academic.ru/dic.nsf/enwiki/150890
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?...739AAuaEhO
Uprising of Ivaylo
The rebellion began in the spring or as late as the summer of 1277.[8] The rebels first marched against the Mongols who plundered the Bulgarian people due to the passiveness of the state.[7] The uprising began in the regions where the Mongol invasions were strongest. In the summer of that year, Ivaylo's forces defeated a Mongol unit looting the north-east and soon after that scored another victory against them. Having achieved a feat that had eluded the Bulgarian arms for decades, his popularity rose quickly. By the autumn of 1277, the Mongols were completely driven out of Bulgarian territory. Ivaylo was hailed as Emperor by the people and many areas came under his control.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uprising_of_Ivaylo
In 1277 in a popular uprising led by Ivailo broke out in north-eastern Bulgaria against the incapability of Emperor Constantine Tikh Asen to cope with the constant Mongol invasions which devastated the country for years. The Byzantine Emperor Michael VIII Palaiologos decided to make use of the instability in Bulgaria. He sent an army to impose his ally Ivan Asen III on the throne. Ivan Asen III gained control of the area between Vidin and Cherven. Ivailo was besieged by the Mongols at Drastar (Silistra) and the nobility in the capital Tarnovo accepted Ivan Asen III for Emperor.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Devina
Golden Horde
In 1242, after retreating through Hungary (destroying Pest in the process), and subjugating Bulgaria,[10] Batu established his capital at Sarai, commanding the lower stretch of the Volga River, on the site of the Khazarian capital of Atil. Shortly before that, Batu and Orda's younger brother Shiban was given his own enormous ulus east of the Ural Mountains along the Ob and Irtysh Rivers.
http://www.answers.com/topic/golden-horde
http://tripatlas.com/George_I_of_Bulgaria
http://books.google.bg/books?id=2yLfmoae...&q&f=false