Favereau’s New Grand Design on the History of the Horde and beyond
Favereau’s New Grand Design on the History of the Horde and beyond

Summary/Abstract: Reviewing this book reminds me of my excitement when I was informed of its publication. While the recent development of the scholarship on the history of the Mongol Empire has certainly lowered the barrier, we still encounter a fair number of difficulties in drawing a comprehensive picture of the Jochid Ulus, in comparison with the Yuan Dynasty and the Ilkhanate, which benefit from a relative abundance of sources and studies. This book emerged from these circumstances as the long-awaited general history of the Jochid Ulus outside of Russian literature, and in addition, “it is perhaps the first book intended for a general educated audience not focusing on the Mongols and the Rus’ principalities” (Timothy May’s book review, Crossroads 22, no. 1–2 (2024), pp. 179–182). From this aspect, Favereau’s achievement has been already proven by a series of translations and reviews. Favereau’s broad picture is not confined to the Jochid Ulus but always extended to the Mongol Empire itself. Even in dealing with the Rus’ principalities and Black Sea trade, on which we can find a certain accumulation of studies within the framework of the Ulus’s history, the historical trajectories are embedded in a broader context, so to speak, in global history. Another advantage is ample attention toward the eastern left wing (the Ordaids) which has tended to be less studied than the Batuids, the suzerains of the Jochid Ulus (Kanat Uskenbai’s book review, Qazaq Historical Review 1, no. 4 (2023), pp. 557–565). This inclusiveness is conducive to success in providing a more comprehensive picture of the Jochid Ulus. Furthermore, Favereau’s description enables us to discuss the Ulus in a global perspective by means of key terms/concepts such as “mobility,” “Northern Road,” “Mongol exchange” (on this term, see also May’s book review), “Black Death (plague),” and so forth, as well as the latest research findings.1 Profound respect should be paid, therefore, to her tremendous energy and passion in crystallizing all into a single monograph.

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