The outline of the history as gathered from Hammer and D’Ohsson is as follows:—­

NOGHAI, for more than half a century one of the most influential of the Mongol Princes, was a great-great-grandson of Chinghiz, being the son of Tatar, son of Tewal, son of Juji.  He is first heard of as a leader under Batu Khan in the great invasion of Europe (1241), and again in 1258 we find him leading an invasion of Poland.

In the latter quarter of the century he had established himself as practically independent, in the south of Russia.  There is much about him in the Byzantine history of Pachymeres; Michael Palaeologus sought his alliance against the Bulgarians (of the south), and gave him his illegitimate daughter Euphrosyne to wife.  Some years later Noghai gave a daughter of his own in marriage to Feodor Rostislawitz, Prince of Smolensk.

Mangu- or Mangku-Temur, the great-nephew and successor of Barka, died in 1280-81 leaving nine sons, but was succeeded by his brother TUDAI-MANGKU (Polo’s Totamangu).  This Prince occupied himself chiefly with the company of Mahomedan theologians and was averse to the cares of government.  In 1287 he abdicated, and was replaced by TULABUGHA (Tolobuga), the son of an elder brother, whose power, however, was shared by other princes.  Tulabugha quarrelled with old Noghai and was preparing to attack him.  Noghai however persuaded him to come to an interview, and at this Tulabugha was put to death.  TOKTAI, one of the sons of Mangku-Temur, who was associated with Noghai, obtained the throne of Kipchak.  This was in 1291.  We hear nothing of sons of Tudai-Mangku or Tulabugha.

Some years later we hear of a symbolic declaration of war sent by Toktai to Noghai, and then of a great battle between them near the banks of the Don, in which Toktai is defeated.  Later, they are again at war, and somewhere south of the Dnieper Noghai is beaten.  As he was escaping with a few mounted followers, he was cut down by a Russian horseman.  “I am Noghai,” said the old warrior, “take me to Toktai.”  The Russian took the bridle to lead him to the camp, but by the way the old chief expired.  The horseman carried his head to the Khan; its heavy grey eyebrows, we are told, hung over and hid the eyes.  Toktai asked the Russian how he knew the head to be that of Noghai.  “He told me so himself,” said the man.  And so he was ordered to execution for having presumed to slay a great Prince without orders.  How like the story of David and the Amalekite in Ziklag! (2 Samuel, ch. i.).

The chronology of these events is doubtful.  Rashiduddin seems to put the defeat of Toktai near the Don in 1298-1299, and a passage in Wassaf extracted by Hammer seems to put the defeat and death of Noghai about 1303.  On the other hand, there is evidence that war between the two was in full flame in the beginning of 1296; Makrizi seems to report the news of a great defeat of Toktai by Noghai as reaching Cairo in Jumadah