ABSTRACT
Although the Mongols entered the Qipchaq Steppe, or Dasht-i Qipchaq, as it was known in the Persian sources, in pursuit of the Merkit after the Battle of the Irtysh River (1208), their conquest of the region did not truly begin until 1218–1219 in connection with the Khwarazmian campaign. Bolstering the view that the Mongols did not seek conquest in their hunt for the Merkit is the fact that, although they entered the Dasht-i Qipchaq in 1208–1209, Chinggis Khan demonstrated little interest in the region afterwards. Despite the Mongols’ hold over the steppes east of the Volga River, the Qipchaqs and Bulghars received some respite as Berke consolidated his control over the territory between the Yaik and Volga Rivers rather than continuing his push westward. Despite the conquest and destruction of the region, the Mongols never eradicated the Qipchaqs, Alans, or any other group.
