Batu Khan (; , , , ; c. 1207–1255), also known as
Sain Khan (, Сайн хаан) and
Tsar Batu, was a
Mongol ruler and founder of the
Golden Horde, division of the
Mongol Empire. Batu was a son of
Jochi and grandson of
Genghis Khan. His
ulus was the chief state of the Golden Horde, which ruled
Rus,
Volga Bulgaria,
Cumania, and the
Caucasus for around 250 years, after also destroying the armies of Poland and Hungary. "Batu" or "Bat" literally means "firm" in the
Mongolian language. After the deaths of Genghis Khan's sons, he became the most respected prince called
agha (elder brother) in the Mongol Empire.