Jalal al-Din Khan ibn Tokhtamysh

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Jalal al-Din Khan ibn Tokhtamysh (also Jalāl ad-Dīn; 1380–1412) was a ruler of the Golden Horde for a brief period, from 1411 to 1412. He was the son of Tokhtamysh, who had been khan until 1395, and Tughāy Beg Khatun, daughter of Hājjī Beg. In Russian sources he is sometimes called Zeleni-Saltan, the “Green Sultan.”

Background and rise to power
- Tokhtamysh was dethroned by Edigu and replaced by Tīmūr-Qutluq in 1399. Tokhtamysh fought on and off, seeking help from Lithuania and Moscow, but was killed in 1406.
- Tokhtamysh’s sons hid at the court of Moscow. The Lithuanians and Kievan princes used them to oppose Edigu, and one of Tokhtamysh’s sons, Karīm Berdi, briefly drove Edigu from Sarai in 1409.
- Jalal went to Lithuania and fought in 1410 as an ally of Grand Prince Vytautas, taking part on the right wing of the Polish-Lithuanian army at the Battle of Grunwald.

Rising to power
- In 1411 Jalal and his brothers invaded the Golden Horde from Lithuania with Lithuanian support. They captured Crimea and then advanced on Sarai, driving out Tīmūr Khan.
- Jalal became khan and aimed to eliminate Tīmūr, who had joined Edigu’s defense in Khwarezm. Tīmūr marched against Jalal but many of his troops defected and he fled.
- Jalal persuaded Ghāzān, an emir married to Jalal’s sister, to murder the fugitive Tīmūr. Ghāzān killed Tīmūr, and Jalal rewarded him with the title beglerbeg. He then sent Ghāzān against Edigu, who was supported by Edigu’s son Sulṭān-Maḥmūd.

Conflicts and consolidation
- Edigu eluded Jalal’s plans, and Jalal distrusted Edigu. Jalal sent another force, led by Qajulay, to strike Edigu, but Edigu defeated and killed Qajulay with a clever ruse.
- Despite these struggles, Jalal seems to have consolidated his rule for a time, issuing coins at Astrakhan and Bolghar. He also pressed Moscow for the return of Nižnij Novgorod to the descendants of Tokhtamysh, and both Grand Prince Vasilij II of Moscow and Ivan Mikhajlovič of Tver traveled to his court.

Death and succession
- Jalal al-Din died sometime before October 27, 1412, on his throne. He was murdered at night by his envious brother Sulṭān-Muḥammad (also recorded as Karim Berdi, Kebek, or Jabbār Berdi), who then ruled briefly.
- Different sources give slight variations on the exact manner of his death, including being killed in battle with a brother or shot with an arrow by one of his brothers.
- According to Muʿizz al-ansāb, Jalal had two sons, Abu-Saʿīd and Amān-Bīk; other sources mention only Abu-Saʿīd.

Character
- Jalal al-Din is described as worthy, respectable, handsome, and well-spoken, with good counsel. However, his boldness and luck led him to take risks that helped his rise but contributed to his downfall.