Genghis Khan died in 1227 and left four thousand Mongol men to the family of his son Jochi. Batu received a portion of these lands west of the Volga river while his older brother Orda ruled the area between the Volga and Lake Balkhash. Temüge, the youngest brother of Genghis Khan, attended Batu's coronation ceremony as an official representative of their grandfather. Giovanni da Pian del Carpine described Batu as kind enough to his own people but greatly feared by them. He was shrewd and extremely crafty in warfare after waging war for a long time. Marco Polo referred to him with the nickname sayn which meant good or kind. William of Rubruck noted that Batu had his entire face covered with reddish spots and stood about the height of John de Beaumont.
The Burning Of Rus'
Ögedei ordered Batu to conquer western nations at a kurultai held in Mongolia after the end of the Mongol-Jin War. In 1235 Batu received an army of possibly one hundred thirty thousand men to oversee an invasion of Europe. Subutai commanded this force across the Volga into Volga Bulgaria during 1236. The siege of Ryazan lasted six days before the city was totally annihilated and never restored to its former glory. Yuri II sent his sons to detain the horde but they were soundly defeated. On the 4th of February 1238 the Mongols laid siege to the capital of Vladimir-Suzdal. Three days later the city was taken and burnt to the ground while the royal family perished in the fire. Grand prince Yuri retreated northward only to have his new army totally exterminated on the Sit' River on the 4th of March.Ransacking Fourteen Cities
Batu divided his army into smaller units that ransacked fourteen Rus cities including Rostov, Uglich, Yaroslavl, and Kostroma. Kozelsk proved the most difficult town to take as its boy-prince Titus resisted the Mongols for seven weeks. Some legends claim the city of Kitezh submerged itself in a lake with all its inhabitants when the Mongols approached. Smolensk escaped destruction by submitting to the Mongols and agreeing to pay tribute. Novgorod and Pskov remained untouched due to considerable distance and intervening marshlands. In November 1237 Batu sent envoys to Yuri II demanding allegiance which led to the total annihilation of Ryazan after six days of bloody battle.The Flight From Mohi
Cuman refugees took shelter in the Kingdom of Hungary where King Béla IV received at least five messengers from Batu who were all killed. Batu warned Bela that it was much easier for the Cumans to escape than for him since he dwelt in houses and had fixed towns and fortresses. Subutai sent spies into Poland, Hungary, and Austria to prepare an attack on the heartland of Europe. The Mongols invaded central Europe in three groups while one defeated Henry II the Pious at Legnica. On the 11th of April 1241 Batu's army inflicted a tremendous defeat on King Béla IV and his allies at the Battle of Mohi. Khadan, Baidar, and Orda went to Hungary and devastated Moravia en route before the Mongols appointed a darughachi in Hungary.