BEK BULAT: FROM A MILITARY COMMANDER TO A REBEL
The article is devoted to Bek Bulat - one of the characters in the Golden Horde history of the end of the 14<sup>th</sup> century and one of the first traitors during the confrontation between khan Tokhtamysh and Aksak Timur. During this period, the Golden Horde again faced political instability. Bek Bulat was the first and foremost among the contenders to the central power. His figure is interesting because at the beginning of his career, he was one of Toktamysh’s military commanders and his relative, but later he betrayed his suzerain. His story helps us to understand Edigu and his supporters. For if Bek Bulat would not be destroyed in 1392, possibly it would have been he who would have become the arbiter of fate in the early 15<sup>th</sup> century. Tensions between Tokhtamysh’s supporters and opponents were profound. Tokhtamysh proclaimed the revival of the Golden Horde of the times of khans Uzbek and Janibek, but his adversaries opposed Tokhtamysh’s policy aimed at centralizing power. They wished to maintain influence of clans in order to prevent beklyaribek and vizier’s power to become declarative. To accomplish their goals Tokhtamysh’s adversaries tried to use his confrontation with Timur and came into contact with the latter. They betrayed Toktamysh during the decisive battle on Kondurcha in 1391, and later he executed them for this treachery.