Asud

Asud (Asuud) was a guard and military group of Alani origin. The name of Mongol clan Asud means plural of As, the Alans.

After the Mongol invasion of Rus, many alans submitted to the Mongol Empire. But some of them had resisted Golden Horde for a long time and submitted later. And many warriors moved from Northern Caucasia to Mongolia. It is also claimed that they helped their new masters to fight against Cherkessians and certainly participated in the mongol invasion of Europe. Under the rule of Mongke khan, they fought against Song dynasty and Nanchao in Yunnan in 1258-1259. Alan imperial guard was divided into 2 corps with headquarters in Karakorum.

After the coronation of Kublai Khan, those alans participated in the campaign against Ariq Boke and later Kaidu altogether with the force of the Yuan Dynasty. They suffered heavy losses from Song resistance when they were under the command of Bayan and Aju.

Kublai Khan organized them into Jasin guard (Alani guards) in around 1280 with some of Kypchaks. They reached their peak during the reign of Tugh Temur. Their power behind the throne remained strong in Mongolia until the 15th century when the Oirats conquered all of Mongolia.

Today, There are few people with clan name Asud in Mongolia and Inner Mongolia.

See Also

* Kharchin
* Yuan Dynasty
* Alania