Chang Yuchun vs Mamai

Chang Yuchun served as a key commander under Zhu Yuanzhang in the naval battle against Chen Youliang. The Ming victory at Lake Poyang eliminated a major rival and paved the way for the establishment of the Ming dynasty.

Chang Yuchun was the vanguard commander in the Ming army that captured Dadu. He led the assault that forced the Mongol emperor to flee, ending Yuan rule in China. He was later tasked with pursuing the Mongols into the steppe.

Chang Yuchun died suddenly while returning from a successful campaign against the Mongols in Inner Mongolia. The cause was reported as illness, possibly plague. His death at age 39 cut short a brilliant military career.

The Hongwu Emperor posthumously honored Chang Yuchun as Prince of Kaiping, the highest military honor. His family was granted hereditary privileges, and he was enshrined in the Imperial Ancestral Temple.

Mamai sent a force under Begich to attack the Grand Principality of Moscow. Dmitry Donskoy's army defeated the Horde force on the Vozha River, marking the first major Russian victory over the Golden Horde and escalating tensions before Kulikovo.

Mamai led a large Golden Horde army against the coalition of Russian principalities under Dmitry Donskoy at Kulikovo Field. The Russian forces defeated the Horde, severely damaging Mamai's authority and prestige. Mamai fled the battlefield.

After the defeat at Kulikovo, Mamai's rival Tokhtamysh, backed by Tamerlane, challenged his rule. Mamai gathered forces but was defeated by Tokhtamysh at the Battle of the Kalka River. Mamai fled to the Genoese colony of Caffa, where he was killed.