Nogay (or Nohay, a Mongolian personal name with the meaning of "dog"), one of the commanders of the Golden Horde State had established dominion in the fate of the named state for nearly 40 years between 1259 and 1299. However, he did not ascend the throne due to the respect that he showed to the tradition of Jenghiz dynasty. Nevertheless, he was considered as the ruler of the Golden Horde State in most of the neighbouring foreign states and he had received the envoys and presents sent by them. He received the envoys just like the envoys of the ruler. In fact, he had been just a squadron bey that managed the region between the Don and Dneper Rivers. However, he became distinguished through his superior victories that he had won in the military expeditions to Galicia in the years of 1259 and 1296 and the expeditions to the Caucasus between the years of 1261/63. Thus, he separated the tribes in the east and north of the Black Sea from the centre of the Golden Horde State and united them under his own domination. Nogay had intervened in the affairs of the Balkans, Bulgarian and Byzantine States. He got married with the daughter of the Byzantine Emperor, Mihail Paleolog that he had defeated in the wars and established safety in the regions behind him. Therefore, he established a superior domination over the Russian Princes. His name was cited in the Russian almanacs in the year of 1276 for the first time. The Russian Princes had participated in the military expedition of Nogay against Poland.
Although Nogay had great personal victories and successes, he did not ascend the throne and he acted like a state within the state. This situation undermined the Golden Horde State with civil wars and therefore, the state lost power. Like the other rulers, Tohtu was enthroned as the sovereign of the Golden Horde State under the protection of Nogay in the year of 1291. Then, Tohtu opposed to him and he was involved in a long-lasting struggle with him in order to give an end to this situation. As a result, Nogay was defeated and killed (1299).
The tribes that were united under the domination of Nogay were known with this name pursuant to his death and upon the disintegration of the Golden Horde State, a separate state emerged under the name of "Nogay Khanate".