êl Beg (Kypchak and Turki: çÃÂàèÃÂé) was an ephemeral khan of the Golden Horde in 1374, during a period of civil war. The westernmost portion of the Golden Hode was under the control of the beglerbeg Mamai and his puppet khan Muḥammad-Sulá¹ÂÃÂn, while the easternmost portion was under the control of Urus Khan. There is very little information about this ruler, but his name is found or rationalized in several different forms (including Ay Beg, Alp Beg, êlbÃÂn, ÃÂlbek).
êl Beg was a descendant of Jochi's son Shiban. The Muÿizz al-ansÃÂb and the TawÃÂrëḫ-i guzëdah-i nuá¹£rat-nÃÂmah give his descent as follows: Chinggis Khan - Jochi - Shiban - Bahadur - Jochi-Buqa - BÃÂdÃÂqà «l - Ming-Tëmà «r - êl-Bëk.
It is not clear whether êl Beg was at the head of the Ulus of Shiban when he made his bid for the throne of the Golden Horde. The later khan of Khwarazm and historian Abu'l-GhÃÂzë seems to list êl Beg as the eldest son of Ming-Tëmà «r, himself the only son of BÃÂdÃÂqà «l. êl Beg's brother Pà «lÃÂd is identified with the Khayr-Pà «lÃÂd (or Mër-Pà «lÃÂd), who had reigned briefly in parts of the Golden Horde in 1362âÂÂ1365. A nephew, Ḥasan Beg, had ruled briefly in 1368-1369. Judging by the coinage, it would appear that êl Beg made his bid for the throne from Saray-Jük on the lower Ural, and therefore on the eastern edge of the core territory of the Golden Horde, perhaps in 1373. Ibn Khaldun refers to êl Beg (whom he calls Ay-Bak KhÃÂn) as a regional ruler, like several of his rivals. As a Shibanid, êl Beg was presumably not disinclined to compete with his Tuqa-Timurid rivals for control of parts or all of the polity. When Urus Khan and ḤÃÂjjë Cherkes of Astrakhan disputed possession of the Lower Volga in 1373âÂÂ1374, êl Beg briefly acquired control over the traditional capital of the Golden Horde, Sarai, in 1374; Ibn Khaldun indicates that êl Beg displaced ḤÃÂjjë Cherkes. But êl Beg's manpower resources were inadequate to maintain control over Sarai, while his original power base required its own protection, under his nephew, Pà «lÃÂd's son ÿArab ShÃÂh. Meanwhile, the beglerbeg Mamai, whose protégé Muḥammad-Sulá¹ÂÃÂn had been expelled from Sarai by Urus Khan in the first place, had regrouped. Mamai now attacked and defeated êl Beg, terminating his reign at Sarai. Since êl Beg is not heard of again, it is assumed that he perished in the conflict, something that seems to be corroborated by Ibn Khaldun's phrasing. Saray-Jük remained the base of his nephew, ÿArab ShÃÂh. However, it was êl Beg's son QÃÂghÃÂn Beg who would be the first to reclaim êl Beg's throne.
According to the Muÿizz al-ansÃÂb, êl Beg had four sons: Tawakkul-KhwÃÂja, IlyÃÂs-UghlÃÂn, Uch-Qà «rà «qtÃÂ, and QÃÂghÃÂn-Bëk, who later assumed the throne.