| Native Name: | Moksha: Мурунза|Murunza[1] |
| Conventional Long Name: | Bekhanid Principality of Tümen |
| Common Name: | Tümen |
| Era: | Middle Ages |
| Status: | Principality |
| Status Text: | Grand Duchy of Moscow protectorate since 1684 |
| Empire: | Golden Horde |
| Government Type: | Monarchy |
| Year Start: | 1388 |
| Year End: | 1684 |
| Flag Type: | Flag during the reign of Öz Beg Khan as shown in Dulcert's 1339 map (other sources claim that the Golden Horde was named for the yellow banner of the khan[2]). |
| Event Start: | First mention of the principality |
| Event End: | protectorate of Grand Duchy of Moscow |
| P1: | Mukhsha Ulus |
| Flag P1: | Golden Horde flag 1339.svg |
| S1: | Grand Duchy of Moscow |
| Flag S1: | Banner of Dmitry Donskoy.svg |
| S2: | Russian Empire |
| Image Map Caption: | Mordvin Tatars subject to Muscovy in 1684 |
| Capital: | Tümen(Tatar: Tömän kalası)[3] |
| Common Languages: | Turki (official), Tatar, Moksha |
| Religion: | Paganism |
| Currency: | Dang, Pul, Soum, Dirham[4] |
| Leader1: |
|
| Year Leader1: | 1388 |
| Title Leader: | Prince (*Gyula) |
| Today: | Russian Federation |
The Temnikov Principality or Tümen Principality (Tatar: Төмән ханлыгы|translit=Tömän xanlığı, Moksha: Мурунза|Murunza[5] Italian: Tartari di Mordua|Mordvin Tatars), also known as Murunza (Russian: Темниковская Мещёра|Temnikov Meschera) or the Bekhanid Principality of Tümen was a Mishar and Moksha[6] principality in Eastern Mishar Yurt (Temnikovsky and Kadomsky Uyezds). The state was closely allied with the Grand Duchy of Moscow.
Tatar: Төмән ханлыгы|translit=Tömän xanlığı and Church Slavic; Old Slavonic; Church Slavonic; Old Bulgarian; Old Church Slavonic: темник means tümen commander and refers to the city founder Prince Tenish Kugushev or his immediate ancestors.Other scholars M. Safargaliev, P. Chermensky consider Temnikov second one in importance ulus centre after Mukhsha since the etymology of the placename itself points at Golden Horde tümen commander's headquarters.[7]
The principality was established by Prince Bekhan in 1388.Principality later expanded and comprised territories between Oka-Tsena-Sura interfluve in (Northern, Western and Eastern Mokshaland). Temnikov, Kadom, Sacony and Andreev townlet had been destroyed during the period of Muscovy and Ryazan Principality raids in first decades of 15th century and later rebuilt in new cites. It was confirmed by archeological findings in 1960s.[8]
Members at FamilyTreeDNA tracing royal descent to Prince Bekhan of the Temnikov Principality, are grouped as (07 Tatar Princes – Bekhanids) in the Russian Nobility DNA project. All members belong to Y-haplogroup J2b-L283 > Y12000.[9]
Mentioned in Russian sources as Mordvin Princes
The Principality was divided into belyaks.
The land was inhabited mainly by Mokshas, Mishars and Erzyas. Some Burtases resettled to Northern Mokshaland, and would be mentioned in later Russian documents as Posop Tatars since they served as prince's army bread suppliers and paid bread tax.[11]