[1] After the fall of their father, Tokhtamysh, his sons sought refuge at the court of the Grand Prince of Moscow, Vasilij I Dmitrievič, who refused to extradite them to their enemy, the beglerbeg Edigu.

[2] After the new monarch, Tīmūr Khan, quarreled with Edigu and caused him to flee to Khwarazm, Tokhtamysh's sons saw an opportunity to recover their father's throne.

Karīm Berdi reversed his brother Jalāl ad-Dīn's policies toward the Russian principalities and Lithuania, having been insulted by the Lithuanian Grand Prince Vytautas during his time in exile.

In retaliation, Vytautas proclaimed a rival khan, called "Betsabul" in western sources, and provided him with support to make his bid for the throne of the Golden Horde.

[7] This Sayyid Aḥmad may have reigned briefly in 1416–1417, but is to be distinguished from the khan of that name who ruled in the southwestern portion of the Golden Horde in 1432–1459, who was a son of Beg Ṣūfī.