Tatar: Төмән ханлыгы, romanized: Tömän xanlığı and Church Slavonic: темник means tümen commander and refers to the city founder Prince Tenish Kugushev or his immediate ancestors.

[9] 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.

[11][12] 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.

[14] Mentioned in Russian sources as Mordvin Princes[18][19] The Principality was divided into belyaks.