Rising from the desolate landscapes of northern Persia and Afghanistan in the late 14th century, Boru Noyan established himself as a formidable warlord who filled the power vacuum left by the collapse of the Ilkhanate. By uniting various local clans and tribes throughout the 1390s, he forged a powerful empire that spanned Afghanistan and the southern reaches of Central Asia, eventually conquering Persia itself by the dawn of the 15th century. Viewing his realm as Mongol in spirit but Turkic and Persian in character, Noyan saw himself as a successor to the great steppic conquerors of the past. His ultimate ambition was grandiose; he aimed to subjugate Anatolia, using it as a bridge to launch an invasion into Europe, dreaming of heights of power that few in history had ever achieved.

Although he initially treated the resurgent Eastern Roman Empire with caution, calculating that a reckless attack would be foolish, the fragile peace between the two powers shattered in 1422. Whether driven by a perceived slight or simple territorial lust, Noyan launched an invasion into the eastern Roman provinces in March of that year. The conflict culminated at the Battle of Patnos in May, where Noyan’s cavalry and nomadic archers inflicted heavy damage upon the Roman lines. However, he found the disciplined Roman legions, hardened by decades of reconquest campaigns, to be an immovable object. Unable to break the enemy formation and facing a counter-charge led by Emperor Alexandros I Rhomaiogenes, Noyan was forced to admit that the battle was unwinnable and ordered a retreat, marking a decisive check on his westward expansion.

Following his defeat at Patnos, Noyan did not abandon his ambitions but instead began raising an even larger army from across his diverse empire to launch a second invasion of Anatolia. However, his dreams of European conquest were cut short by his sudden death from illness in September 1423. His passing marked the end of the aggressive expansionist phase of his empire, as his successor, Malik, abandoned Noyan's martial foreign policy in favor of internal consolidation and domestic development. While he failed to conquer the West, Boru Noyan remained a terrifying figure who briefly resurrected the specter of the eastern hordes, forcing the great powers of the region to fight for their very survival.