The House of Yusupov () is a Russian princely family descended from the monarchs of the Nogai Horde, renowned for their immense wealth, philanthropy and art collections in the 18th and 19th centuries. Most notably, Prince Felix Yusupov was famous for his involvement in the murder of Grigori Rasputin. Early history In the 14th century, Edigu, a Mongol from the Manghud tribe and one of Tamerlane's greatest strategists, settled on the north shores of the Black Sea, establishing the Nogai Horde and laying the foundations for the Crimean Khanate. Edigu's death was followed by infighting between his descendants, until, in the 15th century, Yusuf became the khan of the Nogai Horde. Yusuf allied himself with Tsar Ivan the Terrible, but the allies eventually became enemies. Yusuf's daughter Söyembikä was Queen of Kazan, and when Kazan was razed by Ivan, she was taken as prisoner to Moscow. After Yusuf died, another period of fighting between his descendants followed until the 17th century, when Abdul Mirza, another descendant, converted from Islam to Eastern Orthodox Christianity under the name of Dmitry. After the conversion, Tsar Feodor I bestowed upon him the title of Prince Yusupov. His descendant Prince Grigori Dmitrievich Yusupov (17 November 1676, Moscow - 2 September 1730, Moscow), General in Chief and Minister of Defence, was a friend of Peter the Great and helped him with the construction of the Russian Navy. In 1720 he was given a fief, the country estate and manor house in Rakityansky District, formerly owned by Ivan Mazepa. He married Anna Nikitichna Akinfova (died 1735), daughter of Okolnichi Nikita Ivanovich Akinfov. The couple had, besides Boris, three more children: Grigori Grigorievich Yusupov (died 1737), Colonel, married firstly to Princess Maria Petrovna Korkodinova, and married secondly to Princess Yevdokia Nikolaievna Shahovskaya, without any issue from both marriages Sergei Grigorievich Yusupov (died 1734), Subcolonel, unmarried and without any issue Maria Grigorievna Yusupova (died 1738), Lady-in-Waiting at the Court of Empress Catherine I, forced to take monastic vows by her elder brothers in order to inherit her part of family estates, unmarried and without any issue 18th and 19th centuries Prince Boris Grigorievich Yusupov, Chamberlain in 1730, General Governor of Moscow in 1738, Senator (18 June 1695, Moscow – 3 March 1759, Moscow), son of Prince Grigori, was sent to study with the French Navy at the age of 20. He soon became the Tsar's advisor, and eventually served