When Rus' gained independence from the Golden Horde. Conquering the remnants of the Horde

Moscow Rus': from the Middle Ages to the New Age Belyaev Leonid Andreevich

MOSCOW ACHIEVES INDEPENDENCE FROM THE HORDE

Completion of the unification of Rus': the subjugation of Novgorod the Great

Having won the internecine war, the Moscow Principality felt able to subjugate those Russian lands that did not want to follow its will in everything, and finally break with the Horde. These achievements fell to the lot of Ivan III (1462–1505), the son of Vasily II the Dark. The “gathering of lands” by that time had turned into the “gathering of Rus'”: Moscow subjugated entire principalities, decisively resorting to military force.

It was especially important for her to conquer the rich Veliky Novgorod, whose possessions extended from the Eastern Baltic to the Urals.

Novgorod, unlike most Russian lands, was ruled not by princes, but by boyars and an archbishop. They owned truly vast lands and traded furs, wax and other goods with many European countries. The courtyards of their city estates, as excavations show, housed the dwellings of numerous artisans who processed raw materials brought from the boyar patrimony - these were like huge enterprises for the production, processing and marketing of everything that the Russian North was rich in. There was also a prince in Novgorod, but he, as a kind of hired manager, was entirely subordinate to the meetings of the boyars and merchants of the city: I'm having an evening And advice of gentlemen. It was they who decided which of the princes would be invited to rule in the city, and could drive out the unwanted one.

Moscow's relations with this independent state underwent changes in the 14th–15th centuries. a lot of changes, from alliance to open hostility. Novgorod and Moscow had an endless list of territorial contradictions, and the Moscow princes had long sought to seize the wealth of the feudal republic. In addition, Moscow largely depended on Novgorod for contacts with the outside world.

Powerful and independent Novgorod did not want to submit to Moscow, but it had a military advantage on its side: it relied on the forces of the principalities subordinate to it and on the support of the supreme rulers of Rus' - the Tatars. Finally, Moscow could seriously undermine or even stop the supply of bread to Novgorod, which was always in short supply there.

Novgorod conceded as much as it could. But when in 1456 a particularly unfavorable Peace of Yazhelbitsky had to be concluded with Vasily the Dark, which limited the rights of the veche, including the right to choose a prince, the Novgorodians rebelled and almost killed the Grand Duke who came to them. Power in the city was seized by opponents of peace, led by a widow. mayor(elected head of the Novgorod government), Marfa Boretskaya. They hoped for help from the enemy of Moscow, the Grand Duke of Lithuania, and entered into an alliance with him. But this did not help, and the Moscow army in the summer of 1471 defeated the Novgorod squads on the Sheloni River. Veliky Novgorod accepted the deputy of the Grand Duke, now Ivan III, but this was not enough for Ivan: he wanted to completely own Novgorod.

A plausible pretext was unexpectedly found for this: the Novgorod ambassadors who arrived in Moscow officially named Ivan III sovereign(that is, master, ruler), while according to custom he was supposed to be called only Mr.(“Vasily the Dark” already called himself “ospodar” in the mid-1450s, at the end of the feudal war).

In the minds of people of the Middle Ages, custom played a decisive role. Since the Novgorodians themselves call the Grand Duke their “ruler,” it means that from now on Novgorod can be considered his fatherland, part of his country ( states). Ivan III immediately sent his boyars to ask the Novgorodians: “What kind of state do they want?” The veche replied that the ambassadors were simply mistaken and should not have called Ivan sovereign. But the Grand Duke did not intend to retreat, and the Novgorodians no longer had the strength to defend their freedom. In January 1478, Moscow regiments surrounded Novgorod, and he recognized Grand Duke Ivan III as the master of Veliky Novgorod. The veche was cancelled, the veche bell was taken to Moscow, influential boyars and Marfa Boretskaya were exiled or resettled to Moscow lands.

The annexation of Veliky Novgorod greatly increased the strength and possessions of Moscow, because the richest regions of the North fell into its hands. The conquest of the surviving Russian principalities was now a matter of time and political calculation. In 1485 they put an end to their old rival - Tver, the last prince of which fled to Lithuania. The Pskov lands and the Ryazan principality retained external freedom longer - it was more convenient for Moscow to have “independent” neighbors on its borders. They were annexed to Moscow only under Vasily III Ivanovich (1505–1533). There was only one independent ruler left in Rus' - the Grand Duke of Moscow.

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From the middle of the 12th century. Swedish aggression begins, the purpose of which was the territories inhabited by the tribes Sumy, Em (they were under the rule of Ancient Rus' from the 11th century and its large center Novgorod), Karelians. At the beginning of the 13th century. The Swedes subjugated the Sumy and Em tribes, but the latter rebelled and recognized the power of Novgorod. In 1240 Battle of the Neva.

In historiography, the opinion has become established that as a result of victories on the Neva and on the shores of Lake Peipsi, Rus' gained independence from the Swedish and German aggressors. After the death of Prince A. Nevsky in the 80s. XIII the cult of the prince as a saint began to take shape.

In foreign historiography there is a different view on the assessment of the Battle of the Neva. D . Fennel writes that clashes on the northwestern Russian borders in the early 40s. XIII century can be called local border conflicts. These events slowed down the lively and profitable bilateral exchange between the West and the East. And he confirms his opinion by the fact that Swedish sources do not contain any information about this battle, and most ancient Russian chronicles only mention Alexander’s clash with the Swedes.

Igor Nikolaevich Danilevsky also believes that the clash with the Swedish vryatli knights can be called a “battle.” Having analyzed the Laurentian list of the chronicle, I.N. Danilev. suggests that the bulk of the dead Swedes fell in battles with local tribes.

V.V. Tyurin about the nickname "Nevsky". In “The Tale of the Life and Courage of the Blessed and Grand Duke Alexander,” the Novgorod prince is never called “Nevsky.” This name was first mentioned in all-Russian chronicles of the late 15th century.

Invasion of the Mongol-Tatars. The Golden Horde was one of the ancient states of the Middle Ages. Its military power constantly kept all its neighbors in suspense. In 1206 A kurultai gathered on the banks of the Central Asian Onon River. The issue of choosing a ruler was decided there. He became Temuzhdin, who went down in history as Genghis Khan.

In 1219 Genghis Khan's troops invaded Central Asia. Following it, Northern Iran was captured. From the south they came to the Polovtsian steppes and defeated the Polovtsians. They asked for help from the Russian princes, who agreed to help them. The battle took place on May 31, 1223. on the river Kalke. Not all Russian princes who promised to participate in the battle sent their troops. The battle was lost. The Polovtsian state was destroyed and became part of the t-m state. In 1236 Batu's troops began a campaign against Russian lands: through Volga Bulgaria to the Ryazan principality. Having captured in 1241 Galician-Volyn Rus, Batu invaded Poland.

Researcher A. Karimullin,Tatars are a tribe that lived in northeastern Mongolia. And the name “Mongols” came into use in the 10th century. IN pre-revolutionary historiography It was customary to view the history of Russia as the history of autocracy. N.M. Karamzin, analyzing the Mongol invasion, wrote that the defeat and enslavement of Rus' occurred as a result of the weakening of autocratic power. At the same time, he noted that establishing dependence on the Mongols helped to overcome fragmentation in Rus' and create a unified state.

S.M. Soloviev wrote that, of course, Batu’s campaigns had devastating consequences for Rus'. But in the future such campaigns were not repeated, the khans did not take any part in the internal affairs of Russia, remained to live far away, caring only about collecting tribute.

V.O.Klyuchevsky noted that Mongol-Tatar rule led to the economic ruin of the country. But at the same time, the power of the Mongols united the Russian lands, and without it, the strife in Rus' would never have subsided.

IN Soviet historiography the dominant thesis was "Mongol-Tatar yoke" which meant the special relationship between Rus' and the Horde, which was characterized by: collecting tribute from Rus' to replenish the Mongol treasury; periodic punitive campaigns against Rus'; receipt by Russian princes of labels for the great reign, etc. Soviet historiography mainly considered the negative consequences of the Mongol invasion. The Horde was presented as a barbarian state that slowed down the historical development of other countries.

IN 90s XX V. there was a rethinking of many issues of national history. Among other problems, the question of the relationship between Rus' and the Horde and the so-called “Mongol yoke” was raised. A.A.Gorsky substantiated the opinion that the Mongol conquest led to a fundamental change in the type of state development. For pre-Mongol Rus', the traditionally European path of feudal development was inherent, albeit with its own characteristics.

V. V. Trepavlov drew attention to the fact that the terms “political union” or “symbiosis” cannot be used to characterize the relationship between Rus' and the Golden Horde. The Russian princes were “built-in” into the system of power of the Mongol state and paid tribute. Thus, the Grand Duke occupied a certain place in the Mongol system of power.

V.P. Darkevich wrote about the influence of the Mongol invasion on the mentality of the Russian people. It is in this period of Russian history that one should look for the roots of such qualities as political passivity, long-suffering, and fatalism.

IN modern historical science The theory of “mitigating social contradictions” is widespread. After the unification of all the Mongol tribes led by Genghis Khan, the rulers (noyons) could no longer enrich themselves in internecine wars, take away each other’s herds, pastures, etc. The aristocracy could no longer profit from each other, and it needed a new source of enrichment.

Relations between Russia and the Golden Horde. The Horde khans, on the one hand, punished the disobedient princes, and on the other, tried to attract some of them to their side. The Horde authorities often pursued a policy of pitting princes against each other in the struggle for the great reign of Vladimir. Princes often married the khan's daughters. As a result, a significant percentage of the boyars and other service people of the Moscow Tsar were representatives of the Tatar nobility. In Rus' they turned into “service princes.” The Moscow princes themselves formally remained vassals of the Golden Horde khans and ruled their “fatherland” as part of the tsar’s ulus. Therefore, they could not refuse the Horde settlement and even the submission of cities and lands of their choice into hereditary possession. Thus, it happened "merger of elites"

Reasons for the defeat of Rus': fragmentation, destructive military technology of the Mongols. Consequences: 1. Destructive. 2. The disappearance of entire craft specialties. 3. Decline of the economy. 4. Reduction of trade, foreign economic isolation of Rus'. 5. Establishment of a yoke: regular payment of tribute, etc. Conquerors often set princes against each other in order to weaken them and keep them in obedience (this is what they did in all conquered countries). Since 1242 (A. Nevsky) to 1434 (Vasily Yuryevich Kosoy) princes regularly traveled to the Horde. The Khan of the Golden Horde was considered the owner of the entire “Russian ulus”. All subject peoples are obliged to serve in the Khan's army. In 1240 The Livonians launched a wide offensive on the Novgorod lands. They occupied Izborsk and Pskov, and had already approached Novgorod, where by that time they had expelled Alexander, fearing his strengthening.

6. The main problems of the formation of a unified Russian state in the XIV - early XVI centuries.

First time term "Russian unified centralized state" appeared in 1921 when I.V. Stalin emphasized the historical uniqueness of Rus', saying that defense interests required the creation of a centralized state. IN 1927. teacher at Moscow State University Verhoeven introduced the term into scientific circulation. IN 90s XX century. Anna Leonidovna Khoroshkevich suggested using the concept "education of Russian lands", because the term had no ideological meaning.

The topic of the formation of a centralized state has been studied by Cherepnin, Sakharov, Zimin, Kobrin, Limonov, Alekseev, Fedotov and others.

Fedotov in the article “Weights and Freedom” he said that Moscow owes its rise to the Tatarophile, treacherous actions of its first princes.

N.M. Karamzin wrote about the very progressive Russian character of the very act of unification. CM. Soloviev believed that the formation of the Russian centralized state was a historically prepared phenomenon. Cherepnin in the monograph “The Formation of the Russian Centralized State in the XIV – XV Centuries.” consider issues of the formation of a single state, especially the period of Ivan III (1462 – 1480). The establishment of Horde power stopped the struggle for Kyiv, Novgorod, and Galician tables.

The political situation that developed in Rus' at the end of the 13th century. In this case, we should talk about the system of two princely coalitions in Rus', which arose in connection with the collapse of the Golden Horde itself into two parts. Russian princes began to focus on different Hordes. Hana Nogaya The Pereyaslavsky (aka the great Vladimir), Moscow, Tver, Suzdal, Yuryevsky and Dmitrovsky princes considered their overlord. Vassals of the Volga Khan Tokhta The Yaroslavl, Smolensk, and Rostov princes recognized themselves. In the first two thirds of the 14th century. In Russian history there is a rivalry between Moscow and Tver. According to I.N.Danilevsky The rapid transformation of the Tver principality into one of the most powerful possessions of the Suzdal land was facilitated by the fact that the Tver district suffered little from the Mongol-Tatars. Gradually, Moscow begins to occupy a dominant position in the Nogai group.

The rise of Moscow began at the end of the 13th century, when the dominant position in North-Eastern Rus' was occupied by Prince Daniil Alexandrovich, the son of A. Nevsky, who expanded the territory of the Moscow principality.

IN Soviet historiography there was a distinct opinion on this issue A.A. Zimina. He believed that one could only talk about the relative safety of the inhabitants of the Moscow principality and that the inhabitants of the Tver, Rostov, Yaroslavl, and Kostroma principalities were in approximately the same situation. The geographical position of Moscow was even less favorable than Tver, which was in a central position and, in fact, directly on trade routes. A.A. Zimin saw the main reason for the strengthening of Moscow in the active colonization policy of Moscow monasteries.

A.A.Gorsky believes that the main reason for the rise of Moscow is the personal qualities of the Moscow princes and their skillful policies. In addition, in his opinion, in the first quarter of the 14th century. Representatives of the South Russian nobility traveled to Moscow, bringing with them military forces from the Chernigov and Kyiv principalities. Many boyars went to the Moscow principality, which was considered the head of the coalition of Khan Nogai.

L.N. Gumilev, based on his theory of ethnogenesis, he believes that one of the main reasons for the strengthening of Moscow was that the Moscow Principality attracted many passionate people (this is the irresistible desire of people for activities aimed at changing their social life) (i.e. people endowed with a special biopsychic energy). Moscow managed to use these people and unite them with the Orthodox faith. Mostly these were energetic and principled people who were able to lead others. It was the presence of such people that became the decisive factor in the rise of Moscow.

Thus, we can conclude that a number of factors contributed to the “rise” of Moscow.

Reasons for the rise: favorable geographical location; support for the Moscow princes from the Horde (N.I. Kostomarov), the transfer of the Metropolitan's residence to Moscow, the formation of a strong service army in Moscow, the active colonization policy of Moscow monasteries. An important reason for the rise of Moscow was the activities of the Moscow princes themselves. In addition, an important reason for the rise of Moscow was the victory of Dmitry Donskoy on the Kulikovo Field.

In progress unification of Russian lands around Moscow can be distinguished 3 stages:

I) 20th XIII century. – 1380 the struggle of the Moscow principality with rivals (Tver, Lithuania) for leadership in collecting lands and the beginning of the liberation of Rus' from Mongol rule.

II) 1380 – 1453 - the struggle of the Moscow principality to strengthen its positions and strengthen the power of the Moscow prince.

III) second floor XV – early XVI centuries. - completion of the political unification of Russian lands around Moscow, the overthrow of Mongol rule. Enormous credit for the unification of Russian lands belongs to Ivan III and Vasily III.

The meaning of the unification of Russian lands: 1) all the lands of North-Eastern Rus' were united into a single state, which ended the period of feudal fragmentation; 2) the strengthening of the power of the Moscow princes made it possible to free themselves from Horde dependence; 3) the international authority of the Russian state has grown.

In the middle of the 13th century, Rus' underwent one of the most difficult tests in the history of its existence - the invasion of the Mongol-Tatars. The Golden Horde is a state entity created by the Mongol-Tatars, the purpose of which was the exploitation of the conquered peoples. But not all peoples meekly resigned themselves to the heavy yoke. The liberation of Rus' from the Golden Horde will be the subject of our study.

First meeting

The creator of the Mongol Empire was Genghis Khan. The great Mongol managed to unite the scattered Tatar tribes into a single powerful power. In just a couple of decades, his state grew from a small ulus to the size of the largest empire in the world. He conquered China, the Tangut state, Khorezm and smaller tribes and peoples. The history of Genghis Khan was a series of wars and conquests, brilliant victories and great triumphs.

In 1223, the commanders of the Great Khan Subudai-Baghatur and Jebe-noyon, as part of reconnaissance in force in the Black Sea steppes on the shore, completely defeated the Russian-Polovtsian army. But since this time the conquest of Rus' was not part of the Mughals’ plans, they turned home. A large-scale campaign was planned for next year. But the Conqueror of the Universe suddenly died, leaving the greatest empire in the world to his heirs. Indeed, Genghis Khan is a great Mongol.

Batu's campaign

Years have passed. The history of Genghis Khan and his great exploits inspired his descendants. One of his grandchildren was Batu Khan (Batu). He was a great warrior to match his glorious grandfather. Batu belonged to the Ulus of Jochi, named after his father, and it was to him that the great western campaign was bequeathed, which Genghis Khan never managed to accomplish.

In 1235, an all-Mongol kurultai was convened in Karakorum, at which it was decided to organize a great campaign to the west. Batu, as one would expect, was elected Jihangir, or chief commander.

In 1238-1240, the Mongol army swept through the lands of Rus' with fire and sword. The appanage princes, between whom there were constant civil strife, were unable to unite into a single force to repel the conquerors. Having conquered Rus', the hordes of Mongols rushed into central Europe, burning villages and cities of Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Bulgaria along the way.

Education of the Golden Horde

After Batu's death, the Jochi ulus passed into the hands of his younger brother Berke. It was he who, by and large, was the real creator of the Golden Horde as a state. He founded the city of Sarai, which became the capital of this nomadic empire. From here he ruled the state, went on campaigns against rebellious tribes, and collected tribute.

The Golden Horde is a multinational state, with a developed apparatus of oppression, consisting of many tribes and peoples united by the power of Mongolian weapons.

Mongol-Tatar yoke

Among the many Russian princes, there was one whom the khans of the Golden Horde appointed great, giving him a label. This meant that it was to this prince that small appanage rulers should obey. Starting with Ivan Kalita, the great reign was almost always in the hands of Moscow princes.

Initially, the Mongols themselves collected tribute from the conquered Russian lands. The so-called Baskak, who was considered the head of the Mongol administration in Rus', was in charge of collecting taxes. He had his own army, through which he asserted the power of the Golden Horde in the conquered lands. All princes, including the great, had to obey Baskak.

It was precisely the times of Baskaism that were the most difficult for Rus'. After all, the Mongols not only took a heavy tribute, they trampled the Russian soil under the hooves of their horses, and killed or captured the disobedient.

The end of Baskaism

But the Russians did not even think of tolerating the arbitrariness of the Mongol governors. They launched one uprising after another. The largest uprising occurred in 1327 in Tver, during which the brother of Uzbek Khan Chol Khan was killed. The Golden Horde did not forget this, and the very next year a punitive campaign was launched against the Tver residents. Tver was plundered, but the positive point is that, seeing the disobedience of the Russian people, the Mongolian administration was forced to abandon the institution of Baskatism. From that moment on, tribute to the khan was collected not by the Mongols, but by the great princes. Therefore, it is from this date that the beginning of such a process as the liberation of Rus' from the power of the Golden Horde should be counted.

The Great Jame

Time passed, and now the khans of the Golden Horde themselves started a squabble among themselves. This period in history was called the Great Jam. During this period of time, which began in 1359, more than 25 khans changed over 20 years. Moreover, some of them ruled for only a few days.

This fact influenced the further weakening of the yoke. The successive khans were simply forced to give a label to the strongest prince, who, in gratitude for this, continued to send tribute, although not in the same amount as before. The Moscow prince remained the strongest, as before.

Battle of Kulikovo

Meanwhile, power in the Golden Horde was usurped by the temnik Mamai, who was not a Genghisid by blood. Moscow Prince Dmitry Ivanovich considered this fact a reason to finally throw off the Tatar yoke. He refused to pay tribute, citing the fact that Mamai is not a legitimate khan, but controls the Horde through his proteges.

The enraged Mamai began to gather an army to march against the rebellious prince. His army included, in addition to the Tatars themselves, the Crimean Genoese. In addition, the Lithuanian Prince Jagiello promised to provide assistance.

Dmitry also did not waste time and, knowing that Mamai would not forgive his refusal, gathered his own army. The Suzdal and Smolensk princes joined him, but the Ryazan prince preferred to cowardly sit out.

The decisive battle took place in 1380 on the Kulikovo Field. Before the battle, a significant event occurred. According to the old tradition, the heroes of the opposing sides competed in a duel in the field. The famous warrior Chelubey came from the Tatars; Peresvet represented the Russian army. The duel did not reveal a winner, since the heroes simultaneously pierced each other’s hearts.

Soon the battle began. The scales tipped first to one side, then to the other, but still, in the end, Prince Dmitry won a brilliant victory, completely defeating Mamai’s army. In honor of this triumph, he was nicknamed Donskoy.

Tokhtamysh's Revenge

At this time, in the eastern steppes, with the help of the great Khromets Timur, who was a hereditary Chingizid, became significantly stronger. He was able to gather a large enough army so that the entire Golden Horde would finally submit to him. The age of the Great Jame was over.

Tokhtamysh sent a message to Dmitry that he was grateful to him for the victory over the usurper Mamai and expected tribute from Rus' as the legitimate khan of the Golden Horde. Of course, the Moscow prince, who achieved victory on the Kulikovo Field with such difficulty, was absolutely not satisfied with this state of affairs. He refused the demand for tribute.

Now Tokhtamysh gathered a huge army and moved it to Rus'. The Russian lands, weakened after the Battle of Kulikovo, could do nothing to oppose this army. Dmitry Donskoy was forced to flee Moscow. Tokhtamysh began a siege of the city and took it by deception. Dmitry had no choice but to agree to pay tribute again. Liberation from the Golden Horde had to be postponed indefinitely, despite the grandiose victory on the Kulikovo Field.

Soon Tokhtamysh became proud of his victories to such an extent that he dared to go to war against his benefactor Timur. The Great Khromets utterly defeated the presumptuous khan, but this fact did not free the Russian lands from paying tribute, since Tokhtamysh was replaced by another applicant for the Golden Horde throne.

Weakening the Horde

The Moscow princes did not manage to completely throw off the Tatar yoke, but it invariably weakened as the Horde itself lost power. Of course, there were still difficult times for Rus', for example, the siege of Moscow by the Tatar emir Edigei. But it often happened that the Russian princes could not pay tribute for several years, and the khans of the Golden Horde did not have the time and strength to demand it.

The Golden Horde began to fall apart before our eyes. The Crimean, Kazan, Astrakhan and Golden Horde fell away from it in pieces - it was no longer that powerful state that terrified many nations with the help of its huge army, collecting exorbitant tribute from them. By and large, by that time it had ceased to exist, so the remnants of this once great power in modern historiography are usually called the Great Horde. The power of this entity over Russia, already united by the Moscow principality, was reduced to fiction.

Standing on the Ugra

The final liberation of Rus' from the Golden Horde is usually associated with the so-called Standing on the Ugra, which occurred in 1480.

By the time of this event, Rus', united by the dynasty of Moscow princes, had become one of the most powerful states in Eastern Europe. Prince Ivan III had recently annexed the rebellious Novgorod to his lands, and now ruled the entire territory under his control. In fact, he had long been a completely independent ruler, in no way inferior to the European kings, but nominally remained a vassal of the Great Horde.

However, Ivan III completely stopped paying back in 1472. And eight years later, Khan Akhmat felt the strength to, in his opinion, restore justice and force the rebellious prince to pay tribute.

Russian and Tatar troops came out to meet each other. They reached the opposite banks of the border between the Horde and Rus'. None of the opponents was in a hurry to cross, as they understood that the side that dared to do so would be in a more disadvantageous situation in the upcoming battle.

After standing like this for more than a month, the Russian and Horde armies finally decided to disperse without starting a decisive battle.

This was the last attempt of the Horde to force Rus' to pay tribute again, therefore 1480 is considered the date of the overthrow of the Mongol-Tatar yoke.

Conquering the remnants of the Horde

But this was not the last page of Russian-Tatar interstate relations.

Soon the Crimean defeated the remnants of the Great Horde, after which it completely ceased to exist. But in addition to the Crimean Khanate itself, the Kazan, Astrakhan and Siberian Khanates acted as heirs to the Golden Horde. Now Rus' began to treat them as subordinate territories, placing their proteges on the throne.

However, Ivan IV the Terrible, who by that time had assumed the title of tsar, decided not to play vassal khanates anymore and, as a result of several successful campaigns, finally annexed these lands to the Russian kingdom.

The only independent heir to the Golden Horde remained only the Crimean Khanate. However, soon it had to recognize vassalage from the Ottoman sultans. But the Russian Empire managed to conquer Crimea only under Empress Catherine II, who in 1783 removed the last khan, Shagin-Girey, from power.

Thus, the remnants of the Horde were conquered by Russia, which had once suffered the yoke of the Mongol-Tatars.

Results of the confrontation

Thus, Rus', despite the fact that for several centuries it was forced to endure the debilitating Mongol-Tatar yoke, found the strength, with the help of the wise policy of the Moscow princes, to throw off the hated yoke. Later, she herself went on the offensive and absorbed all the remnants of the once powerful Golden Horde.

The decisive point was reached in the 18th century, when the Crimean Khanate was transferred to Russia under a peace treaty with the Ottoman Empire.

First meeting

In 1223, the commanders of the Great Khan Subudai-Baghatur and Jebe-Noyon, as part of reconnaissance in force in the Black Sea steppes on the banks of the Kalka River, completely defeated the Russian-Polovtsian army. But since this time the conquest of Rus' was not part of the Mughals’ plans, they turned home. A large-scale campaign was planned for next year. But the Conqueror of the Universe suddenly died, leaving the greatest empire in the world to his heirs. Indeed, Genghis Khan is a great Mongol.

Batu's campaign

In 1235, an all-Mongol kurultai was convened in Karakorum, at which it was decided to organize a great campaign to the west. Batu, as one would expect, was elected Jihangir, or chief commander.

In 1238–1240, the Mongol army swept through the lands of Rus' with fire and sword. The appanage princes, between whom there were constant civil strife, were unable to unite into a single force to repel the conquerors. Having conquered Rus', the hordes of Mongols rushed to central Europe, burning villages and cities of Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Bulgaria along the way.

Education of the Golden Horde

The Golden Horde is a multinational state, with a developed apparatus of oppression, consisting of many tribes and peoples united by the power of Mongolian weapons.

Mongol-Tatar yoke

The lands of the Golden Horde stretched from the steppes of modern Kazakhstan to Bulgaria, but Rus' was not directly part of it. Russian lands were considered vassal principalities and tributaries of the Horde power.
Among the many Russian princes, there was one whom the khans of the Golden Horde appointed great, giving him a label. This meant that it was to this prince that small appanage rulers should obey. Starting with Ivan Kalita, the great reign was almost always in the hands of Moscow princes.

The end of Baskaism

The Great Jame

Battle of Kulikovo

Tokhtamysh's Revenge

At this time, in the eastern steppes, with the help of the great Khromets Timur, Khan Tokhtamysh, who was a hereditary Chingizid, became significantly stronger. He was able to gather a large enough army so that the entire Golden Horde would finally submit to him. The age of the Great Jame was over.

Weakening the Horde

The Golden Horde began to fall apart before our eyes. The Crimean, Kazan, Astrakhan and Siberian khanates fell away from it in pieces. The Golden Horde was no longer that powerful state that terrified many nations with the help of its huge army, collecting exorbitant tribute from them. By and large, by that time it had ceased to exist, so the remnants of this once great power in modern historiography are usually called the Great Horde. The power of this entity over Russia, already united by the Moscow principality, was reduced to fiction.

Standing on the Ugra

The final liberation of Rus' from the Golden Horde is usually associated with the so-called Standing on the Ugra, which occurred in 1480.

However, Ivan III completely stopped paying the Horde exit back in 1472. And eight years later, Khan Akhmat felt the strength to, in his opinion, restore justice and force the rebellious prince to pay tribute.

Russian and Tatar troops came out to meet each other. They reached the opposite banks of the Ugra River, which ran right along the border of the Horde and Rus'. None of the opponents was in a hurry to cross, as they understood that the side that dared to do so would be in a more disadvantageous situation in the upcoming battle.

After standing like this for more than a month, the Russian and Horde armies finally decided to disperse without starting a decisive battle.

This was the last attempt of the Horde to force Rus' to pay tribute again, therefore 1480 is considered the date of the overthrow of the Mongol-Tatar yoke.

Conquering the remnants of the Horde

But this was not the last page of Russian-Tatar interstate relations.

Soon the Crimean Khan Mengli-Girey defeated the remnants of the Great Horde, after which it completely ceased to exist. But in addition to the Crimean Khanate itself, the Kazan, Astrakhan and Siberian Khanates acted as heirs to the Golden Horde. Now Rus' began to treat them as subordinate territories, placing their proteges on the throne.

Thus, the remnants of the Horde were conquered by Russia, which had once suffered the yoke of the Mongol-Tatars.

Results of the confrontation

The decisive point was reached in the 18th century, when the Crimean Khanate was transferred to Russia under a peace treaty with the Ottoman Empire.

The Golden Horde was one of the most powerful states, under whose control were vast territories. And yet, by the beginning of the 15th century, the country began to lose its power, and sooner or later, all crises of power had to end with the collapse of the state.

Scientists are still carefully studying the reasons for the rapid disintegration of the state system of the Golden Horde and the consequences of this event for Ancient Rus'. Before compiling a historical essay about the process of decomposition of the Mongol state, it is necessary to talk about the reasons for the future collapse of the Golden Horde.

In fact, the crisis in the country has been observed since the middle of the 14th century. It was then that regular wars for the throne began, and numerous heirs of Khan Janibek argued over power. What reasons influenced the future destruction of the state system?

The absence of a strong ruler (with the exception of Tokhtamysh) capable of keeping the country from internal crises.
From the endXIV century, the state was decomposing, and many khans hastened to form their own independent uluses.
The territories subject to the Mongols also began to rebel, sensing the weakening of the Golden Horde.
Regular internecine wars led to the country experiencing a very serious economic crisis.

After Tokhtamysh handed over the throne to his heirs, the dynastic crisis resumed in the country. The contenders for the throne could not decide which of them was obliged to lead the state. If, however, the throne was still occupied by one of the heirs, he could not guarantee the literacy of the political and economic reforms being carried out. All this influenced the state of the state.

The process of destruction of the Golden Horde

Historians are confident that for early feudalism, the process of collapse is an inevitable reality. Such a collapse also occurred with Ancient Russia, and in the 15th century it began to clearly manifest itself in the example of the Golden Horde. The khans and their heirs have long been looking for ways to isolate and praise their own power. That is why, from the beginning of the 1400s, many territories that belonged to the Golden Horde achieved independence. What khanates appeared during this period?

Siberian and Uzbek Khanate (1420s).
Nogai Horde (1440s)
Kazan and Crimean Khanates (1438 and 1441, respectively).
Kazakh Khanate (1465).

Of course, each khanate strove for complete independence, wanting to achieve its rights and freedoms. In addition, the economic issue of dividing the tribute coming from Ancient Rus' became important.

The last full-fledged ruler of the Golden Horde is considered to be Kichi-Muhammad. After his death, the state virtually ceased to exist. For a long time, the Great Horde was considered the dominant state, but it also ceased to exist in the 16th century.

Consequences of the collapse of the Golden Horde for Ancient Rus'

Of course, the princes of Ancient Rus' had long dreamed of becoming independent from the Golden Horde. When the country was going through a period of great turmoil, the Russian princes had an excellent chance to achieve independence.

During that period, Dmitry Donskoy was able to defend the rights of Russian princes on the Kulikovo field and achieve independence. In the period from 1380 to 1382, the Russian princes did not pay tribute, but with the invasion of Tokhtamysh, humiliating payments resumed.

After the death of Tokhtamysh, the Golden Horde again began to experience a crisis, and Ancient Rus' perked up. The size of the tribute began to decrease slightly, and the princes themselves did not strive to pay it as diligently as before.

The final blow for the Horde was that a prince appeared in the Russian lands, capable of uniting all the troops under his banner. Ivan III became such a prince. Immediately after gaining power, Ivan III refused to pay tribute.

And if the Golden Horde was just experiencing the crisis of early feudalism, then Ancient Rus' was already emerging from this stage of development. Gradually, individual territories united under common banners, realizing the power of their strength together, and not apart. In fact, it took Ancient Rus' exactly 100 years (1380-1480) to gain final independence. All this time, the Golden Horde was in a great fever, which led to its final weakening

Of course, Khan Akhmat tried to return the territories under his control, but in 1480 Ancient Rus' gained its long-awaited independence, which was the final blow for the once powerful state.

Of course, not every country is able to withstand an economic and internal political crisis. Due to internal conflicts, the Golden Horde lost its former power, and soon ceased to exist altogether. However, this state had a huge influence on the course of international history, and on the course of the history of Ancient Rus' in particular.