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{{Short description|Russian principality (1263–1547)}}
: ''This article is about '''Muscovite Russia'''. For the duck see ]''
{{pp-move}}
{{History_of_Russia}}
{{Infobox Former Country
'''Muscovy''' ('''Moscow principality''' (княжество Московское) to '''Grand Duchy of Moscow''' (Великое Княжество Московское) to '''Russian Tsardom''' (Царство Русское)) is a traditional Western name for the ]n state that existed from the ] to the late ]. The ] of Moscow, as the state is known in Russian records, was the predecessor of the ] and the successor of ] in its northern and eastern lands.
| native_name = {{lang|ru|Великое княжество Московское}}
| conventional_long_name = Grand Principality of Moscow
| common_name =
|era = ]
| year_start = 1263
| year_end = 1547
| life_span =
| event_start =
| date_start =
| event1 = Elevated to ]
| date_event1 = 1363
| event2 =
| date_event2 =
| event_end = Elevated to ]dom
| p1 = Vladimir-Suzdal
| s1 = Tsardom of Russia
| image_flag =
| flag_border = no
| flag_size =
| flag_type =
| image_coat = Seal of Ivan 3 (reverse).svg
| symbol_type = ] on the seal of {{nowrap|]}}
| coa_size = 100px
| image_map = Muscovy 1390 1525.png
| image_map_caption = Growth of Moscow from 1300 to 1547
| religion = ]
| demonym = Muscovite
| capital = ]
| government_type = ]
| legislature = ]
| title_leader = ]
| leader1 = ] (first)
| year_leader1 = 1263–1303
| leader2 = ] (last)
| year_leader2 = 1533–1547
| common_languages = ]
| currency = ], ]
| stat_year1 = 1505
| stat_area1 = 2,500,000
| ref_area1 = <ref>{{cite journal|author=Taagepera|first=Rein|author-link=Rein Taagepera|date=September 1997|title=Expansion and Contraction Patterns of Large Polities: Context for Russia|url=https://escholarship.org/content/qt3cn68807/qt3cn68807.pdf|url-status=live|journal=]|volume=41|issue=3|page=498|doi=10.1111/0020-8833.00053|jstor=2600793|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200707203055/https://escholarship.org/content/qt3cn68807/qt3cn68807.pdf|archive-date=2020-07-07|access-date=2021-10-21}}</ref>
}}
{{History of Russia}}


<!--Opening-->
The reign of the tsars started officially with ] (''Ivan the Terrible''), the first monarch to be crowned Tsar of Russia, but in practice it started with the first to use the title of tsar, ] (''Ivan the Great''), who completed centralisation of the state (traditionally known as ''the gathering of the Russian lands'') at the same time as ] did the same in ].
The '''Principality of Moscow'''{{efn|{{langx|ru|Московское княжество}}. Also known as ''Muscovy'', derived from {{langx|la|Moscovia}}.}} (1263–1363), later the '''Grand Principality of Moscow'''{{efn|{{langx|ru|Великое княжество Московское}}. Also translated as the ''Grand Duchy of Moscow''.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RgAKAQAAIAAJ&q=%22Grand+Duchy+of+Moscow%22 |title=A Short History of the USSR |date=1965 |publisher=Progress Publishers |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Florinsky |first=Michael T. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=b2sDKlXJ6SkC&q=%22Grand+Duchy+of+Moscow%22 |title=Russia: a History and an Interpretation |date=1965 |language=en}}</ref>}}{{efn|Upon the acquisition of the grand principality by ] in 1363, the grand principality remained in the hands of the princes of Moscow and became a family possession, which was passed to Dmitry's son ] on his death in 1389.{{sfn|Howes|1967|page=35}} At this point, the two thrones were permanently united.{{sfn|Fennell|2023|page=306|loc="But the most vivid proof of the assimilation of the thrones of Vladimir and Moscow is to be found in Dmitry Donskoy's will of 1389 in which he ''bequeaths'' Vladimir to his eldest son"}}}} (1363–1547), was a medieval Russian ]. Its capital was the city of ].


<!--Early history, reigns of Daniel and Yury-->
The development of the Russian state can be traced from ] through Muscovy to Russia, and then, the Russian Empire. Muscovy drew people and wealth to the northeastern part of Kievan Rus'; established trade links to the ], the ], and the ] and to ]; and created a highly centralized and autocratic political system. Muscovite political traditions, therefore, exerted a powerful influence on Russian society.
Moscow became a separate principality when ] ({{reigned|1263|1303}}), the youngest son of ], received the city and surrounding area as an ].{{sfnm|1a1=Fennell|1y=2023|1p=47|2a1=Riasanovsky|2a2=Steinberg|2y=2019|2p=71}} By the end of the 13th century, Moscow was one of the leading principalities within the grand principality of ], alongside ].{{sfn|Fennell|2023|page=11}} A struggle between the princes of Moscow and Tver began after ] became the ] in 1304.{{sfnm|1a1=Fennell|1y=2023|1p=57|2a1=Riasanovsky|2a2=Steinberg|2y=2019|2p=71}} ] ({{reigned|1303|1325}}) contested the title and was later made grand prince in 1318 by the ] of the ], who held ] over the princes. However, Yury would lose the title four years later.{{sfn|Riasanovsky|Steinberg|2019|p=72}}


<!--Rise of Moscow, reigns of Ivan I until Dmitry Donskoy-->
==Rise of Muscovy==
] ({{reigned|1325|1340}}) won back the title of grand prince and was able to collect ] for the khan from other Russian princes, which increased Moscow's wealth.{{sfn|Riasanovsky|Steinberg|2019|p=73|loc="...he not only retained the office of grand prince, but also received the important commission of gathering tribute for the khan from other Russian princes. He used his increasing revenue to purchase more land"}} The seat of the ] was also moved to Moscow, which later gave it the status as a spiritual center.{{sfnm|1a1=Riasanovsky|1a2=Steinberg|1y=2019|1p=73|2a1=Crummey|2y=2014|2p=40}} Ivan&nbsp;I defeated Tver and secured the grand princely title for his sons ] ({{reigned|1340|1353}}) and ] ({{reigned|1353|1359}}). Following the death of Ivan&nbsp;II, the title was temporarily lost until ] ({{reigned|1359|1389}}) regained it, after which Moscow was elevated to a ].{{sfn|Fennell|2023|pages=197, 306|loc="During the reign of Semen and, to a certain extent, during that of Ivan II the ground was prepared for the first 'gathering of the Russian lands' under Ivan II's son Dmitry Donskoy and for the latter's conversion of the principality of Moscow into the grand principality of Moscow, Vladimir and All Rus'"}} He also inflicted ] on the ] in 1380, which greatly increased Moscow's prestige.{{sfn|Riasanovsky|Steinberg|2019|pp=73–74}}


<!--Later history and consolidation, reigns of Vasily I to Vasily III-->
When the ] ] the lands of Kievan Rus', ] was an insignificant trading outpost in the ] of ].
As the Golden Horde declined, its hegemony was increasingly challenged.{{sfn|Riasanovsky|Steinberg|2019|p=74|loc="As
Though Mongols burnt down Moscow in the winter 1238 and pillaged it in 1293, the outpost's remote, forested location offered some security from Mongol attack and occupation, and a number of rivers provided access to the Baltic and Black Seas and to the ] region. More important to Moscow's development in what became the state of Muscovy, however, was its rule by a series of ]s who were ambitious, determined, and lucky. The first ruler of the principality of Muscovy, ] (d. ]), secured the principality for his branch of the ] Dynasty. His son, ] (r. ]-]), known as ''Ivan Kalita'' (''Ivan Money Bag''), obtained the title ''Grand Prince of Vladimir'' from his Mongol overlords. He cooperated closely with the Mongols and collected tribute/taxes from other Russian principalities on their behalf. This relationship enabled Ivan to gain regional ascendancy, particularly over Muscovy's chief rival, the northern city of ]. In ] the ] metropolitan transferred his residency from Vladimir to Moscow, further enhancing the prestige of the new principality.
Moscow grew and as civil strife swept through the Golden Horde, Mongol hegemony in Russia experienced its first serious challenge since the time of the invasion"}} ] ({{reigned|1389|1425}}) focused on enlarging his principality, but was forced to resume paying tribute following a Tatar invasion.{{sfn|Riasanovsky|Steinberg|2019|p=75}} ] ({{reigned|1425|1462}}) consolidated his control of Moscow after an internal struggle and his reign saw the declaration of ''de facto'' ] by the Russian Church.{{sfn|Riasanovsky|Steinberg|2019|pp=75–76}} ] ({{reigned|1462|1505}}) absorbed nearly all of the Russian states and laid the foundations for a centralized state,{{sfnm|1a1=Dukes|1y=1998|1p=42|1loc="By the accession of Ivan III in 1462, Moscow had become the political as well as the religious centre of the Russian lands. A considerable amount of ingathering remained to be accomplished... Ivan III's reign marks 'an important stage' in this process"|2a1=Riasanovsky|2a2=Steinberg|2y=2019|2pp=77–79|2loc="Under Ivan III 'the gathering of Russia' proceeded apace... All in all, Ivan III's successes in other Russian states and in foreign wars enormously increased his domain... Ivan III has been called the first national Russian sovereign"}} leading to the end of the ] period and the beginning of a new period in Russian history known as ''Muscovite Russia''.{{sfnm|1a1=Riasanovsky|1a2=Steinberg|1y=2019|1p=35|1loc="The long reign of Ivan III, from 1462 to 1505, has generally been considered, together with the following reign of Vasilii III, as the termination of the appanage period and the beginning of a new age in Russian history, that of Muscovite Russia"|2a1=Sashalmi|2y=2022|2p=61|2loc="Muscovite Russia (dated from 1462 onwards)"}} He also stopped paying tribute and ] of the Tatars in 1480 traditionally marks the end of Tatar suzerainty.{{sfnm|1a1=Riasanovsky|1a2=Steinberg|1y=2019|1p=78|2a1=Dukes|2y=1998|2p=45}} ] ({{reigned|1505|1533}}) completed his father's policy of annexing the remaining appanages,{{sfnm|1a1=Riasanovsky|1a2=Steinberg|1y=2019|1p=79|2a1=Dukes|2y=1998|2p=45}} and his son ] ({{reigned|1533|1584}}) was crowned as ] in 1547, thereby officially proclaiming the ].{{sfn|Riasanovsky|Steinberg|2019|p=116}}
]


== Name ==
In the ], the grand princes of Muscovy began gathering Russian lands to increase the population and wealth under their rule. The most successful practitioner of this process was ] (the Great; r. ]-]), who conquered ] in ] and Tver' in ]. Muscovy gained full sovereignty over significant part of the ethnically Russian lands about ] when the ]' ] overlordship ended officially (see ]), and by the beginning of the ] virtually all those lands were united. Through inheritance, Ivan obtained part of the province of ], and the princes of ] and ] voluntarily subordinated themselves to him. The northwestern ] remained independent in this period, but Ivan's son, ] (r. ]-]), later conquered it.
{{see also|Moscow#Etymology}}
<!--Etymology, origin of the term-->
The English names ''Moscow'' and ''Muscovy'', for the city, the principality, and the river, are derived from post-classical Latin {{Langx|la|Moscovia|label=none}}, {{Langx|la|Muscovia|label=none}}, and ultimately from the Old Russian fully vocalized ] form {{Langx|ru|Московь|translit=Moskov'|label=none}}.<ref name="OED">{{Cite OED|term=Moscow, n.|id=122545|access-date=23 November 2024 |quote=Moscow is first mentioned in Russian chronicles in 1147... the modern Russian form of its name, ''Moskva'', dates from the 14th cent. The Old Russian name... is recorded as ''Moskov{{'}}''.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite OED|term=Muscovy, n.|id=124039|access-date=23 November 2024}}</ref> Moscow is first mentioned under the year 1147 in the ] (''na Moskvě'').<ref name="OED"/> The modern Russian form, ''Moskva'', first appears in the 14th century.<ref name="OED"/>


<!--Endonyms-->
In the beginning of the 16th century the Russian state set the national goal to return all Russian territories lost as a result of the Mongolian invasion and to protect the borderland against attacks of ]. The noblemen, receiving a manor from the sovereign, were obliged to serve in the army. The manor system became a basis for the nobiliary horse army.
The oldest ] used in documents were ''Rus'' ({{langx|ru|Русь}}) and the "Russian land" ({{Langx|ru|Русская земля|Russkaya zemlya}}).{{sfn|Kloss|2012|page=3}} The 14th-century '']'', which belongs to the ] cycle of works, stresses the unity of the Russian princes and describes the principalities of Moscow, ], and others as being part of the "Russian land".<ref>{{Cite web |translator=L. A. Dmitriev |title=ЗАДОНЩИНА |lang=ru |url=http://www.drevne.ru/lib/zadon_s.htm |work=Medieval Russian Literature }}</ref>{{sfnm|1a1=Zenkovsky|1y=1963|1pp=211–228|2a1=Parppei|2y=2017|2p=61}} A new form of the name became common by the 15th century; the vernacular ''Rus'' was transformed into ''Ros(s)iya'' or ''Rus(s)iya'', and borrowed from {{langx|el|Ρωσία|Rosía}} or {{langx|la|Russia}}.{{efn|The old form is preserved in what has been designated as ethnically Russian. In addition, both forms are sometimes used in certain grammatical formations e.g. ''velikorossy'' ('Great Russians') and ''velikorusskaya'' when referring to language.<ref name="ross"/>}}<ref>{{cite book |last1=Obolensky |first1=Dimitri |title=Byzantium and the Slavs: Collected Studies |date=1971 |isbn=978-0-902089-14-3 |page=20 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wH4JAQAAIAAJ |language=en |chapter=Commentary on the ninth chapter of Constantine Porphyrogenitus' De Administrando lmperio |publisher=Variorum Reprints |quote=Later, the term ''Ρωσία'' was borrowed by the Russians, in the form ''Rosiya'', from the terminology used by the Byzantine Patriarchate.}}</ref><ref name="ross">{{cite book |title=Routledge Library Editions: Political Geography |date=23 June 2021 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-317-60078-7 |page=349 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Tt4zEAAAQBAJ |language=en |quote=Etymologically ''rossiiskii'' and ''Rossiia'' are Russified versions of the Latin (or Greek) words for Russian and Russia.}}</ref>{{sfnm|1a1=Sashalmi|1y=2022|1p=66|1loc="The Latinized version of the title... resulted in the appearance of the term ''Russiia/Rossiia''"|2a1=Bushkovitch|2y=2011|2p=37|2loc=Precisely at this time in written usage the modern term ''Rossia'' (a literary expression borrowed from Greek) began to edge out the traditional and vernacular ''Rus''"|3a1=Hellberg-Hirn|3y=2019|3p=54|3loc="In Russian historical sources, from the end of the 15th century onwards, the word ''Rossiia'' (Russia) is occasionally used..."|4a1=Kloss|4y=2012|4p=13}} In the 1480s, the scribes Ivan Cherny and Mikhail Medovartsev mention Russia under the name ''Rosia'' ({{Langx|ru|Росиа|label=none}}), and Medovartsev also mentions the sceptre "of Russian lordship" ({{Langx|ru|Росийскаго господства|translit=Rosiyskago gospodstva|label=none}}).{{sfn|Kloss|2012|pages=30–38}}


<!--Official title-->
Ivan III was the first Muscovite ruler to use the titles of tsar and ''"Ruler of all Rus'"''. Ivan competed with his powerful northwestern rival ] for control over some of the semi-independent former principalities of Kievan Rus' in the upper ] and ] river basins. Through the defections of some princes, border skirmishes, and a long, inconclusive war with Lithuania that ended only in ], Ivan III was able to push westward, and Muscovy tripled in size under his rule.
In the 14th century, the grand princes of Moscow began to style themselves as the rulers of ''all Russia''.{{sfn|Feldbrugge|2017|page=775}} During his consolidation of territories, ] adopted the title of ] (''gosudar'') of all Russia.{{sfnm|1a1=Riasanovsky|1y=2005|1p=65|2a1=Feldbrugge|2y=2017|2p=776|2loc="...under Ivan III this title was converted into 'sovereign lord of all Russia'}}<ref>{{cite journal |last=Pape |first=Carsten |date=2016 |title=Titul Ivana III po datskim istochnikam pozdnego Srednevekov'ya |script-title=ru:Титул Ивана III по датским источникам позднего Средневековья |trans-title=The title of Ivan III according to late-medieval Danish sources |url=https://www.academia.edu/37312321 |journal=Studia Slavica et Balcanica Petropolitana |language=ru |location=St. Petersburg |volume=20 |issue=2 |pages=65–75 |doi=10.21638/11701/spbu19.2016.205 |access-date=2023-05-16|doi-access=free }}</ref> After rejecting Mongol suzerainty, he also styled himself as ] (''samoderzhets'').{{sfn|Riasanovsky|2005|page=65}} In his foreign correspondence, he adopted the title of ] and rejected the offer of ] by the ];{{sfn|Riasanovsky|2005|page=65}} however, it would not be until 1547 that the title of tsar became official with the coronation of his grandson, ].{{sfnm|1a1=Riasanovsky|1y=2005|1p=66|2a1=Feldbrugge|2y=2017|2p=775}} Ivan III also laid claim to the legacy of ], which led to conflicts with the ].<ref name=Khoroshkevich1976>{{cite journal|last1=Хорошкевич|first1=А. Л.|title=Россия и Московия: Из истории политико-географической терминологии|journal=Acta Baltico-Slavica|date=1976|volume=X|pages=47–57|trans-title=Khoroshkevich A. L. Russia and Muscovy: from the history of politico-geographic terminology}}</ref> The Russian state was later also known in Western Europe as ''Muscovy''{{efn|{{langx|la|Moscovia}}; {{langx|fr|Moscovie}}.}} under Polish–Lithuanian influence, and the use of both names persisted until the early 18th century.<ref name=Khoroshkevich1976/>


== History ==
==Evolution of the Russian Autocracy==
=== Origins ===
Moscow is first mentioned in chronicles under the year 1147, as part of the principality of ].{{sfn|Fennell|2023|page=45}} The importance of Moscow greatly increased during the second half of the 12th century, and it was converted into a fortified ''gorod'' (stronghold) in the 1150s.{{sfn|Fennell|2023|page=46}} On the death of ] in 1212, Moscow appears to have been passed to his son ], who succeeded his father as the ].{{sfn|Fennell|2023|page=46}} During the ] of 1237–1238, Moscow was sacked following the destruction of ].{{sfn|Fennell|2023|page=46}} The city is not mentioned again until the late 13th century.{{sfn|Fennell|2023|page=46}}


The first ] was ] ({{reigned|1263|1303}}),{{sfn|Morby|2014|p=169}} the youngest son of ], and he was given Moscow as an '']'', where he established a local branch of ] princes.{{efn|Two chronicles refer to ] as "Mikhail of Moscow", but Daniel is usually considered to be the first prince of Moscow. On Mikhail's death in 1248, if it is assumed that an appanage principality was created, Moscow reverted as an escheat to the grand prince.{{sfn|Fennell|2023|page=47}}}}{{sfnm|1a1=Fennell|1y=2023|1p=47|2a1=Riasanovsky|2a2=Steinberg|2y=2019|2p=71}} Daniel is mentioned under the year 1282 as taking part in a feudal war between his two older brothers.{{sfn|Fennell|2023|page=47}} The 16th-century '']'' says that Daniel was given Moscow on his father's death in 1263.{{sfn|Fennell|2023|page=47}} The size of the original territory of the Moscow principality is not known, but it likely encompassed the basin of the upper ], stretching approximately between the eastern influx of the Gzhelka and the western influx of the ].{{sfn|Fennell|2023|page=47}} The northeast of the territory consisted of the basin of the upper ].{{sfn|Fennell|2023|page=47}}
Internal consolidation accompanied outward expansion of the state. By the ], the rulers of Muscovy considered the entire Russian territory their collective property. Various semi-independent princes of ] stock still claimed specific territories, but Ivan III forced the lesser princes to acknowledge the grand prince of Muscovy and his descendants as unquestioned rulers with control over military, judicial, and foreign affairs.


By the turn of the century, Moscow was one of the leading principalities within ].{{sfn|Fennell|2023|page=48}} Daniel defeated ] in 1301, after which ] and ] were incorporated into the Moscow principality.{{sfn|Fennell|2023|page=50}} ] was also temporarily annexed to Moscow, and after Daniel's death, his sons seized ] in 1304.{{sfnm|1a1=Fennell|1y=2023|1p=50|2a1=Riasanovsky|2a2=Steinberg|2y=2019|2p=71}} At this point, the territory of the principality had increased almost three-fold and included the entire Moskva River along with its ], allowing Moscow to become self-sufficient.{{sfnm|1a1=Fennell|1y=2023|1pp=50–51|2a1=Riasanovsky|2a2=Steinberg|2y=2019|2p=71}} Its southern border included a large stretch of the ], from Serpukhov to the east of Kolomna, which gave it some protection from Tatar incursions.{{sfn|Fennell|2023|page=51}} To the east, there was a dense forest zone which functioned as a natural barrier.{{sfn|Fennell|2023|page=55}} Moscow also had access to the northern areas of Ryazan and direct access to ].{{sfn|Fennell|2023|page=51}} It was also provided with a river network that facilitated trade.{{sfn|Fennell|2023|page=55}}
Gradually, the Muscovite ruler emerged as a powerful, autocratic ruler, a ]. By assuming that title, the Muscovite prince underscored that he was a major ruler or emperor on a par with the Greek emperor or the Mongol khan. Indeed, after Ivan III's marriage to ], the niece of the last ], the Muscovite court adopted Byzantine terms, rituals, titles, and emblems such as the double-headed eagle. At first, the Byzantine term ] connoted only the literal meaning of an independent ruler, but in the reign of Ivan IV (r. ]-]) it came to mean unlimited rule. Ivan IV was crowned tsar and thus was recognized, at least by the Orthodox Church, as emperor. An Orthodox monk had claimed that, once ] had fallen to the ] in ], the Muscovite tsar was the only legitimate Orthodox ruler and that Moscow was the ] because it was the final successor to ] and ], the centers of ] in earlier periods. That concept was to resonate in the self-image of Russians in future centuries.


=== Yury ===
==Evolution of the Russian Aristocracy==
] ({{reign|1303|1325}}) began his reign with a struggle against ] for succession to the grand principality.{{sfn|Dukes|1998|p=28}} According to traditional succession practices, the throne was to be passed to ]'s eldest cousin, ].{{sfn|Fennell|2023|page=60}} As Daniel had died before he could become grand prince, his descendants were barred from the title.{{efn|According to ]: "Had Daniil survived Andrey he would have been next in the line of succession. But in accordance with the laws of seniority a nephew was automatically debarred from the title if his father predeceased the ruling grand prince. Unwritten laws and tradition, however, were not sufficient to guarantee the legitimate heir his throne".{{sfn|Fennell|2023|page=60}}}}{{sfn|Fennell|2023|page=60}} Yury decided to contest Mikhail's claim to the title, but ultimately the decision went to ], the ] of the ], who held suzerainty over the principalities and later confirmed Mikhail as the grand prince in 1305.{{sfn|Fennell|2023|page=61}} In 1306, Yury established his authority over Ryazan with support from the khan as part of the Tatars' strategy to adjust the balance of power in the conflict between Moscow and Tver.{{sfn|Fennell|2023|page=67}} Mikhail of Tver attempted to consolidate his power, and was confirmed as the ] in 1307, but Yury retained control of Pereyaslavl and was able to gain control of ].{{sfn|Fennell|2023|pages=67–68}} Mikhail marched against Moscow in 1308, but the Muscovites were able to stand their ground.{{sfn|Fennell|2023|page=68}} Mikhail also failed to win the support of the church, and when he launched an expedition to Nizhny Novgorod, his army was stopped by ] in Vladimir.{{sfn|Fennell|2023|page=73}}


After Toqta died in 1312, Mikhail visited Sarai to renew his patent and pay respects to the new khan, ], staying there for two years.{{sfnm|1a1=Martin|1y=2007|1p=194|2a1=Fennell|2y=2023|2p=75}} In his absence, the Novgorodians launched a revolt against Mikhail's governors and sent an appeal to Yury, who was confirmed as their prince in 1315.{{efn|The chronicle entry says: "In that year (1314) the men of Novgorod summoned a ''veche'' because they hated the ''namestniki'' of Prince Mikhail Yaroslavich of Tver', for they had suffered much offence and injury at their hands and they desired to expel them".{{sfn|Fennell|2023|page=75}}}}{{sfn|Fennell|2023|page=75}} However, Mikhail was able to convince the khan to summon Yury and remove him from the political scene.{{sfn|Fennell|2023|page=76}} Mikhail was able to establish his authority in Novgorod once again, but in 1317, Yury returned with a patent for the grand princely title, a Tatar army, and a Tatar wife, who was the sister of the khan.{{sfnm|1a1=Fennell|1y=2023|1p=81|2a1=Martin|2y=2007|2p=194|3a1=Halperin|3y=1987|3pp=71–72}} Kavgady, the chief representative of the khan, sent his ambassadors to Tver to scare Mikhail into submission, but Mikhail's army proceeded to defeat Yury's army in December 1317.{{sfn|Fennell|2023|page=83}} In early 1318, the two parties met on the ] for another battle, but they reached an agreement.{{sfn|Fennell|2023|page=85}} Kavgady and Yury laid their accusations against Mikhail and a formal trial took place at the end of the year.{{sfn|Fennell|2023|page=86}} Mikhail was executed at the Horde and Yury was made the grand prince.{{sfn|Fennell|2023|page=87}}
]s were hereditary ] of three categories:
1) ] princes of ], ], ], ], etc. that lived in Moscow after their hereditary principalities had been incorporated into Muscovy (e.g., ], ], ], ]);
2) foreign princes from ] and ], claiming descent either from Grand Duke ] or from ] (e.g., ], ], ], ]);
3) ancient families of Muscovite nobility that have been recorded in the service of Grand Dukes from the 14th century (e.g., ], ], ]).


Little is known about Yury's reign as grand prince, but relations between Moscow and Tver soon improved and a treaty was concluded in 1319 between Yury and ].{{sfn|Fennell|2023|page=92}} However, in 1321, a representative of the khan instructed Yury to march on Tver.{{sfn|Fennell|2023|page=93}} The two forces met on the Volga and a battle was narrowly avoided.{{sfn|Fennell|2023|page=93}} In the treaty, Dmitry agreed to refrain from making himself the grand prince and he paid the tribute owed to the Tatars.{{sfn|Fennell|2023|page=93}} Yury was then summoned to Novgorod, and instead of proceeding to Sarai with the tribute, he led the defense of the republic against Swedish forces.{{sfnm|1a1=Fennell|1y=2023|1p=96|2a1=Crummey|2y=2014|2p=39}} As a result, Dmitry went to Sarai and received the patent for the grand princely title in 1322.{{sfn|Fennell|2023|page=96}} Yury was then summoned by Özbeg, and on his way to Sarai, Dmitry's brother ] robbed him in the ] area and forced him to flee to ].{{sfn|Fennell|2023|page=96}} Yury finally visited Sarai in 1325 to face the consequences, but Dmitry of Tver murdered him as revenge for the death of his father.{{sfn|Crummey|2014|page=39}} The following year, the khan ordered his execution.{{sfn|Crummey|2014|page=39}}
Rurikid and Gediminid boyars, whose fathers and grandfathers were independent princelings, felt that they are kin to tsar and hence almost equal to him. During the times of dynastic troubles (such as the years of Ivan IV's minority), boyardom constituted an internal force which was a permanent threat to the throne. An early form of Tsar's conflict with boyarstvo was '']'' of ].


===Ivan I===
During such conflicts, ], ], and some later tsars felt the necessity to counterbalance the boyardom by creating a new kind of nobility, based on personal devotion to tsar and merits earned by faithful service, rather than by heredity. Later these new nobles were called ''dvoryans'' (singular: ]). The name comes from the Russian word ''dvor'' in the meaning of ''tsar's dvor'', i.e., The Court. Hence the expression ''pozhalovat ko dvoru'', i.e., to be called to (serve) The Court.
] (1921)]]


] ({{reign|1325|1340}}) became prince following the murder of Yury, while the title of grand prince went to ].{{sfn|Favereau|2021|page=228}} After the residents of Tver launched ] against Tatar rule in 1327, ] dispatched a punitive force led by Ivan and ], causing Aleksandr of Tver to flee to Lithuania.{{sfn|Crummey|2014|page=39}} Afterwards, Ivan presented himself before Özbeg and was given the title of grand prince.{{sfn|Favereau|2021|page=229}} Özbeg divided the principalities of ] and ] between Aleksandr of Suzdal and Ivan, and upon Aleksandr's death in 1331, Ivan became the sole grand prince.{{sfn|Crummey|2014|page=40}} Aleksandr of Tver eventually returned to Tver and was given a full pardon and reinstated as prince by the khan.{{sfn|Fennell|2023|page=160}} However, Aleksandr was soon recalled to Sarai in 1339, where he was executed due to accusations made against him.{{sfn|Fennell|2023|pages=164–165}} The death of Aleksandr marked the end of the struggle between Moscow and Tver, and Ivan's nephew-in-law, ], continued to rule Tver as a loyal servant.{{sfn|Fennell|2023|page=169}}
==Ivan IV==


To secure his position, Ivan began absorbing surrounding principalities.{{sfn|Favereau|2021|page=229}} In particular, Ivan was credited by his grandson ] in his will with purchasing the principalities of ], ] and ].{{efn|Some historians have suggested that the principalities were bought by Ivan and attached to the grand princely domain rather than the land of Moscow, while the princes of those districts were given certain proprietary rights.{{sfn|Fennell|2023|page=182}} Others have suggested that those princes sold their land on the condition that they would be allowed to stay there with certain rights.{{sfn|Fennell|2023|page=182}}}}{{sfn|Fennell|2023|page=182}} Ivan also developed Moscow to attract people and produce the resources needed to maintain his position, a policy reflected in his sobriquet, ''Kalita'' ({{lit|moneybag}}).{{sfn|Favereau|2021|page=229}} As grand prince, Ivan collected tribute from not only his own possessions but also from other Russian princes that were dependent on him.{{sfn|Riasanovsky|Steinberg|2019|page=73}} The khan at the start of Ivan's reign was content with allowing the Muscovite prince to enjoy undisputed supremacy.{{sfn|Fennell|2023|page=145}} As a result, Ivan was able to use the funds he acquired to develop Moscow.{{sfn|Riasanovsky|Steinberg|2019|page=73}} He also had access to Novgorod's wealth, which helped him to pay the tribute; however, relations with Novgorod worsened following the election of a new ] in 1330, which paved the way for a pro-Lithuanian faction in the city.{{sfn|Fennell|2023|pages=138, 144}}
The development of the tsar's autocratic powers reached a peak during the reign of Ivan IV, and he became known as the Terrible (his Russian epithet, ''groznyi'', means threatening or dreaded). Ivan strengthened the position of the tsar to an unprecedented degree, demonstrating the risks of unbridled power in the hands of a mentally unstable individual. Although apparently intelligent and energetic, Ivan suffered from bouts of paranoia and depression, and his rule was punctuated by acts of extreme violence.


At the beginning of Ivan's reign, the ] metropolitan, ], moved his residence to Moscow in 1325.{{sfnm|1a1=Favereau|1y=2021|1p=229|2a1=Crummey|2y=2014|2p=40}} During Peter's tenure in Moscow, Ivan laid the foundation for the ], which was built using stone.{{sfn|Meyendorff|2010|page=153}} Peter had intended to make Moscow his burial place, and therefore the religious center of the country, and he died in 1326.{{sfn|Meyendorff|2010|page=153}}<ref>{{cite book| last1 = Trepanier| first1 = Lee| chapter = 2: Muscovite Russia (ca. 1240 – ca. 1505)| title = Political Symbols in Russian History: Church, State, and the Quest for Order and Justice| chapter-url = https://books.google.com/books?id=-iYhlLgLXYQC| series = G - Reference, Information and Interdisciplinary Subjects Series| location = Lanhan, Maryland| publisher = Lexington Books| date = 2010| page = 31| isbn = 9780739117897| access-date = 2016-12-14| quote = But the crucial year was 1326, when Peter became a resident of Moscow and began to build his burial vault. On December 20, 1326, Metropolitan Peter died and was buried by one of the bishops in the presence of Ivan I. Due to his residency and burial place, Metropolitan Peter had confirmed Moscow the future haven of the Russian Orthodox Church, although this official transfer would not take place until the reign of Alexis.}}</ref> Peter was succeeded by ], who, like his predecessor, pursued policies that supported the rise of Moscow.{{sfn|Meyendorff|2010|page=156}}{{sfn|Fennell|2023|page=192}} During the first four years of his tenure, the Dormition Cathedral was completed and an additional four stone churches were constructed.{{sfn|Meyendorff|2010|page=156}} Theognostus also proceeded with the canonization of Peter in 1339, which helped to increase Moscow's prestige.{{sfn|Meyendorff|2010|page=156}}{{sfn|Favereau|2021|page=229}} The princes of Moscow functioned as the primary protectors of the Russian Church and Moscow became a pilgrimage center.{{sfn|Crummey|2014|page=40}} Ivan even acquired an aura of sanctity in the eyes of future generations.{{sfn|Crummey|2014|page=40}}
Ivan IV became grand prince of Muscovy in ] at the age of three. The ] and ] factions of the ]s competed for control of the regency until Ivan assumed the throne in ]. Reflecting Muscovy's new imperial claims, Ivan's coronation as tsar was an elaborate ritual modeled after those of the Byzantine emperors. With the continuing assistance of a group of boyars, Ivan began his reign with a series of useful reforms. In the ], he promulgated a new law code, revamped the military, and reorganized local government. These reforms undoubtedly were intended to strengthen the state in the face of continuous warfare.


===Simeon===
]
], 1652–1666]]
] ({{reigned|1340|1353}}) succeeded his father as prince upon the latter's death.{{sfn|Fennell|2023|page=196}} Although Simeon had to contend with three rival princes for the grand princely title,{{sfn|Fennell|2023|pages=187–188}} Özbeg had approved his father's will in 1339, indicating that he supported Simeon's succession to the grand princely throne.{{sfn|Crummey|2014|page=41}} Simeon received the patent a few months later.{{sfn|Fennell|2023|page=190}} As a result, the princes of Moscow continued to hold the title almost uninterruptedly.{{sfn|Crummey|2014|page=41}} At the start of Simeon's reign, the principality of ] returned to Moscow's sphere of influence after the pro-Muscovite Dmitry Romanovich was once again installed as prince.{{efn|It would not be until 1356–1357 that the Lithuanians would regain control of Bryansk, after which it would remain under Lithuanian control for the next century and a half.{{sfn|Fennell|2023|page=204}}}}{{sfn|Fennell|2023|page=203}} As a demonstration of his political sympathies, Dmitry had his daughter married to Simeon's younger brother ].{{sfn|Fennell|2023|page=203}} In 1352, Simeon marched into the neighboring principality of ], located to the west of Moscow, and was able to extend his authority there with the removal of the pro-Lithuanian prince, who was likely replaced with either Dmitry Romanovich's son or nephew.{{sfn|Fennell|2023|pages=208–209}}{{sfn|Crummey|2014|page=42}} As a result, Simeon was able to temporarily halt the eastward expansion of Lithuania.{{sfn|Fennell|2023|page=209}} He was also able to sign a treaty with Novgorod, in which the city recognized Simeon as its prince and agreed to grant him additional tax revenues.{{sfn|Crummey|2014|page=42}}


Although the khan, ], was prepared to support Simeon in his conflict with Lithuania, he was unwilling to provide unlimited support to Moscow, for fear that it would become too strong.{{sfn|Fennell|2023|page=211}} He permitted the grand prince to enjoy the traditional rights of the throne and to maintain his nominal authority over other princes, but he interfered in Moscow's relations with Suzdal, supported anti-Muscovite elements in Ryazan, and contributed to Tver's fragmentation.{{sfn|Fennell|2023|page=212}} When Jani Beg first occupied the throne, Simeon's cousin Konstantin took advantage of the power struggle in Sarai and took control of ] and ].{{efn|The ''Rogozh Chronicle'' says that Konstantin Vasilyevich "sat in Nizhny Novgorod Gorodets upon the grand-princely throne", which indicates that he obtained the right to the title from the khan.{{sfn|Fennell|2023|page=214}}}}{{sfn|Fennell|2023|page=213}} Simeon attempted to dislodge his cousin, and in 1343, he convinced the boyars of Nizhny Novgorod and Gorodets to switch allegiance, but Jani Beg returned the boyars to Konstantin and confirmed him as prince.{{sfn|Fennell|2023|pages=214–215}} In 1352–1353, the ], which killed Simeon, his brother Andrey, along with his sons.{{sfn|Fennell|2023|page=217}} In addition, the plague killed ].{{sfn|Fennell|2023|page=217}} The ruling family of Moscow remained small as a result of the Black Death, and a new vertical pattern of princely succession from father to son was defined.{{sfn|Fennell|2023|pages=170–171}}
During the late 1550s, Ivan developed a hostility toward his advisers, the government, and the boyars. Historians have not determined whether policy differences, personal animosities, or mental imbalance caused his wrath. In ] he divided Russia into two parts: his private domain and the public realm. For his private domain, Ivan chose some of the most prosperous and important districts of Russia. In these areas, Ivan's agents attacked ]s, merchants, and even common people, summarily executing some and confiscating land and possessions. Thus began a decade of terror in Russia. As a result of this policy, called the '']'', Ivan broke the economic and political power of the leading ] families, thereby destroying precisely those persons who had built up Muscovy and were the most capable of administering it. Trade diminished, and peasants, faced with mounting taxes and threats of violence, began to leave Russia. Efforts to curtail the mobility of the peasants by tying them to their land brought Russia closer to legal serfdom. In ] Ivan finally abandoned the practices of the oprichnina.


===Ivan II===
Despite the domestic turmoil of Ivan's late period, Russia continued to wage wars and to expand. Ivan defeated and annexed the ] on the middle ] in ] and later the ], where the Volga meets the ]. These victories gave Russia access to the entire Volga River and to Central Asia. Russia's eastward expansion encountered relatively little resistance. In ] the ] merchant family, interested in fur trade, hired a ] leader, ], to lead an expedition into western ]. Yermak defeated the ] and claimed the territories west of the ] and ] rivers for Russia.
] ({{reigned|1353|1359}}) went to Sarai following the death of his older brother, where he presented himself to the khan as a candidate for the patent for the grand princely title.{{sfn|Fennell|2023|page=217}} His main opponent was Konstantin of ], who had greater support than the rival princes before him.{{sfn|Fennell|2023|page=217}} Novgorod sent a delegation to the khan requesting him to give the patent to Konstantin, due to Ivan's previous refusal to aid the Novgorodian army in besieging the Swedish-held fortress of ] in 1348.{{sfn|Fennell|2023|pages=217, 283}} Despite this, Jani Beg gave the patent to Ivan due to Konstantin's dynastic links with Lithuania.{{sfn|Fennell|2023|pages=217–218}} In 1355, Konstantin signed a treaty of friendship with Moscow and at the same time, the city of Novgorod "made peace with Prince Ivan".{{sfn|Fennell|2023|page=218}} Following Konstantin's death the same year, his eldest son Andrey succeeded him and drew a treaty with Ivan the next year.{{sfn|Fennell|2023|page=218}} In exchange for gifts, Andrey recognized the prince of Moscow as his "elder brother", or his feudal superior.{{sfn|Fennell|2023|page=218}}


During the first four years of Ivan's reign, there are no signs of any antagonism between Ivan and Grand Duke ] of Lithuania.{{sfn|Fennell|2023|page=298}} Ivan did not strengthen control of his brother's gains and was disinterested in his former father-in-law's principality of Bryansk.{{sfn|Fennell|2023|page=298}} In 1356, Algirdas captured Bryansk and Smolensk;{{sfn|Fennell|2023|page=298}}{{sfn|Crummey|2014|page=43}} however, Ivan did not provide military assistance, leading to Vasily of Smolensk to turn to the khan instead.{{sfn|Fennell|2023|page=298}} Although no formal treaty was drawn, Ivan had one of his daughters married to the son of ], the fifth eldest son of ].{{sfn|Fennell|2023|page=299}} Ivan continued his reversal of Simeon's policies by allying himself with the princes of Suzdal.{{sfn|Fennell|2023|page=300}} In addition, he supported the sons of Aleksandr of Tver and not the pro-Muscovite house of ] in Tver.{{sfn|Fennell|2023|page=300}} Khvost, a friend of Ivan amongst the boyars, was murdered by the senior boyars, who had been staunch supporters of Simeon.{{sfnm|1a1=Fennell|1y=2023|1p=300|2a1=Crummey|2y=2014|2p=43}} As a result, Ivan significantly changed his policy in 1357, first by signing a treaty with ].{{sfn|Fennell|2023|page=303}} In 1358, a joint expedition with ] and Tver drove the Lithuanians out of ].{{sfn|Fennell|2023|page=303}} The following year, Algirdas launched an attack, regaining control of Smolensk and Rzhev while taking control of ] in the Smolensk principality.{{sfn|Fennell|2023|page=304}}
Expanding to the northwest toward the ] proved to be much more difficult. In ] Ivan invaded ], eventually embroiling himself in a ] against ], ], ], and ]. Despite occasional successes, Ivan's army was pushed back, and the nation failed to secure a coveted position on the Baltic Sea. Hoping to make profit from Russia's concentration on the Livonian affairs, ] of ], accompanied by as many as 120 thousand horsemen, ], until the ] put a stop to such northward incursions. But for decades to come, the southern borderland was annually pillaged by the ] and the ], who took local inhabitants with them as slaves. Tens of thousands of soldiers protected the ] -- a heavy burden for a state whose social and economic development stagnated. The wars drained Russia. Some historians even believe that the oprichnina was started by Ivan in order to mobilize resources for the wars and to quell opposition to it. Regardless of the reason, Ivan's domestic and foreign policies had a devastating effect on Russia, and they led to a period of social struggle and civil war, the so-called Time of Troubles (''Smutnoye vremya'', ]-]).


==Time of Troubles== === Dmitry ===
] in the ], painting by ] (1849)]]


] ({{reigned|1359|1389}}) became prince at the age of nine following his father's death.{{sfn|Crummey|2014|page=44}} ] effectively became the ruler of Moscow, and he equated the interests of the Russian Church with those of the Moscow principality.{{sfn|Crummey|2014|page=44}}{{sfn|Dukes|1998|p=29}} The murder of ] in 1359 led to great turmoil within the Golden Horde, with repeated coups.{{sfn|Crummey|2014|page=44}} The warlord ] established his own '']'', exercising his authority with khans that he controlled.{{sfn|Crummey|2014|page=44}} ] renewed the claim to the grand princely title, but after a period of negotiations, the khan ] recognized Dmitry of Moscow as grand prince in 1362.{{sfn|Crummey|2014|page=45}} Alexius also approached Mamai's protégé ] and received his approval as well in order to strengthen Dmitry's claim.{{sfn|Crummey|2014|page=45}} However, Murad withdrew his recognition in response and instead recognized Dmitry of Suzdal as grand prince.{{sfn|Crummey|2014|page=45}} After the Muscovite army made a show of force, Dmitry of Suzdal abandoned his claim to the title and in 1364, he signed a treaty of friendship with Moscow.{{sfn|Crummey|2014|page=45}} Two years later, he arranged for his daughter to marry Dmitry of Moscow.{{sfn|Crummey|2014|page=45}}
Ivan IV was succeeded by his son ], who was mentally deficient. Actual power went to Fedor's brother-in-law, the boyar ]. Perhaps the most important event of Fedor's reign was the proclamation of the ] in ]. The creation of the patriarchate climaxed the evolution of a separate and totally independent ].
In ] Fedor died without an heir, ending the ] Dynasty. Boris Godunov then convened a '']'', a national assembly of boyars, church officials, and commoners, which proclaimed him tsar, although various boyar factions refused to recognize the decision. Widespread crop failures caused a famine between ] and ], and during the ensuing discontent, a man emerged who claimed to be Dmitriy, Ivan IV's son who had died in ]. This pretender to the throne, who came to be known as ], gained support in Poland and marched to Moscow, gathering followers among the boyars and other elements as he went. Historians speculate that Godunov would have weathered this crisis, but he died in ]. As a result, False Dmitriy I entered Moscow and was crowned tsar that year, following the murder of Tsar ], Godunov's son. ] against the Poles from September 1609 to January 1611.]]


After taking the throne, ] mounted a direct challenge to Moscow's pre-eminence with Lithuanian support.{{sfn|Crummey|2014|page=45}} Alexius continued to support the appanage princes of Tver against Mikhail, and by 1368, the conflict had escalated when the Muscovite army invaded Tver.{{sfn|Crummey|2014|page=46}} The Lithuanian army came to Mikhail's aid, but the new stone walls of Moscow were able to withstand the siege.{{sfn|Crummey|2014|page=46}} Dmitry launched another invasion in 1370, taking advantage of Lithuanian involvement in other conflicts.{{sfn|Crummey|2014|page=46}} Mikhail visited Mamai's court and received the patent, but was unable to enforce his claim without Lithuanian assistance.{{sfn|Crummey|2014|page=46}} Mikhail received another patent the following year, but Dmitry convinced the khan to restore him the title, while Alexius negotiated a peace treaty with Lithuania and had Dmitry's cousin ] married to one of the daughters of Algirdas.{{sfn|Crummey|2014|page=46}} Mikhail once again received the patent in 1375, but Dmitry retained the loyalty of the other princes, and the combined forces defeated Mikhail's army.{{sfn|Crummey|2014|page=47}} Mikhail made peace and acknowledged Dmitry as his "elder brother".{{sfn|Crummey|2014|page=47}}
Subsequently, Russia entered a period of continuous chaos, known as ''The ]'' (Смутное Время). It included a civil war in which a struggle over the throne was complicated by the machinations of rival boyar factions, the intervention of regional powers Poland and Sweden, and intense popular discontent. False Dmitriy I and his Polish garrison were overthrown, and a boyar, ], was proclaimed tsar in ]. In his attempt to retain the throne, Shuyskiy allied himself with the Swedes. ], allied with the Poles, appeared. In ] that heir apparent was proclaimed tsar, and the Poles occupied Moscow. The Polish presence led to a patriotic revival among the Russians, and a new army, financed by northern merchants and blessed by the Orthodox Church, drove the Poles out. In ] Poland intervened officially (previous invasions were by private armies). Russian boyars signed in ] a treaty of peace, recognising ], son of Polish king ], as tzar (which was opposed by his father, however). Opponents were defeated by Polish army at ]. In 1611, ] appeared, but was soon apprehended and executed. In ], troops under command of prince ] finally drove Poles out. But they were able to restore their rule over some territories, including ] lost by the ] in ]. In ] a new zemsky sobor proclaimed the boyar ] as tsar, beginning the 300-year reign of the ] family.


] blessing ] before the ], miniature from the ]]]
Russia was in chaos for more than a decade, but the institution of the autocracy remained intact. Despite the tsar's persecution of the boyars, the townspeople's dissatisfaction, and the gradual enserfment of the peasantry, efforts at restricting the power of the tsar were only halfhearted. Finding no institutional alternative to the autocracy, discontented Russians rallied behind various pretenders to the throne. During that period, the goal of political activity was to gain influence over the sitting autocrat or to place one's own candidate on the throne. The boyars fought among themselves, the lower classes revolted blindly, and foreign armies occupied ] in Moscow, prompting many to accept tsarist absolutism as a necessary means to restoring order and unity in Russia.
Dmitry expanded his domain by incorporating the principalities of Beloozero, Galich and Uglich, those that he credited his grandfather Ivan&nbsp;I with purchasing.{{sfn|Crummey|2014|page=49}} As Moscow grew, the warlord ] built his own empire in ] and recruited ] into his ranks.{{sfn|Crummey|2014|page=51}} Tokhtamysh took control of Sarai and united the Horde under his rule.{{sfn|Crummey|2014|page=51}} After a period of relative stability, the rise of Tokhtamysh threatened the position of Mamai, who opted to reduce the Russian principalities into submission.{{sfn|Crummey|2014|page=51}} In 1378, Dmitry mobilized his forces against him and won a victory in the ].{{sfn|Crummey|2014|page=52}} Afterwards, Mamai mobilized a large army and made an alliance with Lithuania.{{sfn|Crummey|2014|page=52}} He also recruited ], whose domain had been exposed to constant attack from the steppe.{{sfn|Crummey|2014|page=52}} Dmitry gathered troops from all the territories he controlled, although no forces were sent from Novgorod, Nizhny Novgorod or Tver.{{sfn|Crummey|2014|page=52}} He was joined by ] and ], members of the Lithuanian ruling house who were enemies of their half-brother ].{{sfn|Crummey|2014|page=52}} Before the Lithuanian army could join Mamai's forces, the Russian troops defeated them in the 1380 ] and Mamai fled south.{{sfn|Crummey|2014|page=52}}


Although later generations saw the Russian victory as a triumph, the principalities remained under Mongol suzerainty and Tokhtamysh launched a punitive expedition, ] in 1382.{{sfn|Crummey|2014|page=53}} Despite this, Moscow greatly increased its prestige and Dmitry made Oleg of Ryazan recognize him as his feudal superior again.{{sfn|Crummey|2014|page=53}} After Moscow was sacked, Dmitry accepted Mongol suzerainty and he was confirmed as the grand prince.{{sfn|Crummey|2014|page=58}} The khan forced him to collect an exceptionally large amount of tribute and held his son ] as hostage.{{sfn|Crummey|2014|page=58}} The wealthiest center in Russia, Novgorod, objected to paying a special tax, leading to Dmitry to launch an expedition in 1386 to force the city to pay.{{sfn|Crummey|2014|page=58}} In the last years of his reign, Dmitry focused on strengthening his authority among the Russian princes, particularly those of Tver and Ryazan.{{sfn|Riasanovsky|Steinberg|2019|p=75}} Dmitry made the first deliberate move towards ] and he guaranteed his eldest son, Vasily, that he would succeed him.{{sfn|Martin|2019|pp=423–424}} In his testament, he bequeathed the grand principality to Vasily.{{sfn|Martin|2019|pp=423–424}} Dmitry for the first time managed inseparably to
==Romanovs==
identify the grand principality with Moscow by gaining recognition from the Tatars that the title of grand prince, along with the territories dependent on Vladimir, was a family possession.{{sfn|Fennell|2023|page=306}}


=== Vasily I ===
The immediate task of the new dynasty was to restore order. Fortunately for Russia, its major enemies, Poland and Sweden, were engaged in a bitter conflict with each other, which provided Russia the opportunity to make peace with Sweden in ] and to sign a truce with Poland in ]. After an unsuccessful attempt to regain the city of ] (the ]) from Poland in ], Russia made peace with Poland in ]. Polish king ], whose father and predecessor ] had been elected by Russian boyars as tsar of Russia during the Time of Troubles, renounced all claims to the title as a condition of the peace treaty.
] ({{reigned|1389|1425}}) continued to expand the grand principality by taking advantage of ] in the Golden Horde.{{sfn|Crummey|2014|page=63}}{{sfn|Riasanovsky|Steinberg|2019|p=75}} In 1392, Tokhtamysh's forces were defeated by Timur, and during a visit to the weakened khan's court, Vasily was given permission to take the throne of Nizhny Novgorod.{{sfn|Crummey|2014|page=63}} In 1395, Timur led a large army and ] in the ].{{sfn|Crummey|2014|page=64}} Timur then set about devastating Tokhtamysh's domains and turned his army towards Moscow.{{sfn|Crummey|2014|page=64}} Vasily gathered an army, while ] brought the ] icon, but Timur stopped his advance and withdrew from Russian territory.{{sfn|Crummey|2014|page=64}} ] drove Tokhtamysh into exile and came to dominate the steppe, but paid little attention to Moscow, instead focusing on Lithuania.{{sfn|Crummey|2014|page=64}} As a result, Vasily stopped paying tribute and did not recognize the suzerainty of successive khans.{{sfn|Crummey|2014|page=65}} However, in 1408, Edigu launched a devastating invasion and laid siege to Moscow, but the city managed to survive the attack.{{sfn|Crummey|2014|page=65}} Edigu agreed to withdraw his forces on the condition that he would be paid a large indemnity.{{sfn|Crummey|2014|page=65}} In 1410, Tatar raids led to the sacking of the old capital, Vladimir, and in 1412, Vasily went to the khan to renew his patent for the grand princely title.{{sfn|Crummey|2014|page=65}} In Edigei's last years, the Horde was weakened by internal divisions, and by 1420, it would soon be replaced by successive khanates.{{sfn|Crummey|2014|page=65}}


At the start of his reign, Vasily posed no threat to the ambitions of Vytautas and assumed the role of junior partner.{{sfn|Crummey|2014|page=62}} Vasily married his daughter ] in 1391 and was able to enjoy his protection.{{sfn|Crummey|2014|page=62}}{{sfn|Dukes|1998|p=30}} When Vytautas captured the Smolensk principality in 1395, Vasily offered no resistance and accepted the Lithuanian annexation the following year.{{sfn|Crummey|2014|page=66}} Vytautas allied himself with Tokhtamysh, but in 1399, their forces were defeated by Edigu in the ].{{sfn|Crummey|2014|page=66}} In 1401, the people of Smolensk launched a revolt against Lithuanian rule and recalled their former prince, but Vasily stayed neutral and Vytautas reasserted his control three years later.{{sfn|Crummey|2014|page=66}} However, Vytautas attempted to bring Pskov and Novgorod into the Lithuanian sphere of influence, and in 1406, Vytautas attacked Pskov.{{sfn|Crummey|2014|page=66}} Vasily came to the aid of Pskov, leading to a border war between Lithuania and Moscow that lasted until Edigu's invasion two years later.{{sfn|Crummey|2014|page=66}} In 1410, Vytautas joined Jogaila of Poland in defeating the ] in the ], and relations between Lithuania and Moscow resumed a more peaceful course, although the two continued to wrestle for influence in Pskov and Novgorod.{{sfn|Crummey|2014|page=66}}
The early Romanovs were weak rulers. Under Mikhail, state affairs were in the hands of the tsar's father, ], who in ] became patriarch of the Orthodox Church. Later, Mikhail's son ] (r. ]-]) relied on a boyarin, ], to run his government. Morozov abused his position by exploiting the populace, and in ] Aleksey dismissed him in the wake of the ] in Moscow.
<!--The reforms of St. Sergius triggered a cultural revival, exemplified by the icons and frescoes of the monk ]. Hundreds of monasteries were founded by disciples of St. Sergius in distant and inhospitable locations, including ] and ]. Apart from their cultural functions, these monasteries were major landowners who could control the economy of an adjacent region. They served as outposts of Moscow's influence in the neighbouring principalities and republics. Another factor responsible for the expansion of the Grand Principality of Moscow was its favourable dynastic situation, in which each sovereign was succeeded by his son, while rival principalities were plagued by dynastic strife and splintered into ever-smaller polities. The only lateral branch of the House of Moscow, represented by ] and his descendants, was firmly anchored to the Moscow principality.-->


=== Vasily II ===
The autocracy survived the Time of Troubles and the rule of weak or corrupt tsars because of the strength of the government's central bureaucracy. Government functionaries continued to serve, regardless of the ruler's legitimacy or the boyar faction controlling the throne. In the ] century, the bureaucracy expanded dramatically. The number of government departments (''prikazy'' ; sing., '']'' ) increased from twenty-two in ] to eighty by mid-century. Although the departments often had overlapping and conflicting jurisdictions, the central government, through provincial governors, was able to control and regulate all social groups, as well as trade, manufacturing, and even the Orthodox Church.
]
]. ''Muscovite women at the church service''.]]
] ({{reigned|1425|1462}}) succeeded his father at the age of ten, and in the early years of his reign, tensions within Moscow led to ].{{sfn|Crummey|2014|page=68}} ] showed signs of ambition during the reign of his older brother, Vasily&nbsp;I.{{sfn|Crummey|2014|page=69}} He consolidated his control of his share of the family inheritance, building up a solid base in the prosperous region of Galich and creating a new capital, ].{{sfn|Crummey|2014|page=69}} As soon as his brother died, Yury challenged the succession of his nephew.{{efn|Yury based his claim on customary law. According to traditional succession practices, primacy passed not from father to son, but from the eldest brother to the second eldest brother and so on, before moving onto the next generation. For more than a century, though, the throne had passed from father to son. Yury also based his claim on Dmitry Donskoy's stipulation that the throne should pass to Yury on his death, who was writing at the time he had no son.{{sfn|Crummey|2014|page=69}}}}{{sfn|Crummey|2014|page=69}} Yury gathered an army, but ] intervened, urging him to submit.{{sfn|Crummey|2014|page=69}} Yury refused, but the people of Galich pressured him after the metropolitan withheld his blessing of Yury's subjects.{{sfn|Crummey|2014|page=69}} Yury recognized Vasily as the grand prince in 1428, but following the death of Vasily's key allies, Photius and Vytautas, Yury claimed the throne again in 1431 with the support of the population of Galich and other areas in the north, including ].{{sfn|Crummey|2014|page=69}} Vasily sent his representatives to the khan, ], and was able to receive the patent for the grand princely throne.{{sfn|Crummey|2014|page=70}} However, in 1433, Yury seized Moscow and Vasily was forced to recognize him as the grand prince and accept Kolomna as an appanage.{{sfn|Crummey|2014|page=70}}


Many nobles refused to recognize Yury as grand prince, and with his support dwindling, he left Moscow.{{sfn|Crummey|2014|page=70}} Yury once again seized Moscow in 1434 and was able to secure recognition from powerful figures such as the prince of Mozhaysk, but he died soon after and the princes of Galich could no longer claim the throne on legal grounds.{{sfn|Crummey|2014|page=71}} ], Yury's eldest son, attempted to remain on the throne of Moscow, but his younger brothers rejected his claim and made peace with Vasily&nbsp;II.{{sfn|Crummey|2014|page=71}} He left Moscow, but continued to fight a war of attrition from his base.{{sfn|Crummey|2014|page=71}} Vasily&nbsp;II captured him in 1436 and had him blinded, bringing the first phase of the civil war to an end and allowing Vasily to address a crisis in the church.{{sfn|Crummey|2014|page=71}} The metropolitan seat had remained vacant following the death of Photius, and a council of Russian bishops nominated a local bishop, ], to succeed him, but when he was finally able to go to ], the patriarch had already appointed the Greek bishop ].{{sfn|Crummey|2014|pages=71–72}} Shortly after arriving in Moscow, Isidore left for the ].{{sfn|Crummey|2014|page=72}} Isidore returned in 1441 and brought news of the union, but Vasily ordered his arrest for having it signed.{{sfn|Crummey|2014|page=72}} The seat remained vacant, and as no replacement had been sent from Constantinople, a council of Russian bishops finally chose Jonah as metropolitan in 1448, which amounted to a declaration of ] by the Russian Orthodox Church.{{sfn|Crummey|2014|page=72}}
The comprehensive legal code introduced in ] illustrates the extent of state control over Russian society. By that time, the boyars had largely merged with the new elite, who were obligatory servitors of the state, to form a new nobility, the dvoryanstvo. The state required service from both the old and the new nobility, primarily in the military because of permanent warfare on southern and western borders and attacks of nomads. In return, the nobility received land and peasants. In the preceding century, the state had gradually curtailed peasants' rights to move from one landlord to another; the ] code officially attached peasants to their domicile. The state fully sanctioned ], and runaway peasants became state fugitives. Landlords had complete power over their peasants <!--and bought, sold, traded, and mortgaged them-->. Peasants living on state-owned land, however, were not considered serfs. They were organized into communes, which were responsible for taxes and other obligations. Like serfs, however, state peasants were attached to the land they farmed. Middle-class urban tradesmen and craftsmen were assessed taxes, and, like the serfs, they were forbidden to change residence. All segments of the population were subject to military levy and to special taxes. By chaining much of Muscovite society to specific domiciles, the legal code of 1649 curtailed movement and subordinated the people to the interests of the state.


The pressure of his rivals forced Ulugh Muhammad to take refuge in ].{{sfn|Crummey|2014|page=73}} Vasily attempted to drive him out, but failed, and the khan was free to raid the southern frontiers of Moscow for several years.{{sfn|Crummey|2014|page=73}} In 1444, he moved to either Gorodets or Nizhny Novgorod, and launched raids on the southeastern territories of Moscow.{{sfn|Crummey|2014|page=73}} Vasily mobilized against him, but slowly due to Lithuanian attacks, and in 1445, Vasily was taken prisoner by Ulugh Muhammad.{{sfn|Crummey|2014|page=74}} He was later released and forced to pay a large ransom.{{sfn|Crummey|2014|page=74}} Upon Vasily's return to Moscow, a number of nobles joined a plot in installing Yury's son ] on the throne, and after Vasily left for a pilgrimage, Shemyaka's forces seized Moscow in 1446.{{sfn|Crummey|2014|page=74}} As resistance to Shemyaka grew, especially from the clergy, Vasily moved to Tver and received the support of its prince, ], on the agreement that Vasily's son ] would be married to his daughter, ].{{sfn|Crummey|2014|page=74–75}} Vasily's army entered Moscow the same year unopposed with the support of most court nobles and the ecclesiastical hierarchy, in addition to the prince of Tver.{{sfn|Crummey|2014|page=75}} Shemyaka abandoned Moscow but still offered resistance until Galich was captured by Vasily in 1450.{{sfn|Crummey|2014|page=75}}
Under this code, increased state taxes and regulations exacerbated the social discontent that had been simmering since the Time of Troubles. In the ] and ], the number of peasant escapes increased dramatically. A favorite refuge was the ] region, domain of the ]. A major uprising occurred in the Volga region in ] and ]. ], a Cossack who was from the Don River region, led a revolt that drew together wealthy Cossacks who were well established in the region and escaped serfs seeking free land. The unexpected uprising swept up the Volga River valley and even threatened Moscow. Tsarist troops finally defeated the rebels after they had occupied major cities along the Volga in an operation whose panache captured the imaginations of later generations of Russians. Razin was publicly tortured and executed.


==Expansion== === Ivan III ===
]
] ({{reigned|1462|1505}}) succeeded his father and his reign has been considered to mark the end of the ] period and the beginning of a new period in Russian history known as ''Muscovite Russia''.{{sfn|Riasanovsky|Steinberg|2019|p=76}} At the start of Ivan's reign, Moscow was already the political and religious center of Russia, but Ivan vastly expanded the domain of the grand prince with the "]".{{sfnm|1a1=Dukes|1y=1998|1p=42|2a1=Riasanovsky|2a2=Steinberg|2y=2019|2p=77}} After Novgorod's ] class turned to Lithuania for support, Ivan's army defeated the Novgorodian army in 1471, after which Ivan took an oath of allegiance from Novgorod, but left its system of government in place.{{sfn|Riasanovsky|Steinberg|2019|p=77}} After the Novgorodian authorities attempted to turn to Lithuania again, Ivan's army marched against the city in 1478 and the city surrendered.{{sfn|Riasanovsky|Steinberg|2019|p=77}} Ivan imposed his direct rule on the city and abolished its system of government.{{sfn|Riasanovsky|Steinberg|2019|p=77}} Tver offered even less resistance, and when Ivan launched a new campaign against Tver in 1485, its prince fled to Lithuania.{{sfn|Riasanovsky|Steinberg|2019|p=77}} Ivan incorporated other ] into the grand principality, while other princes acknowledged him as their overlord. As a result, Ivan began to rule Russia as a unified monarchy.{{sfn|Wortman|2013|page=10}}


Having consolidated the core of Russia under his rule, Ivan III became the first Moscow ruler to adopt the titles of ]<ref>Trepanier, L. ''Political Symbols in Russian History: Church, State, and the Quest for Order and Justice''. Lexington Books. 2010. p. 39</ref> and "Ruler of all Rus{{'"}}. Ivan competed with his powerful northwestern rival, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, for control over some of the ] of Kievan Rus' in the upper ] and ] river basins. Through the defections of some princes, border skirmishes, and the long inconclusive ] that ended only in 1503, Ivan III was able to push westward, and the Moscow state tripled in size under his rule.{{citation needed|date=May 2023}}
Russia continued its territorial growth through the ]. In the south-west, it acquired eastern ], which had been under Polish rule. The Ukrainian ]s, warriors organized in military formations, lived in the frontier areas bordering Poland, the ] lands, and Russia. Although they had served in the Polish army as mercenaries, the Cossacks of the ] remained fiercely independent and staged a number of rebellions against the Poles. In ], the peasants of Ukraine joined the Cossacks in rebellion during the ], because of the social and religious oppression they suffered under Polish rule. Initially, Ukrainians were allied with ]s, which had helped them to throw off Polish rule. Once the Poles convinced the Tartars to switch sides, the Ukrainians needed military help to maintain their position. In 1654 the Ukrainian leader, ], offered to place Ukraine under the protection of the Muscovite tsar, ]. <!--However, Khmelnytsky underestimated the differences between the parliamentary system of Poland and the oppressive monarchy of the Tsars.-- NONSENSE. In POLAND the SERFDOM was EVEN MORE SEVERE AND EXISTED LONGER, there was a NATIONAL AND RELIGIOUS OPPRESSION OF ORTHODOX--> Aleksey's acceptance of this offer, which was ratified in the ], led to a protracted war between Poland and Russia. The ], which ended the war in ], split Ukraine along the river ], reuniting the western sector (or ]) with Poland and leaving the eastern sector (]) as the ], self-governing under the suzerainty of the tsar.


===Vasily III===
In the east, Russia had obtained western Siberia in the sixteenth century. From this base, merchants, traders, and explorers pushed eastward from the ] to the ], then to the ] and to the Coast of Pacific. In 1648 Cossack ] opened the passage between America and Asia. By the middle of the 17th century, Muscovites had reached the ] and the outskirts of the ]. After a period of conflict with the ], Russia made peace with ] in ]. By the ], Russia ceded its claims to the Amur Valley, but it gained access to the region east of ] and the trade route to ]. Peace with China consolidated the initial breakthrough to the Pacific that had been made in the middle of the century.
{{expand section|date=November 2024}}
] ({{reigned|1505|1533}}) continued his father's policy of annexing the other appanages.{{sfnm|1a1=Crummey|1y=2014|1p=92|2a1=Riasanovsky|2a2=Steinberg|2y=2019|2p=79}} He annexed ] and Ryazan in 1510 and 1521, respectively, completing the process of "gathering" (Great) Russian lands.{{sfnm|1a1=Moss|1y=2003|1p=88|2a1=Riasanovsky|2a2=Steinberg|2y=2019|2p=79|3a1=Dukes|3y=1998|3p=45}} During ], Vasily captured ] in 1514, and a peace treaty in 1522 confirmed Moscow's gains.{{sfnm|1a1=Riasanovsky|1a2=Steinberg|1y=2019|1p=80|2a1=Dukes|2y=1998|2p=45}} Vasily also advanced the Russian border in the east and supported the pro-Russian party in the ].{{sfnm|1a1=Riasanovsky|1a2=Steinberg|1y=2019|1p=80|2a1=Dukes|2y=1998|2p=45}}


== Politics ==
Russia's southwestern expansion, particularly its incorporation of eastern Ukraine, had unintended consequences. Most Ukrainians were Orthodox, but their close contact with the ] and the Polish Counter-Reformation also brought them Western intellectual currents. Through the Academy in Kiev, Russia gained links to Polish and Central European influences and to the wider Orthodox world. Although the Ukrainian link stimulated creativity in many areas, it also undermined traditional Russian religious practices and culture. The Russian Orthodox Church discovered that its isolation from ] had caused variations to creep into its liturgical books and practices. The Russian Orthodox patriarch, ], was determined to bring the Russian texts back into conformity with the ] originals. But Nikon encountered fierce opposition among the many Russians who viewed the corrections as improper foreign intrusions, or perhaps the work of the devil. When the Orthodox Church forced Nikon's reforms, a schism resulted in ]. Those who did not accept the reforms came to be called the ] (starovery ); they were officially pronounced heretics and were persecuted by the church and the state. The chief opposition figure, the archpriest ], was burned at the stake. The split subsequently became permanent, and many merchants and peasants joined the Old Believers.
] in the ]]]


] stressed the unity of the ruling house of Moscow and its lands, and as a result, he ensured that the family's lands remained the collective property of all members while giving each one of his heirs a share of the inheritance.{{sfn|Crummey|2014|page=50}} ] made a treaty with his brothers, in which the younger members of the house recognized Simeon as their leader and were obligated to follow him in his military campaigns in exchange for Simeon consulting his brothers on important state affairs.{{sfn|Crummey|2014|page=50}} As a result, each brother had inviolable possession of his appanage, which he could administer autonomously and pass on to his direct heir.{{sfn|Crummey|2014|page=50}} Due to the increasing ] of Moscow, the ruling house under ] distinguished between patrimonial possessions of the entire family, which could be divided into ]s held as a temporary trust, and patrimonial possessions known as '']'' that belonged to individual members or branches.{{sfn|Crummey|2014|page=50}} In the treaties between Dmitry and his cousin ] of ], the former recognized the latter's right to hold the lands inherited from his father.{{sfn|Crummey|2014|page=50}} At this point, the Moscow principality consisted of two autonomous subdivisions with two capitals, while the principality remained a single unit of which Dmitry was the head.{{sfn|Crummey|2014|page=50}}
The tsar's court also felt the impact of Ukraine and the West. Kiev was a major transmitter of new ideas and insight through the famed scholarly academy that ] founded there in ]. Among the results of this infusion of ideas into Russia were ] styles of ], literature, and ]. Other more direct channels to the West opened as international trade increased and more foreigners came to Russia. The tsar's court was interested in the West's more advanced technology, particularly when military applications were involved. By the end of the 17th century, Ukrainian, Polish, and West European penetration had undermined the Muscovite cultural synthesis--at least among the elite--and had prepared the way for an even more radical transformation.


The unification of Russia gave rise to a new political system characterized by the dominance of the grand prince, who viewed the country as his personal patrimony.{{sfn|Riasanovsky|Steinberg|2019|page=85}} The historian ] wrote: "The authority of the Moscow princes took on the character of the authority of a lord of the manor over its land and people... The prince was not only the ruler of the country; he was also its owner".{{sfn|Riasanovsky|Steinberg|2019|page=85}} During the appanage period, princes and their retinues played a major administrative and social role in their principalities; however, with the rise of the grand principality of Moscow, the role of those princes were subordinated to the grand prince and the emerging state apparatus.{{sfn|Riasanovsky|Steinberg|2019|page=85}} Traditional institutions like the '']'' were abolished, and appanage princes were incorporated into the ] class.{{sfnm|1a1=Riasanovsky|1a2=Steinberg|1y=2019|1p=85|2a1=Bushkovitch|2y=2021|2p=48}} As a result, they became increasingly part of the ].{{sfn|Riasanovsky|Steinberg|2019|page=85}} Some historians have argued that a ruling class, which included the grand prince and leading boyars, governed the country by consultation and consensus-building.{{sfn|Riasanovsky|Steinberg|2019|page=86}} ] in particular called it the "facade of autocracy" and applied the term to later Muscovite history.{{sfn|Riasanovsky|Steinberg|2019|page=86}}
==Western European knowledge of Muscovy==
]
Muscovy remained a fairly unknown society in western Europe until Baron ] published his ] (literally ''Notes on Muscovite Affairs'') in ]. This provided a comprehensive view of what had been a rarely visited and poorly reported state. In the 1630s, Muscovy was visited by ], whose lively and well-informed writings were soon translated into all major languages of Europe.


==Foreign relations==
Further exploration of the Russian lands was conducted by English and Dutch ]s. One of them, Richard Chancellor, sailed to the ] in ] and continued overland to Moscow. Upon his return to England, the ] was formed by him, ], Sir ], and several London merchants. Ivan the Terrible used these merchants to exchange letters with ] and probably even made a proposal to her.
{{expand section|date=November 2024}}
===Golden Horde===


Relations between Moscow and the ] varied at times.<ref name=Gorskiy187 /> In the last two decades of the 13th century, Moscow gained the support of one of the rivaling Mongol statesmen, ], against the principalities that were oriented towards the khan. After the restoration of unity in the Golden Horde in the early 14th century, Moscow generally enjoyed the favor of the khan until 1317 and 1322–1327.<ref name=Gorskiy187 /> For the following thirty years, when relations between the two parties improved, Moscow was able to achieve sufficient economic and political potential. Further attempts to deprive its rulers of the status of grand prince were unsuccessful after the Horde sank into internecine war and proved to be fruitless during the reign of a relatively powerful khan such as ], whereas ] had no other choice but to recognize the supremacy of Moscow over the Russian principalities.<ref name=Gorskiy187>{{cite book|last1=Gorskij|first1=A.A.|title=Moskva i Orda|date=2000|publisher=Nauka |location=Moskva|isbn=978-5-02-010202-6|page=187|edition=Naučnoe izd.|url=http://medievalrus.csu.ru/bible/Gorsky_2000.shtml|access-date=5 December 2016|language=ru}}</ref> The traditional ] strategy of the Mongols failed, and the following period is characterized by a lack of support from the Horde.<ref name=Gorskiy187 />
==Early Imperial Russia==
''Main article: ].''


Although Moscow recognized the khan as its suzerain in the early years of the "Tatar yoke", despite certain acts of resistance and disobedience, it refused to acknowledge the khan's suzerainty in 1374–1380, 1396–1411, 1414–1416 and 1417–1419, even despite the growing power of the Golden Horde.<ref name=Gorskiy189>{{cite book |last1=Gorskij|first1=A.A.|title=Moskva i Orda|date=2000|publisher=Nauka|location=Moskva|isbn=978-5-02-010202-6|pages=188–189|edition=Naučnoe izd. |url=http://medievalrus.csu.ru/bible/Gorsky_2000.shtml|access-date=5 December 2016|language=ru}}</ref> The power of the Horde over Moscow was greatly limited during the reign of ], who gained recognition of the grand principality of Vladimir as a hereditary possession of the princes of Moscow; while the Horde continued to collect tribute, it could no longer have a serious impact on the internal structure of Russia.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Gorskij|first1=A.A.|title=Moskva i Orda|date=2000|publisher=Nauka|location=Moskva|isbn=978-5-02-010202-6|page=189|edition=Naučnoe izd.|url=http://medievalrus.csu.ru/bible/Gorsky_2000.shtml|access-date=5 December 2016|language=ru}}</ref> During the reigns of ] and ], the Moscow grand principality adopted the ideology of an Orthodox ]dom after the ], which was incompatible with the recognition of suzerainty of the khan, and as a result, the grand prince began to declare the independence of Moscow in diplomatic relations with other countries.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Gorskij|first1=A.A.|title=Moskva i Orda|date=2000|publisher=Nauka|location=Moskva|isbn=978-5-02-010202-6|page=188 |edition=Naučnoe izd.|url=http://medievalrus.csu.ru/bible/Gorsky_2000.shtml|access-date=5 December 2016|language=ru}}</ref> This process was complete during the reign of Ivan III.<ref name=Gorskiy189 />
The following article in the series describes how in the 18th century, Russia was transformed from a static, somewhat isolated, traditional state into the more dynamic, partially Westernized, and secularized ]. This transformation was in no small measure a result of the vision, energy, and determination of ]. Historians disagree about the extent to which Peter himself transformed Russia, but they generally concur that he laid the foundations for empire building over the next two centuries. The era that Peter initiated signaled the advent of Russia as a major European power. But, although the Russian Empire would play a leading political role in the next century, its retention of serfdom precluded economic progress of any significant degree. As West European economic growth accelerated during the ], which had begun in the second half of the eighteenth century, Russia began to lag ever farther behind, creating new problems for the empire as a great power.


== Culture ==
]'', icon by ] (early 15th century)]]

A distinct school of ] was formed in Moscow in the second half of the 14th century, and would be led by ], one of the most celebrated Russian icon painters.{{sfn|Riasanovsky|Steinberg|2019|page=102}} Among his most notable works is '']'', which dates to the early 15th century.{{sfn|Riasanovsky|Steinberg|2019|page=102}} The first original Russian school, the ] school, was merged with the Moscow school in the early 15th century.{{sfn|Riasanovsky|Steinberg|2019|page=100}} ] said it could be distinguished by "a general tone, which is always cool, silvery, in contrast to Novgorodian painting which inevitably tends towards the warm, the yellowish, the golden".{{sfn|Riasanovsky|Steinberg|2019|pp=100–101}} ] continued the traditions of Andrei Rublev and the Moscow school at the turn of the 16th century.{{sfn|Riasanovsky|Steinberg|2019|page=103}} The art of the ] in ]s also continued to develop in Moscow, with manuscripts like the ] containing rich illustrations.{{sfn|Riasanovsky|Steinberg|2019|page=103}}

After the defeat of the Tatars in the ], heroic accounts of the battle were written with considerable artistry, including '']'' and '']''.{{sfn|Riasanovsky|Steinberg|2019|page=94}} The latter crafted a proto-national myth about the need for unification against foreign enemies: "Let us lay
down our lives for the Russian land and the Christian faith".{{sfn|Riasanovsky|Steinberg|2019|page=94}}

Muscovite Russia was culturally influenced by Slavic and Byzantine cultural elements. In Muscovite Russia, ] was a fundamental part of daily life.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Wigzell|first=Faith|date=2010-01-31|title=Valerie A. Kivelson and Robert H. Greene (eds). ''Orthodox Russia: Belief and Practice under the Tsars''.|journal=Folklorica|volume=9|issue=2|pages=169–171|doi=10.17161/folklorica.v9i2.3754|issn=1920-0242|doi-access=free}}</ref>


== See also == == See also ==
{{Portal|Russia}}
]
* ]

== Notes ==
{{notelist}}


== References == == References ==
{{reflist|30em}}
* {{loc}} -

*]'s ''Russia during the reign of Alexey Mikhailovich'' (1665) is the indispensible source for those studying administration of the Muscovite tsardom
== Bibliography ==
* {{Country study}} -
* {{cite book |last1=Bushkovitch |first1=Paul |title=A Concise History of Russia |date=5 December 2011 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-1-139-50444-7 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Le-n7ZYjGWkC |language=en}}
* {{cite book |last1=Bushkovitch |first1=Paul |title=Succession to the Throne in Early Modern Russia: The Transfer of Power 1450–1725 |date=18 March 2021 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-1-108-47934-9 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pAEbEAAAQBAJ |language=en}}
* {{cite book |last1=Crummey |first1=Robert O. |title=The Formation of Muscovy 1300 - 1613 |date=6 June 2014 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-317-87200-9 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MMwFBAAAQBAJ |language=en}}
* {{cite book |last1=Dukes |first1=Paul |authorlink1=Paul Dukes (historian) |title=A History of Russia: Medieval, Modern, Contemporary, C. 882-1996 |date=1998 |publisher=Duke University Press |isbn=978-0-8223-2096-8 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-K56QgAACAAJ |language=en}}
* {{cite book |last1=Favereau |first1=Marie |authorlink1=Marie Favereau |title=The Horde: How the Mongols Changed the World |date=20 April 2021 |publisher=Harvard University Press |isbn=978-0-674-24421-4 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jKMbEAAAQBAJ |language=en}}
* {{cite book |last1=Feldbrugge |first1=Ferdinand J. M. |title=A History of Russian Law: From Ancient Times to the Council Code (Ulozhenie) of Tsar Aleksei Mikhailovich of 1649 |date=2 October 2017 |publisher=BRILL |isbn=978-90-04-35214-8 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TDI9DwAAQBAJ |language=en}}
* {{cite book |last1=Fennell |first1=John |authorlink1=John Lister Illingworth Fennell |title=The Emergence of Moscow, 1304–1359 |date=15 November 2023 |publisher=Univ of California Press |isbn=978-0-520-34759-5|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ymzfEAAAQBAJ |language=en}}
* {{cite book |last=Halperin |first=Charles J. |authorlink=Charles J. Halperin |year=1987| title=Russia and the Golden Horde: The Mongol Impact on Medieval Russian History |pages=222 |publisher=Indiana University |isbn=9781850430575}} (e-book).
* {{cite book |title=Medieval Russia: 980–1584. Second Edition. E-book |last=Martin |first=Janet |authorlink=Janet L. B. Martin |url=https://www.ebooks.com/en-us/book/802816/medieval-russia-980-1584/janet-martin/ |year=2007 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |location=Cambridge |isbn=978-0-511-36800-4}}
* {{cite book |last1=Hellberg-Hirn |first1=Elena |title=Soil and Soul: The Symbolic World of Russianness |date=4 January 2019 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-0-429-64041-4 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0_eCDwAAQBAJ |language=en}}
* {{cite book |last1=Howes |first1=Robert Craig |title=The Testaments of the Grand Princes of Moscow |date=1967 |publisher=Cornell University Press |isbn=978-0-598-21269-6 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HsVoAAAAMAAJ |language=en}}
* {{cite book |last1=Kloss |first1=Boris |authorlink1=Boris Kloss |title=О происхождении названия "Россия" |date=2012 |publisher=ИД ЯСК |location=Moskva |isbn=978-5-9551-0527-7}}
* {{cite book |last1=Martin |first1=Russell |editor1-last=Woodacre |editor1-first=Elena |chapter=Anticipatory Association of the Heir in Early Modern Russia: Primogeniture and Succession in Russia's Ruling Dynasties |title=The Routledge History of Monarchy |date=12 June 2019 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-351-78730-7 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SwadDwAAQBAJ |language=en |pages=420–442}}
* {{cite book |last1=Meyendorff |first1=John |authorlink1=John Meyendorff |title=Byzantium and the Rise of Russia: A Study of Byzantino-Russian Relations in the Fourteenth Century |date=24 June 2010 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-0-521-13533-7 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KKZdTvs1ySYC |language=en}}
* {{cite book |last1=Morby |first1=John |title=Dynasties of the World |date=18 September 2014 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-251848-4 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TFExDwAAQBAJ |language=en}}
* {{cite book |last1=Moss |first1=Walter G. |title=A History of Russia Volume 1: To 1917 |date=1 July 2003 |publisher=Anthem Press |isbn=978-1-84331-023-5 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bHdPAgAAQBAJ |language=en}}
* {{cite book |last=Ostrowski |first=Donald G. |authorlink=Donald Ostrowski |title=Muscovy and the Mongols: cross-cultural influences on the steppe frontier, 1304–1589 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |publication-place=Cambridge |date=2002 |isbn=0-521-89410-7}}
* {{cite book |last1=Parppei |first1=Kati M. J. |title=The Battle of Kulikovo Refought: "The First National Feat" |date=5 January 2017 |publisher=BRILL |isbn=978-90-04-33794-7 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tRX0DQAAQBAJ |language=en}}
* {{cite book |last1=Raffensperger |first1=Christian |last2=Ostrowski |first2=Donald |authorlink2=Donald Ostrowski |title=The Ruling Families of Rus: Clan, Family and Kingdom |publisher=Reaktion Books |location=London |date=2023 |pages=309 |isbn=978-1-78914-745-2}} (e-book)
* {{cite book |last1=Riasanovsky |first1=Nicholas V. |authorlink1=Nicholas V. Riasanovsky |title=Russian Identities: A Historical Survey |date=27 October 2005 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-986823-0 |url=https://academic.oup.com/book/12447 |language=en}}
* {{cite book |last1=Riasanovsky |first1=Nicholas V. |last2=Steinberg |first2=Mark D. |authorlink1=Nicholas V. Riasanovsky |authorlink2=Mark D. Steinberg |title=A history of Russia |date=2019 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=New York |isbn=978-0190645588 |edition=Ninth}}
* {{cite book |last1=Sashalmi |first1=Endre |title=Russian Notions of Power and State in a European Perspective, 1462-1725: Assessing the Significance of Peter's Reign |date=25 October 2022 |publisher=Academic Studies Press |isbn=978-1-64469-419-0 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=39Z8EAAAQBAJ |language=en}}
* {{cite book |last1=Wortman |first1=Richard S. |title=Scenarios of Power: Myth and Ceremony in Russian Monarchy from Peter the Great to the Abdication of Nicholas II - New Abridged One-Volume Edition |date=31 October 2013 |publisher=Princeton University Press |isbn=978-1-4008-4969-7 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ykaVAQAAQBAJ |language=en}}
* {{Cite book |editor-last=Zenkovsky |editor-first=Serge A. |authorlink1=Serge Aleksandrovich Zenkovsky |title=Medieval Russia's Epics, Chronicles, and Tales |publisher=Penguin Books |location=New York |year=1963 |isbn=9780452010864 }}

== Further reading ==
* {{cite journal
| last = Romaniello
| first = Matthew
|date= September 2006
| title = Ethnicity as social rank: Governance, law, and empire in Muscovite Russia
| journal = ]
| volume = 34
| issue = 4
| pages = 447–469
| doi = 10.1080/00905990600842049
| s2cid = 109929798
}}
* ], ''Foreign Descriptions of Muscovy: An Analytic Bibliography of Primary and Secondary Sources'', Slavica Publishers, 1995, {{ISBN|0-89357-262-4}}

==External links==
* {{commons category-inline|Grand Duchy of Moscow}}


{{Russia topics}}
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Latest revision as of 14:38, 21 December 2024

Russian principality (1263–1547)
Grand Principality of MoscowВеликое княжество Московское
1263–1547
Double-headed eagle on the seal of Ivan III of Double-headed eagle on the seal of Ivan III
Growth of Moscow from 1300 to 1547Growth of Moscow from 1300 to 1547
CapitalMoscow
Common languagesRussian
Religion Russian Orthodoxy
Demonym(s)Muscovite
GovernmentMonarchy
Monarch 
• 1263–1303 Daniel (first)
• 1533–1547 Ivan IV (last)
LegislatureBoyar Duma
Historical eraLate Middle Ages
• Established 1263
• Elevated to grand principality 1363
• Elevated to tsardom 1547
Area
15052,500,000 km (970,000 sq mi)
CurrencyRuble, denga
Preceded by Succeeded by
Vladimir-Suzdal
Tsardom of Russia
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The Principality of Moscow (1263–1363), later the Grand Principality of Moscow (1363–1547), was a medieval Russian principality. Its capital was the city of Moscow.

Moscow became a separate principality when Daniel (r. 1263–1303), the youngest son of Alexander Nevsky, received the city and surrounding area as an appanage. By the end of the 13th century, Moscow was one of the leading principalities within the grand principality of Vladimir, alongside Tver. A struggle between the princes of Moscow and Tver began after Mikhail of Tver became the grand prince in 1304. Yury (r. 1303–1325) contested the title and was later made grand prince in 1318 by the khan of the Golden Horde, who held suzerainty over the princes. However, Yury would lose the title four years later.

Ivan I (r. 1325–1340) won back the title of grand prince and was able to collect tribute for the khan from other Russian princes, which increased Moscow's wealth. The seat of the Russian Orthodox Church was also moved to Moscow, which later gave it the status as a spiritual center. Ivan I defeated Tver and secured the grand princely title for his sons Simeon (r. 1340–1353) and Ivan II (r. 1353–1359). Following the death of Ivan II, the title was temporarily lost until Dmitry (r. 1359–1389) regained it, after which Moscow was elevated to a grand principality. He also inflicted a milestone defeat on the Tatars in 1380, which greatly increased Moscow's prestige.

As the Golden Horde declined, its hegemony was increasingly challenged. Vasily I (r. 1389–1425) focused on enlarging his principality, but was forced to resume paying tribute following a Tatar invasion. Vasily II (r. 1425–1462) consolidated his control of Moscow after an internal struggle and his reign saw the declaration of de facto autocephaly by the Russian Church. Ivan III (r. 1462–1505) absorbed nearly all of the Russian states and laid the foundations for a centralized state, leading to the end of the appanage period and the beginning of a new period in Russian history known as Muscovite Russia. He also stopped paying tribute and his defeat of the Tatars in 1480 traditionally marks the end of Tatar suzerainty. Vasily III (r. 1505–1533) completed his father's policy of annexing the remaining appanages, and his son Ivan IV (r. 1533–1584) was crowned as tsar in 1547, thereby officially proclaiming the Tsardom of Russia.

Name

See also: Moscow § Etymology

The English names Moscow and Muscovy, for the city, the principality, and the river, are derived from post-classical Latin Moscovia, Muscovia, and ultimately from the Old Russian fully vocalized accusative form Московь, Moskov'. Moscow is first mentioned under the year 1147 in the locative case (na Moskvě). The modern Russian form, Moskva, first appears in the 14th century.

The oldest endonyms used in documents were Rus (Russian: Русь) and the "Russian land" (Russian: Русская земля, romanizedRusskaya zemlya). The 14th-century Zadonshchina, which belongs to the Kulikovo cycle of works, stresses the unity of the Russian princes and describes the principalities of Moscow, Novgorod, and others as being part of the "Russian land". A new form of the name became common by the 15th century; the vernacular Rus was transformed into Ros(s)iya or Rus(s)iya, and borrowed from Greek: Ρωσία, romanizedRosía or Latin: Russia. In the 1480s, the scribes Ivan Cherny and Mikhail Medovartsev mention Russia under the name Rosia (Росиа), and Medovartsev also mentions the sceptre "of Russian lordship" (Росийскаго господства, Rosiyskago gospodstva).

In the 14th century, the grand princes of Moscow began to style themselves as the rulers of all Russia. During his consolidation of territories, Ivan III adopted the title of sovereign (gosudar) of all Russia. After rejecting Mongol suzerainty, he also styled himself as autocrat (samoderzhets). In his foreign correspondence, he adopted the title of tsar and rejected the offer of kingship by the Holy Roman Emperor; however, it would not be until 1547 that the title of tsar became official with the coronation of his grandson, Ivan IV. Ivan III also laid claim to the legacy of Kievan Rus', which led to conflicts with the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The Russian state was later also known in Western Europe as Muscovy under Polish–Lithuanian influence, and the use of both names persisted until the early 18th century.

History

Origins

Moscow is first mentioned in chronicles under the year 1147, as part of the principality of Rostov-Suzdal. The importance of Moscow greatly increased during the second half of the 12th century, and it was converted into a fortified gorod (stronghold) in the 1150s. On the death of Vsevolod III in 1212, Moscow appears to have been passed to his son Yury, who succeeded his father as the grand prince of Vladimir. During the Mongol invasions of 1237–1238, Moscow was sacked following the destruction of Ryazan. The city is not mentioned again until the late 13th century.

The first prince of Moscow was Daniel (r. 1263–1303), the youngest son of Aleksandr Nevsky, and he was given Moscow as an otchina, where he established a local branch of Rurikid princes. Daniel is mentioned under the year 1282 as taking part in a feudal war between his two older brothers. The 16th-century Book of Royal Degrees says that Daniel was given Moscow on his father's death in 1263. The size of the original territory of the Moscow principality is not known, but it likely encompassed the basin of the upper Moskva River, stretching approximately between the eastern influx of the Gzhelka and the western influx of the Ruza. The northeast of the territory consisted of the basin of the upper Klyazma.

By the turn of the century, Moscow was one of the leading principalities within Vladimir-Suzdal. Daniel defeated Ryazan in 1301, after which Kolomna and Serpukhov were incorporated into the Moscow principality. Pereyaslavl was also temporarily annexed to Moscow, and after Daniel's death, his sons seized Mozhaysk in 1304. At this point, the territory of the principality had increased almost three-fold and included the entire Moskva River along with its tributaries, allowing Moscow to become self-sufficient. Its southern border included a large stretch of the Oka, from Serpukhov to the east of Kolomna, which gave it some protection from Tatar incursions. To the east, there was a dense forest zone which functioned as a natural barrier. Moscow also had access to the northern areas of Ryazan and direct access to Vladimir. It was also provided with a river network that facilitated trade.

Yury

Yury (r. 1303–1325) began his reign with a struggle against Tver for succession to the grand principality. According to traditional succession practices, the throne was to be passed to Andrey's eldest cousin, Mikhail of Tver. As Daniel had died before he could become grand prince, his descendants were barred from the title. Yury decided to contest Mikhail's claim to the title, but ultimately the decision went to Toqta, the khan of the Golden Horde, who held suzerainty over the principalities and later confirmed Mikhail as the grand prince in 1305. In 1306, Yury established his authority over Ryazan with support from the khan as part of the Tatars' strategy to adjust the balance of power in the conflict between Moscow and Tver. Mikhail of Tver attempted to consolidate his power, and was confirmed as the prince of Novgorod in 1307, but Yury retained control of Pereyaslavl and was able to gain control of Nizhny Novgorod. Mikhail marched against Moscow in 1308, but the Muscovites were able to stand their ground. Mikhail also failed to win the support of the church, and when he launched an expedition to Nizhny Novgorod, his army was stopped by Metropolitan Peter in Vladimir.

After Toqta died in 1312, Mikhail visited Sarai to renew his patent and pay respects to the new khan, Özbeg, staying there for two years. In his absence, the Novgorodians launched a revolt against Mikhail's governors and sent an appeal to Yury, who was confirmed as their prince in 1315. However, Mikhail was able to convince the khan to summon Yury and remove him from the political scene. Mikhail was able to establish his authority in Novgorod once again, but in 1317, Yury returned with a patent for the grand princely title, a Tatar army, and a Tatar wife, who was the sister of the khan. Kavgady, the chief representative of the khan, sent his ambassadors to Tver to scare Mikhail into submission, but Mikhail's army proceeded to defeat Yury's army in December 1317. In early 1318, the two parties met on the Volga for another battle, but they reached an agreement. Kavgady and Yury laid their accusations against Mikhail and a formal trial took place at the end of the year. Mikhail was executed at the Horde and Yury was made the grand prince.

Little is known about Yury's reign as grand prince, but relations between Moscow and Tver soon improved and a treaty was concluded in 1319 between Yury and Dmitry of Tver. However, in 1321, a representative of the khan instructed Yury to march on Tver. The two forces met on the Volga and a battle was narrowly avoided. In the treaty, Dmitry agreed to refrain from making himself the grand prince and he paid the tribute owed to the Tatars. Yury was then summoned to Novgorod, and instead of proceeding to Sarai with the tribute, he led the defense of the republic against Swedish forces. As a result, Dmitry went to Sarai and received the patent for the grand princely title in 1322. Yury was then summoned by Özbeg, and on his way to Sarai, Dmitry's brother Aleksandr robbed him in the Rzhev area and forced him to flee to Pskov. Yury finally visited Sarai in 1325 to face the consequences, but Dmitry of Tver murdered him as revenge for the death of his father. The following year, the khan ordered his execution.

Ivan I

The Moscow Kremlin under Ivan Kalita, painting by Apollinary Vasnetsov (1921)

Ivan I (r. 1325–1340) became prince following the murder of Yury, while the title of grand prince went to Aleksandr of Tver. After the residents of Tver launched a revolt against Tatar rule in 1327, Özbeg Khan dispatched a punitive force led by Ivan and Aleksandr of Suzdal, causing Aleksandr of Tver to flee to Lithuania. Afterwards, Ivan presented himself before Özbeg and was given the title of grand prince. Özbeg divided the principalities of Vladimir and Novgorod between Aleksandr of Suzdal and Ivan, and upon Aleksandr's death in 1331, Ivan became the sole grand prince. Aleksandr of Tver eventually returned to Tver and was given a full pardon and reinstated as prince by the khan. However, Aleksandr was soon recalled to Sarai in 1339, where he was executed due to accusations made against him. The death of Aleksandr marked the end of the struggle between Moscow and Tver, and Ivan's nephew-in-law, Konstantin, continued to rule Tver as a loyal servant.

To secure his position, Ivan began absorbing surrounding principalities. In particular, Ivan was credited by his grandson Dmitry Donskoy in his will with purchasing the principalities of Beloozero, Galich and Uglich. Ivan also developed Moscow to attract people and produce the resources needed to maintain his position, a policy reflected in his sobriquet, Kalita (lit. 'moneybag'). As grand prince, Ivan collected tribute from not only his own possessions but also from other Russian princes that were dependent on him. The khan at the start of Ivan's reign was content with allowing the Muscovite prince to enjoy undisputed supremacy. As a result, Ivan was able to use the funds he acquired to develop Moscow. He also had access to Novgorod's wealth, which helped him to pay the tribute; however, relations with Novgorod worsened following the election of a new archbishop in 1330, which paved the way for a pro-Lithuanian faction in the city.

At the beginning of Ivan's reign, the Russian Orthodox metropolitan, Peter, moved his residence to Moscow in 1325. During Peter's tenure in Moscow, Ivan laid the foundation for the Dormition Cathedral, which was built using stone. Peter had intended to make Moscow his burial place, and therefore the religious center of the country, and he died in 1326. Peter was succeeded by Theognostus, who, like his predecessor, pursued policies that supported the rise of Moscow. During the first four years of his tenure, the Dormition Cathedral was completed and an additional four stone churches were constructed. Theognostus also proceeded with the canonization of Peter in 1339, which helped to increase Moscow's prestige. The princes of Moscow functioned as the primary protectors of the Russian Church and Moscow became a pilgrimage center. Ivan even acquired an aura of sanctity in the eyes of future generations.

Simeon

Ivan I and Simeon, frescoes of the Archangel Cathedral, 1652–1666

Simeon (r. 1340–1353) succeeded his father as prince upon the latter's death. Although Simeon had to contend with three rival princes for the grand princely title, Özbeg had approved his father's will in 1339, indicating that he supported Simeon's succession to the grand princely throne. Simeon received the patent a few months later. As a result, the princes of Moscow continued to hold the title almost uninterruptedly. At the start of Simeon's reign, the principality of Bryansk returned to Moscow's sphere of influence after the pro-Muscovite Dmitry Romanovich was once again installed as prince. As a demonstration of his political sympathies, Dmitry had his daughter married to Simeon's younger brother Ivan. In 1352, Simeon marched into the neighboring principality of Smolensk, located to the west of Moscow, and was able to extend his authority there with the removal of the pro-Lithuanian prince, who was likely replaced with either Dmitry Romanovich's son or nephew. As a result, Simeon was able to temporarily halt the eastward expansion of Lithuania. He was also able to sign a treaty with Novgorod, in which the city recognized Simeon as its prince and agreed to grant him additional tax revenues.

Although the khan, Jani Beg, was prepared to support Simeon in his conflict with Lithuania, he was unwilling to provide unlimited support to Moscow, for fear that it would become too strong. He permitted the grand prince to enjoy the traditional rights of the throne and to maintain his nominal authority over other princes, but he interfered in Moscow's relations with Suzdal, supported anti-Muscovite elements in Ryazan, and contributed to Tver's fragmentation. When Jani Beg first occupied the throne, Simeon's cousin Konstantin took advantage of the power struggle in Sarai and took control of Nizhny Novgorod and Gorodets. Simeon attempted to dislodge his cousin, and in 1343, he convinced the boyars of Nizhny Novgorod and Gorodets to switch allegiance, but Jani Beg returned the boyars to Konstantin and confirmed him as prince. In 1352–1353, the Black Death reached Russia, which killed Simeon, his brother Andrey, along with his sons. In addition, the plague killed Metropolitan Theognostus. The ruling family of Moscow remained small as a result of the Black Death, and a new vertical pattern of princely succession from father to son was defined.

Ivan II

Ivan II (r. 1353–1359) went to Sarai following the death of his older brother, where he presented himself to the khan as a candidate for the patent for the grand princely title. His main opponent was Konstantin of Nizhny Novgorod-Suzdal, who had greater support than the rival princes before him. Novgorod sent a delegation to the khan requesting him to give the patent to Konstantin, due to Ivan's previous refusal to aid the Novgorodian army in besieging the Swedish-held fortress of Orekhov in 1348. Despite this, Jani Beg gave the patent to Ivan due to Konstantin's dynastic links with Lithuania. In 1355, Konstantin signed a treaty of friendship with Moscow and at the same time, the city of Novgorod "made peace with Prince Ivan". Following Konstantin's death the same year, his eldest son Andrey succeeded him and drew a treaty with Ivan the next year. In exchange for gifts, Andrey recognized the prince of Moscow as his "elder brother", or his feudal superior.

During the first four years of Ivan's reign, there are no signs of any antagonism between Ivan and Grand Duke Algirdas of Lithuania. Ivan did not strengthen control of his brother's gains and was disinterested in his former father-in-law's principality of Bryansk. In 1356, Algirdas captured Bryansk and Smolensk; however, Ivan did not provide military assistance, leading to Vasily of Smolensk to turn to the khan instead. Although no formal treaty was drawn, Ivan had one of his daughters married to the son of Karijotas, the fifth eldest son of Gediminas. Ivan continued his reversal of Simeon's policies by allying himself with the princes of Suzdal. In addition, he supported the sons of Aleksandr of Tver and not the pro-Muscovite house of Kashin in Tver. Khvost, a friend of Ivan amongst the boyars, was murdered by the senior boyars, who had been staunch supporters of Simeon. As a result, Ivan significantly changed his policy in 1357, first by signing a treaty with Vasily of Kashin. In 1358, a joint expedition with Mozhaysk and Tver drove the Lithuanians out of Rzhev. The following year, Algirdas launched an attack, regaining control of Smolensk and Rzhev while taking control of Mstislavl in the Smolensk principality.

Dmitry

Dmitry Donskoy in the Battle of Kulikovo, painting by Adolphe Yvon (1849)

Dmitry (r. 1359–1389) became prince at the age of nine following his father's death. Metropolitan Alexius effectively became the ruler of Moscow, and he equated the interests of the Russian Church with those of the Moscow principality. The murder of Berdi Beg in 1359 led to great turmoil within the Golden Horde, with repeated coups. The warlord Mamai established his own ulus, exercising his authority with khans that he controlled. Dmitry of Nizhny Novgorod-Suzdal renewed the claim to the grand princely title, but after a period of negotiations, the khan Murad recognized Dmitry of Moscow as grand prince in 1362. Alexius also approached Mamai's protégé Abdallāh and received his approval as well in order to strengthen Dmitry's claim. However, Murad withdrew his recognition in response and instead recognized Dmitry of Suzdal as grand prince. After the Muscovite army made a show of force, Dmitry of Suzdal abandoned his claim to the title and in 1364, he signed a treaty of friendship with Moscow. Two years later, he arranged for his daughter to marry Dmitry of Moscow.

After taking the throne, Mikhail II of Tver mounted a direct challenge to Moscow's pre-eminence with Lithuanian support. Alexius continued to support the appanage princes of Tver against Mikhail, and by 1368, the conflict had escalated when the Muscovite army invaded Tver. The Lithuanian army came to Mikhail's aid, but the new stone walls of Moscow were able to withstand the siege. Dmitry launched another invasion in 1370, taking advantage of Lithuanian involvement in other conflicts. Mikhail visited Mamai's court and received the patent, but was unable to enforce his claim without Lithuanian assistance. Mikhail received another patent the following year, but Dmitry convinced the khan to restore him the title, while Alexius negotiated a peace treaty with Lithuania and had Dmitry's cousin Vladimir of Serpukhov married to one of the daughters of Algirdas. Mikhail once again received the patent in 1375, but Dmitry retained the loyalty of the other princes, and the combined forces defeated Mikhail's army. Mikhail made peace and acknowledged Dmitry as his "elder brother".

Sergius of Radonezh blessing Alexander Peresvet before the Battle of Kulikovo, miniature from the Illustrated Chronicle of Ivan the Terrible

Dmitry expanded his domain by incorporating the principalities of Beloozero, Galich and Uglich, those that he credited his grandfather Ivan I with purchasing. As Moscow grew, the warlord Timur built his own empire in Central Asia and recruited Tokhtamysh into his ranks. Tokhtamysh took control of Sarai and united the Horde under his rule. After a period of relative stability, the rise of Tokhtamysh threatened the position of Mamai, who opted to reduce the Russian principalities into submission. In 1378, Dmitry mobilized his forces against him and won a victory in the Battle of the Vozha River. Afterwards, Mamai mobilized a large army and made an alliance with Lithuania. He also recruited Oleg II of Ryazan, whose domain had been exposed to constant attack from the steppe. Dmitry gathered troops from all the territories he controlled, although no forces were sent from Novgorod, Nizhny Novgorod or Tver. He was joined by Andrei of Polotsk and Dmitry of Bryansk, members of the Lithuanian ruling house who were enemies of their half-brother Jogaila. Before the Lithuanian army could join Mamai's forces, the Russian troops defeated them in the 1380 Battle of Kulikovo and Mamai fled south.

Although later generations saw the Russian victory as a triumph, the principalities remained under Mongol suzerainty and Tokhtamysh launched a punitive expedition, sacking Moscow in 1382. Despite this, Moscow greatly increased its prestige and Dmitry made Oleg of Ryazan recognize him as his feudal superior again. After Moscow was sacked, Dmitry accepted Mongol suzerainty and he was confirmed as the grand prince. The khan forced him to collect an exceptionally large amount of tribute and held his son Vasily as hostage. The wealthiest center in Russia, Novgorod, objected to paying a special tax, leading to Dmitry to launch an expedition in 1386 to force the city to pay. In the last years of his reign, Dmitry focused on strengthening his authority among the Russian princes, particularly those of Tver and Ryazan. Dmitry made the first deliberate move towards primogeniture and he guaranteed his eldest son, Vasily, that he would succeed him. In his testament, he bequeathed the grand principality to Vasily. Dmitry for the first time managed inseparably to identify the grand principality with Moscow by gaining recognition from the Tatars that the title of grand prince, along with the territories dependent on Vladimir, was a family possession.

Vasily I

Vasily I (r. 1389–1425) continued to expand the grand principality by taking advantage of political strife in the Golden Horde. In 1392, Tokhtamysh's forces were defeated by Timur, and during a visit to the weakened khan's court, Vasily was given permission to take the throne of Nizhny Novgorod. In 1395, Timur led a large army and destroyed Tokhtamysh's forces in the North Caucasus. Timur then set about devastating Tokhtamysh's domains and turned his army towards Moscow. Vasily gathered an army, while Metropolitan Cyprian brought the Our Lady of Vladimir icon, but Timur stopped his advance and withdrew from Russian territory. Edigu drove Tokhtamysh into exile and came to dominate the steppe, but paid little attention to Moscow, instead focusing on Lithuania. As a result, Vasily stopped paying tribute and did not recognize the suzerainty of successive khans. However, in 1408, Edigu launched a devastating invasion and laid siege to Moscow, but the city managed to survive the attack. Edigu agreed to withdraw his forces on the condition that he would be paid a large indemnity. In 1410, Tatar raids led to the sacking of the old capital, Vladimir, and in 1412, Vasily went to the khan to renew his patent for the grand princely title. In Edigei's last years, the Horde was weakened by internal divisions, and by 1420, it would soon be replaced by successive khanates.

At the start of his reign, Vasily posed no threat to the ambitions of Vytautas and assumed the role of junior partner. Vasily married his daughter Sophia in 1391 and was able to enjoy his protection. When Vytautas captured the Smolensk principality in 1395, Vasily offered no resistance and accepted the Lithuanian annexation the following year. Vytautas allied himself with Tokhtamysh, but in 1399, their forces were defeated by Edigu in the Battle of the Vorskla River. In 1401, the people of Smolensk launched a revolt against Lithuanian rule and recalled their former prince, but Vasily stayed neutral and Vytautas reasserted his control three years later. However, Vytautas attempted to bring Pskov and Novgorod into the Lithuanian sphere of influence, and in 1406, Vytautas attacked Pskov. Vasily came to the aid of Pskov, leading to a border war between Lithuania and Moscow that lasted until Edigu's invasion two years later. In 1410, Vytautas joined Jogaila of Poland in defeating the Teutonic Knights in the Battle of Grunwald, and relations between Lithuania and Moscow resumed a more peaceful course, although the two continued to wrestle for influence in Pskov and Novgorod.

Vasily II

Growth of the Moscow principality from 1300 to 1462

Vasily II (r. 1425–1462) succeeded his father at the age of ten, and in the early years of his reign, tensions within Moscow led to a civil war. Yury of Galich showed signs of ambition during the reign of his older brother, Vasily I. He consolidated his control of his share of the family inheritance, building up a solid base in the prosperous region of Galich and creating a new capital, Zvenigorod. As soon as his brother died, Yury challenged the succession of his nephew. Yury gathered an army, but Metropolitan Photius intervened, urging him to submit. Yury refused, but the people of Galich pressured him after the metropolitan withheld his blessing of Yury's subjects. Yury recognized Vasily as the grand prince in 1428, but following the death of Vasily's key allies, Photius and Vytautas, Yury claimed the throne again in 1431 with the support of the population of Galich and other areas in the north, including Vyatka. Vasily sent his representatives to the khan, Ulugh Muhammad, and was able to receive the patent for the grand princely throne. However, in 1433, Yury seized Moscow and Vasily was forced to recognize him as the grand prince and accept Kolomna as an appanage.

Many nobles refused to recognize Yury as grand prince, and with his support dwindling, he left Moscow. Yury once again seized Moscow in 1434 and was able to secure recognition from powerful figures such as the prince of Mozhaysk, but he died soon after and the princes of Galich could no longer claim the throne on legal grounds. Vasily Kosoy, Yury's eldest son, attempted to remain on the throne of Moscow, but his younger brothers rejected his claim and made peace with Vasily II. He left Moscow, but continued to fight a war of attrition from his base. Vasily II captured him in 1436 and had him blinded, bringing the first phase of the civil war to an end and allowing Vasily to address a crisis in the church. The metropolitan seat had remained vacant following the death of Photius, and a council of Russian bishops nominated a local bishop, Jonah, to succeed him, but when he was finally able to go to Constantinople, the patriarch had already appointed the Greek bishop Isidore. Shortly after arriving in Moscow, Isidore left for the Council of Florence. Isidore returned in 1441 and brought news of the union, but Vasily ordered his arrest for having it signed. The seat remained vacant, and as no replacement had been sent from Constantinople, a council of Russian bishops finally chose Jonah as metropolitan in 1448, which amounted to a declaration of autocephaly by the Russian Orthodox Church.

The pressure of his rivals forced Ulugh Muhammad to take refuge in Belyov. Vasily attempted to drive him out, but failed, and the khan was free to raid the southern frontiers of Moscow for several years. In 1444, he moved to either Gorodets or Nizhny Novgorod, and launched raids on the southeastern territories of Moscow. Vasily mobilized against him, but slowly due to Lithuanian attacks, and in 1445, Vasily was taken prisoner by Ulugh Muhammad. He was later released and forced to pay a large ransom. Upon Vasily's return to Moscow, a number of nobles joined a plot in installing Yury's son Dmitry Shemyaka on the throne, and after Vasily left for a pilgrimage, Shemyaka's forces seized Moscow in 1446. As resistance to Shemyaka grew, especially from the clergy, Vasily moved to Tver and received the support of its prince, Boris, on the agreement that Vasily's son Ivan would be married to his daughter, Maria of Tver. Vasily's army entered Moscow the same year unopposed with the support of most court nobles and the ecclesiastical hierarchy, in addition to the prince of Tver. Shemyaka abandoned Moscow but still offered resistance until Galich was captured by Vasily in 1450.

Ivan III

Eastern Europe at the time of Ivan III's death in 1505

Ivan III (r. 1462–1505) succeeded his father and his reign has been considered to mark the end of the appanage period and the beginning of a new period in Russian history known as Muscovite Russia. At the start of Ivan's reign, Moscow was already the political and religious center of Russia, but Ivan vastly expanded the domain of the grand prince with the "gathering of the Russian lands". After Novgorod's boyar class turned to Lithuania for support, Ivan's army defeated the Novgorodian army in 1471, after which Ivan took an oath of allegiance from Novgorod, but left its system of government in place. After the Novgorodian authorities attempted to turn to Lithuania again, Ivan's army marched against the city in 1478 and the city surrendered. Ivan imposed his direct rule on the city and abolished its system of government. Tver offered even less resistance, and when Ivan launched a new campaign against Tver in 1485, its prince fled to Lithuania. Ivan incorporated other appanages into the grand principality, while other princes acknowledged him as their overlord. As a result, Ivan began to rule Russia as a unified monarchy.

Having consolidated the core of Russia under his rule, Ivan III became the first Moscow ruler to adopt the titles of tsar and "Ruler of all Rus'". Ivan competed with his powerful northwestern rival, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, for control over some of the semi-independent former principalities of Kievan Rus' in the upper Dnieper and Donets river basins. Through the defections of some princes, border skirmishes, and the long inconclusive Russo-Lithuanian Wars that ended only in 1503, Ivan III was able to push westward, and the Moscow state tripled in size under his rule.

Vasily III

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Vasily III (r. 1505–1533) continued his father's policy of annexing the other appanages. He annexed Pskov and Ryazan in 1510 and 1521, respectively, completing the process of "gathering" (Great) Russian lands. During a war with Lithuania, Vasily captured Smolensk in 1514, and a peace treaty in 1522 confirmed Moscow's gains. Vasily also advanced the Russian border in the east and supported the pro-Russian party in the Khanate of Kazan.

Politics

The Dormition Cathedral in the Moscow Kremlin

Ivan I stressed the unity of the ruling house of Moscow and its lands, and as a result, he ensured that the family's lands remained the collective property of all members while giving each one of his heirs a share of the inheritance. Simeon made a treaty with his brothers, in which the younger members of the house recognized Simeon as their leader and were obligated to follow him in his military campaigns in exchange for Simeon consulting his brothers on important state affairs. As a result, each brother had inviolable possession of his appanage, which he could administer autonomously and pass on to his direct heir. Due to the increasing fragmentation of Moscow, the ruling house under Dmitry Donskoy distinguished between patrimonial possessions of the entire family, which could be divided into appanages held as a temporary trust, and patrimonial possessions known as votchiny that belonged to individual members or branches. In the treaties between Dmitry and his cousin Vladimir of Serpukhov, the former recognized the latter's right to hold the lands inherited from his father. At this point, the Moscow principality consisted of two autonomous subdivisions with two capitals, while the principality remained a single unit of which Dmitry was the head.

The unification of Russia gave rise to a new political system characterized by the dominance of the grand prince, who viewed the country as his personal patrimony. The historian Sergey Platonov wrote: "The authority of the Moscow princes took on the character of the authority of a lord of the manor over its land and people... The prince was not only the ruler of the country; he was also its owner". During the appanage period, princes and their retinues played a major administrative and social role in their principalities; however, with the rise of the grand principality of Moscow, the role of those princes were subordinated to the grand prince and the emerging state apparatus. Traditional institutions like the veche were abolished, and appanage princes were incorporated into the boyar class. As a result, they became increasingly part of the service class. Some historians have argued that a ruling class, which included the grand prince and leading boyars, governed the country by consultation and consensus-building. Nancy Shields Kollmann in particular called it the "facade of autocracy" and applied the term to later Muscovite history.

Foreign relations

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Golden Horde

Relations between Moscow and the Golden Horde varied at times. In the last two decades of the 13th century, Moscow gained the support of one of the rivaling Mongol statesmen, Nogai, against the principalities that were oriented towards the khan. After the restoration of unity in the Golden Horde in the early 14th century, Moscow generally enjoyed the favor of the khan until 1317 and 1322–1327. For the following thirty years, when relations between the two parties improved, Moscow was able to achieve sufficient economic and political potential. Further attempts to deprive its rulers of the status of grand prince were unsuccessful after the Horde sank into internecine war and proved to be fruitless during the reign of a relatively powerful khan such as Mamai, whereas Tokhtamysh had no other choice but to recognize the supremacy of Moscow over the Russian principalities. The traditional divide and conquer strategy of the Mongols failed, and the following period is characterized by a lack of support from the Horde.

Although Moscow recognized the khan as its suzerain in the early years of the "Tatar yoke", despite certain acts of resistance and disobedience, it refused to acknowledge the khan's suzerainty in 1374–1380, 1396–1411, 1414–1416 and 1417–1419, even despite the growing power of the Golden Horde. The power of the Horde over Moscow was greatly limited during the reign of Dmitry Donskoy, who gained recognition of the grand principality of Vladimir as a hereditary possession of the princes of Moscow; while the Horde continued to collect tribute, it could no longer have a serious impact on the internal structure of Russia. During the reigns of Vasily II and Ivan III, the Moscow grand principality adopted the ideology of an Orthodox tsardom after the fall of Constantinople, which was incompatible with the recognition of suzerainty of the khan, and as a result, the grand prince began to declare the independence of Moscow in diplomatic relations with other countries. This process was complete during the reign of Ivan III.

Culture

The Trinity, icon by Andrei Rublev (early 15th century)

A distinct school of icon painting was formed in Moscow in the second half of the 14th century, and would be led by Andrei Rublev, one of the most celebrated Russian icon painters. Among his most notable works is The Trinity, which dates to the early 15th century. The first original Russian school, the Suzdal school, was merged with the Moscow school in the early 15th century. Igor Grabar said it could be distinguished by "a general tone, which is always cool, silvery, in contrast to Novgorodian painting which inevitably tends towards the warm, the yellowish, the golden". Dionisius continued the traditions of Andrei Rublev and the Moscow school at the turn of the 16th century. The art of the miniature in illuminated manuscripts also continued to develop in Moscow, with manuscripts like the Khitrovo Gospels containing rich illustrations.

After the defeat of the Tatars in the Battle of Kulikovo, heroic accounts of the battle were written with considerable artistry, including The Tale of the Battle with Mamai and Zadonshchina. The latter crafted a proto-national myth about the need for unification against foreign enemies: "Let us lay down our lives for the Russian land and the Christian faith".

Muscovite Russia was culturally influenced by Slavic and Byzantine cultural elements. In Muscovite Russia, supernaturalism was a fundamental part of daily life.

See also

Notes

  1. Russian: Московское княжество. Also known as Muscovy, derived from Latin: Moscovia.
  2. Russian: Великое княжество Московское. Also translated as the Grand Duchy of Moscow.
  3. Upon the acquisition of the grand principality by Dmitry Ivanovich in 1363, the grand principality remained in the hands of the princes of Moscow and became a family possession, which was passed to Dmitry's son Vasily on his death in 1389. At this point, the two thrones were permanently united.
  4. The old form is preserved in what has been designated as ethnically Russian. In addition, both forms are sometimes used in certain grammatical formations e.g. velikorossy ('Great Russians') and velikorusskaya when referring to language.
  5. Latin: Moscovia; French: Moscovie.
  6. Two chronicles refer to Mikhail Khorobrit as "Mikhail of Moscow", but Daniel is usually considered to be the first prince of Moscow. On Mikhail's death in 1248, if it is assumed that an appanage principality was created, Moscow reverted as an escheat to the grand prince.
  7. According to John Fennell: "Had Daniil survived Andrey he would have been next in the line of succession. But in accordance with the laws of seniority a nephew was automatically debarred from the title if his father predeceased the ruling grand prince. Unwritten laws and tradition, however, were not sufficient to guarantee the legitimate heir his throne".
  8. The chronicle entry says: "In that year (1314) the men of Novgorod summoned a veche because they hated the namestniki of Prince Mikhail Yaroslavich of Tver', for they had suffered much offence and injury at their hands and they desired to expel them".
  9. Some historians have suggested that the principalities were bought by Ivan and attached to the grand princely domain rather than the land of Moscow, while the princes of those districts were given certain proprietary rights. Others have suggested that those princes sold their land on the condition that they would be allowed to stay there with certain rights.
  10. It would not be until 1356–1357 that the Lithuanians would regain control of Bryansk, after which it would remain under Lithuanian control for the next century and a half.
  11. The Rogozh Chronicle says that Konstantin Vasilyevich "sat in Nizhny Novgorod Gorodets upon the grand-princely throne", which indicates that he obtained the right to the title from the khan.
  12. Yury based his claim on customary law. According to traditional succession practices, primacy passed not from father to son, but from the eldest brother to the second eldest brother and so on, before moving onto the next generation. For more than a century, though, the throne had passed from father to son. Yury also based his claim on Dmitry Donskoy's stipulation that the throne should pass to Yury on his death, who was writing at the time he had no son.

References

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  6. ^ Fennell 2023, p. 47; Riasanovsky & Steinberg 2019, p. 71.
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  10. Riasanovsky & Steinberg 2019, p. 73, "...he not only retained the office of grand prince, but also received the important commission of gathering tribute for the khan from other Russian princes. He used his increasing revenue to purchase more land".
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  13. Riasanovsky & Steinberg 2019, pp. 73–74.
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  38. ^ Fennell 2023, p. 46.
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  41. Fennell 2023, p. 48.
  42. Fennell 2023, p. 50.
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  53. Fennell 2023, p. 73.
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