What was kievan russia

Over the course of the years and , the Mongol leader, Batu Khan, led his 35, mounted archers to burn down Moscow and Kolomna. Then he split his army into smaller units that tackled the princely polities one at a time.

Only Novgorod and Pskov were spared major destruction during this time. Refugees from the southern principalities, where destruction was widespread and devastating, were forced to flee to the harsh northern forests, where good soil and resources were scarce. The final victory for Batu Khan came in December when he stormed the great capital of Kiev and prevailed.

The Mongols, also known as the Tatars, built their new capital, Sarai, in the south along the Volga River. All the major principalities, such as Novgorod, Smolensk, and Pskov, submitted to Mongol rule. The age of this economic and cultural rule is often called the Tatar yoke, but over the course of years, it was a relatively peaceful rule.

The Tatars followed in the footsteps of Genghis Khan and refrained from settling the entire region or forcing local populations to adopt specific religious or cultural traditions. A map of the Mongol Empire as it expanded: This illustration shows the rapid expansion of the Mongol Empire as it traveled west into what became known as the Golden Horde.

Despite the fact that the established Tatar rule was relatively peaceful, demanding taxation and the devastation from years of invasion left many major cities in disrepair for decades.

It took years to rebuild Kiev and Pskov. However, Novgorod continued to flourish and the relatively new city centers of the Moscow and Tver began to prosper. Another downside to the Tatar presence was the continued threat of invasion and destruction, which happened sporadically during their presence. Each new military invasion meant heavy tolls on the local population and years of reconstruction.

Culturally, the Mongol rule brought about major shifts during the first century of their presence. Extensive postal road systems, military organization, and powerful dynasties were established by Tatar alliances. Capital punishment and torture also became more widespread during the years of Tatar rule. Some noblemen also changed their names and adopted the Tatar language, bringing about a shift in the aesthetic, linguistic, and cultural ties of Russia life.

Outline the key points that helped Moscow become so powerful and how Ivan I accomplished these major victories. However, due to the unstable environment of the Golden Horde, and the deft leadership of Ivan I at a critical time during the 13th century, Moscow became a safe haven of prosperity during his reign. It also became the new seat of power of the Russian Orthodox Church. He ascended to the seat of Prince of Moscow after the death of his father, and then the death of his older brother Yury.

Ivan I: He was born around and died in either or , still holding the title of Grand Prince of Vladimir. Ivan I stepped into a role that had already been expanded by his predecessors. Both his older brother and his father had captured nearby lands, including Kolomna and Mozhaisk. Yury had also made a successful alliance with the Mongol leader Uzbeg Khan and married his sister, securing more power and advantages within the hierarchy of the Golden Horde. Ivan I continued the family tradition and petitioned the leaders of the Golden Horde to gain the seat of Grand Prince of Vladimir.

His other three rivals, all princes of Tver, had previously been granted the title in prior years. However they were all subsequently deprived of the title and all three aspiring princes also eventually ended up murdered. Ivan I, on the other hand, garnered the title from Khan Muhammad Ozbeg in This new title, which he kept until his death around , meant he could collect taxes from the Russian lands as a ruling prince and position his tiny city as a major player in the Vladimir region.

During this time of upheaval, the tiny outpost of Moscow had multiple advantages that repositioned this town and set it up for future prosperity under Ivan I. Three major contributing factors helped Ivan I relocate power to this area:. Ivan I also spurred on the growth of Moscow by actively recruiting people to move to the region.

Inaddition, he bought the freedom of people who had been captured by the extensive Mongol raids. These recruits further bolstered the population of Moscow. Finally, he focused his attention on establishing peace and routing out thieves and raiding parties in the region, making for a safe and calm metaphorical island in a storm of unsettled political and military upsets. Sarai, the capital of the Golden Horde, sat to the southeast, while Moscow not visible on this map was tucked up in the northern forests of Vladimir-Suzdal.

Ivan I knew that the peace of his region depended upon keeping up an alliance with the Golden Horde, which he did faithfully. These regions then became indebted to Moscow, bolstering its political and financial position. In addition, a few neighboring cities and villages were subsumed into Moscow during the s and s, including Uglich, Belozero, and Galich.

He built stone churches in the center of Moscow with his newly gained wealth. After years of devastation, Metropolitan Peter transferred the seat of power to Moscow where a new Renaissance of culture was blossoming. This perfectly timed transformation of Moscow coincided with the decades of devastation in Kiev, effectively transferring power to the north once again. One of the most lasting accomplishments of Ivan I was to petition the Khan based in Sarai to designate his son, who would become Simeon the Proud, as the heir to the title of Grand Prince of Vladimir.

This agreement a line of succession that meant the ruling head of Moscow would almost always hold power over the principality of Vladimir, ensuring Moscow held a powerful position for decades to come. Privacy Policy. Skip to main content. The Development of Russia.

Search for:. The Princes of Rus. His successor, Oleg or Oleh d. The Varangians were also known as Rus or Rhos ; it is possible that this name was early extended to the Slavs of the Kievan state, which became known as Kievan Rus. Other theories trace the name Rus to a Slavic origin.

Oleg united the Eastern Slavs and freed them from the suzerainty of the Khazars. His successors were Igor or Ihor reigned —45 and Igor's widow, St. Olga or Olha, who was regent until about Under Olga's son, Sviatoslav or Svyatoslav d.

Christianity was introduced by Vladimir I or Volodymyr I reigned — , who adopted c. The reign —54 of Vladimir's son, Yaroslav the Wise, represented the political and cultural apex of Kievan Rus. However, historians caution readers to approach the Chronicle narrative with a grain of salt, since some of its stories have an exaggerated, mythical quality.

One such story: how Oleg allegedly died. According to the Chronicle , a prophecy during his lifetime foretold that one of his horses would cause his death. To avoid his fate, Oleg never rode that horse. But after he successfully expanded Kievan Rus territory and trade, he got a little cocky and began to wonder if he could ride the horse after all. By then the animal had died, so Oleg found its bones and mockingly stomped on its skull; but, the story goes, a serpent slithered from underneath and bit Oleg, killing him.

After Oleg came a period of royal distress. Like Oleg, Igor collected tribute from the people he had conquered; but unlike Oleg, his prices were so high that they prompted a tribe to assassinate him.

When he died, his wife Olga assumed power. What reportedly happened next with Olga is one of those stories that likely lives more on the mythical end of the spectrum. Olga was understandably furious with the early Slavic tribe of Drevlians that had killed her husband. So when Drevlian emissaries went to see Olga to discuss whether she would marry one of their princes, she supposedly tricked them into being buried alive. The chronicle also says she invited a bunch of Drevlian wise men to visit her, and then burned them alive inside a bathhouse.