Grand Principality of Moscow

The Grand Principality of Moscow, also known by the exonym Muscovy, was a late medieval Russian monarchy with its capital in the city of Moscow. It started as an appanage principality in the 1300s and grew to become the leading Russian principality. By the late 1400s, it became a strong, united Russian state.

Moscow grew important when Daniel, the youngest son of Alexander Nevsky, received the city in the 1200s. Over time, Moscow's rulers became more powerful, often competing with other areas like Tver. Leaders such as Ivan I and Dmitry helped Moscow become stronger and richer. The Russian Orthodox Church’s seat moved to Moscow, making it a spiritual center.

As the power of the Golden Horde weakened, rulers like Vasily I and Ivan III expanded Moscow's lands. Ivan III brought together almost all Russian states and ended the old way of sharing rule. His son Vasily III finished uniting the last regions. Finally, Ivan IV, known as Ivan the Terrible, became the first Russian tsar in 1547, starting the Tsardom of Russia.

Name

The names we use today for Moscow come from old words. The name "Moscow" first appeared in records in the year 1147. Over time, people began calling the area "Russia," especially after a big empire called the Byzantine Empire ended in 1453.

In the 1400s, leaders in Moscow started calling themselves rulers of all of Russia. One important leader, Ivan III, began using the title "tsar," which became official when his grandson, Ivan IV, was crowned in 1547. During this time, the area was also known in some places as "Muscovy."

History

Moscow was first recorded in 1147 as part of the Rostov-Suzdal area. It grew in importance during the 12th century and became a fortified stronghold in the 1150s. The city was damaged during the Mongol invasions of 1237–1238 but reappeared in the late 13th century.

The first prince of Moscow was Daniel, the youngest son of Aleksandr Nevsky. He started a local branch of Rurikid princes. Moscow became one of the leading principalities in Vladimir-Suzdal. Daniel’s sons expanded the territory, adding areas like Kolomna and Serpukhov. By the end of his rule, Moscow had grown a lot and could stand on its own.

Ivan I, also known as Kalita, became prince after the death of Yury. He expanded Moscow by taking in surrounding principalities and developed the city to attract people and resources. Ivan’s policies helped Moscow grow in importance. The Russian Orthodox Church also supported Moscow, with the metropolitan moving his home there in 1325.

Simeon took over after his father and kept making Moscow stronger. He handled rival princes and threats, including the Black Death, which hurt the population and resources. Ivan II followed Simeon and worked on keeping peace with nearby areas while managing alliances inside.

Dmitry became prince when he was young and faced challenges from other claimants. With help from the Russian Church, he secured his place and expanded Moscow’s land. He also defended against attacks and strengthened his rule among other Russian princes.

Vasily I kept expanding the grand principality, using problems in the Golden Horde. He faced attacks but managed to protect Moscow and keep its influence. Vasily II faced a civil war early in his rule but finally secured his place and dealt with church issues.

Ivan III marked the end of the appanage period and started a new time in Russian history. He expanded Moscow’s land, adding regions like Novgorod and Tver, and brought Russia together under his rule. Vasily III continued these policies, adding lands like Pskov and Ryazan, and moving the Russian border east.

Government and politics

Political system

When Russia united, a new way of ruling began. The grand prince, who led the country, saw it as his own property. He was both the country's leader and its owner. During an earlier time, local princes helped govern, but as Moscow grew, these princes became less important and were placed under the grand prince. Old ways of ruling, like public meetings, were stopped, and local princes became part of a group of important people called boyars who helped the grand prince.

The boyars were the grand prince's main helpers, giving advice and managing important tasks. The grand prince could choose to ask for their ideas or talk with a smaller, close group of advisors. The grand prince depended on the boyars, but he was the one in charge. In 1497, a set of rules called the Sudebnik was created to make laws the same across the land and reduce differences between regions. The money and legal system became more controlled by the grand prince.

System of administration

As Moscow took in more land, leaders like Ivan III and Vasily III needed better ways to manage everything. Before, the grand prince's household handled both state matters and personal family business. To deal with more work, a small group of helpers called dyaki was created. These helpers were chosen for their skills and worked on both state and royal estate tasks. Even with these helpers, many areas kept their own ways of doing things, like using different ways to measure land. Some places, such as Novgorod, even had their own money.

Ivan III and Vasily III also picked nobles to be governors in different towns. These governors kept order and helped protect the area. Sometimes, during tough times, they would send a close trusted person to be governor in important places. Governors usually stayed for one or two years before returning to Moscow. As the country grew more complex, a new job called gorodovoy prikazchik was added to help with tasks like collecting taxes. Even with these changes, the central government's control was limited in many areas. It wasn't until later that leaders found better ways to manage all regions.

Taxation

Taxes were collected in many ways, including payments based on land, property, jobs, and services. Landowners paid certain taxes, and in cities, households paid taxes too. Special taxes were placed on items like saddles and clothes, and even marriages had taxes. Merchants paid taxes on their trade, with the richest paying individually and others paying together as a group. Ordinary people had to help move goods by providing horses and carts and could also pay special taxes for the postal service. Messengers traveling on official business could get food, a place to sleep, and guides.

There wasn't a clear separation between the country's money and the grand prince's personal wealth. Some lands were special and didn't have to pay regular taxes, while others did. Important documents called charters could give land special tax-free status. In the late 1400s, detailed records of land ownership were created, showing information about the land and how much tax was owed. Under Ivan III, some special rights of monasteries were reduced, but under Vasily III, they sometimes gained more land and rights back.

Appanages

Ivan I made sure that the family's lands stayed together, giving each heir a share. Later, Simeon made an agreement with his brothers that they would follow him in battles if he included them in important decisions. This meant each brother could control their own land independently and pass it to their children.

As Moscow grew, Dmitry Donskoy separated family lands into two types: lands that could be passed down temporarily and lands that belonged to specific family members. By Vasily II's time, only one smaller area called Vereya remained. Ivan III tried to bring all lands back under his control, and by his death, only one area stayed separate. He also created new lands for his younger sons, which caused problems for his son Vasily III. Vasily III delayed his brothers from marrying until he had sons, so by the time he died, only one area remained separate.

In the 1500s, leaders of these smaller areas had power over their people, including collecting taxes and judging small cases. They were expected to support the grand prince in times of war and peace. When a leader of one of these areas died, the remaining leaders could inherit part of the land. Even though some thought these leaders opposed the grand prince, they were created by him, and by the late 1400s, many of these areas returned to the grand prince when their leaders died. These leaders also had their own courts and armies but were smaller than the grand prince's.

Foreign relations

Golden Horde

The Mongols set up a system of taxes. After they took over, the ruler of the Golden Horde sent special tax collectors called darughachi. The Russian Church did not have to pay taxes starting in 1267 because the Mongols respected different religions. A ruler named Mengu-Timur wanted Russian farmers to listen to nobles and religious leaders, so he used a system called tarkhan to get support from the nobles. These rules were later written down.

Over time, the relationship between Moscow and the Golden Horde changed. In the late 1200s, Moscow got help from a Mongol leader named Nogai. Later, when the Golden Horde became stronger again, Moscow was often favored until around 1317 to 1327. Even when things were hard, Moscow kept growing stronger. Rulers like Mamai and Tokhtamysh could not change Moscow’s important place.

Moscow still paid taxes to the khan for many years but sometimes did not follow orders, especially from 1374 to 1380. The Golden Horde became weaker, especially under Dmitry Donskoy, who helped Moscow keep its important title. While the Horde still collected taxes, they could not control Moscow’s internal matters anymore. During the time of Vasily II and Ivan III, Moscow saw itself as a major Orthodox country after the fall of Constantinople. This led Moscow’s rulers to claim full independence, which finished during Ivan III’s rule.

Religion

After the Mongol conquest, monasteries became very important in Russia. Between the 14th and 16th centuries, many new monasteries were built, even in faraway places. One of the most important leaders was Sergius of Radonezh, who helped create a famous monastery called the Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius. These monasteries were important for religion and also served as strong, safe places.

During this time, the church worked to share Orthodox Christianity with different peoples. A man named Stephen of Perm helped bring the faith to the Komi people in northern Russia. He even created a new writing system for their language. Monasteries became very powerful, owning lots of land and having influence on many parts of life.

Society

Most people in the Grand Principality of Moscow were peasants. They lived in groups called communes and chose elders to speak for them. The government used these groups to help collect taxes. If one family could not pay, the others would help.

There were also nobles who served as warriors for the princes. They protected the land and fought in battles. Some nobles lived on their own land, and others worked in the grand prince's court. Over time, the grand prince gained more control over the nobles and expected them to follow his orders. The army became strong and skilled, using bows and swords.

Economy

In the 15th century, after the Golden Horde broke apart, merchants from Moscow began trading with Crimea. They traded with people from Genoa in a place called Caffa. Traders called the gosti-surozhane were known for their work with Crimea. Merchants from other places, like Armenians and Genoese, also came to Moscow through Crimea. Around this time, the city of Kazan became an important trading spot, replacing Bolghar. Every year, many merchants gathered at a big fair in Kazan. The Nogai Horde helped Moscow’s economy by providing horses for the army.

The city of Novgorod was a key place for trade between Russian cities and northwestern Europe. Furs were the most important item sold abroad, and Novgorod tried to control the best furs. By the 15th century, the power of the Hanseatic League had decreased. In 1494, Ivan III closed their trading post in Novgorod, called the Peterhof, to allow trade in more places, like his fortress at Ivangorod. Though the trading post opened again briefly in 1514, the Hanseatic League never regained its strong control.

Russian towns were often centers of independent areas early in their history. As the country grew more united, these towns became important for government work. Towns near the borders were mainly used for defense. Many people in these towns were artisans who made things from metal, wood, leather, and other materials for everyday use. The most common goods traded over long distances were things from the countryside, like fish and salt.

Culture

Muscovite Russia was shaped by Slavic and Byzantine traditions. Supernatural beliefs were a normal part of everyday life.

Art and architecture

A special style of painting holy images, called icons, began in Moscow during the 1300s. One of the most famous painters was Andrei Rublev, known for his work called The Trinity. Buildings also grew more beautiful. Many new churches were built using brick instead of stone. After contacts with Italy, new designs changed Russian architecture forever.

Literature

Writers in Muscovite Russia used a special form of an old language for their books. Stories about brave heroes became popular, especially tales of battles against foreign enemies. After the fall of a great city far away, some people believed the rulers of Moscow were the true heirs of that ancient empire.

List of monarchs

Main article: Grand Prince of Moscow

The Grand Principality of Moscow was ruled by leaders known as Grand Princes. They helped grow a small area into a larger, united Russian state. Their efforts started the formation of what would become Russia.