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 began as an appanage principality in the 13th century and grew to become the leading Russian principality. By the late 15th century, it transformed into a centralized Russian state.

Moscow became important when Daniel, the youngest son of Alexander Nevsky, received the city in the 1200s. Over time, Moscow's rulers gained more power, often competing with other regions like Tver. Leaders such as Ivan I and Dmitry helped Moscow grow 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 system of shared rule. His son Vasily III finished uniting the remaining regions. Finally, Ivan IV, known as Ivan the Terrible, became the first Russian tsar in 1547, marking the start of the Tsardom of Russia.

Name

The names we use today for Moscow and its surrounding areas come from old words. The name "Moscow" first appears in records from the year 1147. Over time, people started calling the area "Russia," especially after the fall of a big empire called the Byzantine Empire in 1453.

In the 1400s, leaders in Moscow began calling themselves rulers of all of Russia. One important leader, Ivan III, even started using the title "tsar," though this title became official later 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 sacked 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 established a local branch of Rurikid princes. Moscow became one of the leading principalities in Vladimir-Suzdal. Daniel’s sons expanded the territory, incorporating areas like Kolomna and Serpukhov. By the end of his reign, Moscow had grown significantly and became self-sufficient.

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

Simeon succeeded his father and continued to strengthen Moscow’s position. He dealt with rival princes and external threats, including the Black Death, which affected the population and resources. Ivan II followed Simeon and focused on maintaining peace with neighboring regions while managing internal alliances.

Dmitry became prince at a young age and faced challenges from rival claimants. With support from the Russian Church, he secured his position and expanded Moscow’s domain. He also defended against invasions and strengthened his authority among other Russian princes.

Vasily I continued to expand the grand principality, taking advantage of political strife in the Golden Horde. He faced invasions but managed to protect Moscow and maintain its influence. Vasily II faced a civil war early in his reign but eventually secured his position and addressed church crises.

Ivan III marked the end of the appanage period and began a new era in Russian history. He expanded Moscow’s domain, incorporating regions like Novgorod and Tver, and unified Russia under his rule. Vasily III continued these policies, annexing territories like Pskov and Ryazan, and advancing the Russian border eastward.

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 strict system of taxes. After they conquered the area, the ruler of the Golden Horde sent special tax collectors called darughachi. The Russian Church was allowed to not pay taxes starting in 1267 because the Mongols respected different religions. A ruler named Mengu-Timur decided that Russian farmers should listen to nobles and religious leaders, so he used a system called tarkhan to get the nobles to support him. These special rules were later written in Old Russian.

Over time, the relationship between Moscow and the Golden Horde changed. In the late 1200s, Moscow got help from a Mongol leader named Nogai to stand up against other areas. Later, when the Golden Horde became united again, Moscow was often favored by the ruler until around the years 1317 and 1322–1327. Even when things got tough, Moscow kept growing stronger economically and politically. Attempts to take away Moscow’s important status failed, especially when the Golden Horde had inner conflicts. Rulers like Mamai couldn’t change Moscow’s position, and Tokhtamysh had to accept that Moscow was in charge of the Russian areas.

Even though Moscow still paid taxes to the khan for many years, it sometimes refused to follow the khan’s orders, especially from 1374 to 1380 and later periods. The power of the Golden Horde weakened especially under Dmitry Donskoy, who made sure the rulers of Moscow could keep their important title forever. While the Horde still collected taxes, they couldn’t control Moscow’s internal matters anymore. During the time of Vasily II and Ivan III, Moscow started to see itself as a major Orthodox country after the fall of Constantinople. This led Moscow’s rulers to claim full independence, a process that 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 not only served as religious centers but also became strong and fortified places.

During this time, the church worked hard to spread Orthodox Christianity to 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 grew very powerful, owning large amounts of land and influencing many areas of life.

Society

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

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, while others served 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, focusing on quick movements and using bows and swords.

Economy

In the 15th century, after the Golden Horde broke apart, merchants from Moscow started trading directly with Crimea. They traded with people from Genoa in a place called Caffa. A group of traders called the gosti-surozhane became 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. By the 16th century, about 20,000 horses were brought to Moscow each year for sale.

The city of Novgorod had always been 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, and Russia’s trade with Europe became more flexible.

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. During wars, some artisans made special items like chain mail, cannons, and handguns. 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 a series of leaders called Grand Princes. These leaders helped turn a small area into a larger, more united Russian state. Their work laid the foundation for what would become Russia.