ФГБОУ ВО Астраханский государственный

медицинский университет
Кафедра философии, биоэтики, истории и
социологии

Лекция 3. Feudal fragmentation.

Mongols yoke

Разработчики: старший преподаватель Пальцева

Д.У. (Paltseva D.U.), ассистент Нуркаева Р.Р.
(Nurkaeva R.R.)
 Plan

1) Introduction
2) Feudal fragmentation (Disintegration) and its reasons
3) Three main principalities of Rus’
4) Mongols yoke

Астраханский ГМУ
 Introduction

Kievan Rus' was not able to maintain its position as a

powerful and prosperous state, in part because of the
amalgamation of disparate lands under the control of a ruling
clan. As the members of that clan became more numerous, they
identified themselves with regional interests rather than with
the larger patrimony. Thus, the princes fought among
themselves, frequently forming alliances with outside groups
such as the Polovtsians, Poles, and Hungarians.
The Crusades brought a shift in European trade routes that
accelerated the decline of Kievan Rus'. In 1204 the forces of the
Fourth Crusade sacked Constantinople, making the Dnieper
trade route marginal. As it declined, Kievan Rus' splintered into
many principalities and several large regional centers.

Астраханский ГМУ
 What is feudal fragmentation (Disintegration)?
Feudal fragmentation was a period of disintegration of
Russian state into more than 15 principalities.
It lasted from XII up to XVth centuries.

It was marked by:

- Presence of tens of principalities
- Feudal wars
- Weakening of defensive capacity
- Uprising of economical and cultural life of principalities
- Decline of authority of Kiev and it’s prince
- Maintenance of one ruling clan (Ruriks), one religion
(Orthodox Christianity), one language (Russian), one law
(«Russian Truth»).

Астраханский ГМУ
 The causes of feudal fragmentation

1) Expansion of the number of votchinas and cities led to

increase of landowners’ power;
2) Feudal lords’ desire to be independent on Kievan Duke;
3) Rota system (power of Kievan Duke was inherited by elder of
the ruling clan, not by the eldest son) led to confusion in heirdom
and as a result – feudal wars;
4) Decline of economical power of Kiev because of decline of
Dnieper trade rout, of escapement of population from the
southern lands to northern and north-eastern parts of Rus’ from
nomad raids.

Астраханский ГМУ
 Most large and
powerful principalities
were Vladimir-Suzdal
principality, Galicya-
Volhynia principality
and Novgorod republic
(land).

Астраханский ГМУ
 In the north, the Republic of Novgorod prospered as part of
Kievan Rus' because it controlled trade routes from the Volga
River to the Baltic Sea. As Kievan Rus' declined, Novgorod
became more independent. A local oligarchy ruled Novgorod;
major government decisions were made by a town assembly
(Veche), which also elected a prince as the city's military leader.
In the twelfth century, Novgorod acquired its own archbishop,
a sign of increased importance and political independence.
Archbishops were elected by the Veche.
In its political structure and mercantile activities, Novgorod
resembled the north European towns of the Hanseatic League,
more than the other principalities of Kievan Rus'.

Астраханский ГМУ
 One of the most important local figures in Novgorod was the
posadnik, or mayor, an official elected by Veche from among
the city's boyars (aristocracy). The tysyatsky, or
"thousandman", originally the head of the town militia but later
a commercial and judicial official, was also elected by the
Veche.
The boyars and the archbishop ruled the city together,
although where one official's power ended and another's began is
uncertain. The prince, although his power was reduced from
around the middle of the 12th century, was represented by his
namestnik and still played important roles as a military
commander, legislator and jurist.

Астраханский ГМУ
 Veche (National Assembly)

Council of Lords
(300 «golden belts»)

Tysyatsky
Posadnik (mayor) Prince
(«thousandman»)

Namestnik
Archibishop

Political structure of Novgorod republic

Астраханский ГМУ
 Novgorod during Mongols yoke

Novgorod was never conquered by the Mongols during the

Mongol invasion of Rus. The Mongol army turned back about
200 kilometers from the city, not because of the city's strength,
but probably because the Mongol commanders did not want to
get bogged down in the marshlands surrounding the city.
However, the grand princes of Moscow, who acted as tax
collectors for the khans of the Golden Horde, did collect tribute
in Novgorod, most notably George (Yury) Danilovich and his
brother, Ivan Kalita.

Астраханский ГМУ
 Novgorod and European countries

From the beginning of the 13th century Novgorod struggled

against Swedish, Danish and German crusaders. During the
Swedish-Novgorodian Wars, the Swedes invaded lands where
some of the population had earlier paid tribute to Novgorod. The
Germans had been trying to conquer the Baltic region since the
late 12th century. Novgorod went to war 26 times with Sweden
and 11 times with the Livonian Brothers of the Sword.
The German knights, along with Danish and Swedish feudal
lords, launched a series of uncoordinated attacks in 1240–1242.
Novgorodian sources mention that a Swedish army was defeated
in the Battle of the Neva in 1240. The Baltic German campaigns
ended in failure after the Battle on the Ice in 1242.

Астраханский ГМУ
 After the foundation of the
castle of Viborg in 1293 the
Swedes gained a foothold in
Karelia. On August 12, 1323,
Sweden and Novgorod signed
the Treaty of Nöteborg,
regulating their border for the
first time.
Battle of the Ice (1242)

Battle of the Neva

(1240)
Астраханский ГМУ
 Vladimir-Suzdal principality

The principality
occupied a vast territory
in the northeast of Kievan
Rus', approximately
bounded by the Volga,
Oka, and Northern Dvina
rivers. Until the decline of
Kievan Rus' in the 12th-
13th centuries the territory
was also commonly called
Zalesie (a region beyond
woodland).

Астраханский ГМУ
 Vladimir-Suzdal principality (Grand Duchy of Vladimir)
was one of the major principalities that succeeded Kievan Rus'
in the late 12th century, centered in Vladimir-on-Klyazma.
With time the principality grew into a grand duchy divided
into several smaller principalities. After being conquered by the
Mongol Empire, the principality became a self-governed state
headed by its own nobility. A governorship of principality,
however, was prescribed by a Khan declaration (jarlig) issued
from the Golden Horde to a noble family of any of smaller
principalities.
Vladimir-Suzdal is traditionally perceived as a cradle of the
Great Russian language and nationality, and it gradually
evolved into the Grand Duchy of Moscow.

Астраханский ГМУ
 Firstly, the regional capital was Rostov the Great, including
other important towns included Suzdal, Yaroslavl and
Belozersk.

Астраханский ГМУ
 Vladimir Monomakh inherited the rights to the principality
in 1093. As the Grand Prince of Kiev he appointed his son Jury
I the Long-Armed (Юрий Долгорукий) to rule the
northeastern lands and in 1125 moved its capital from Rostov to
Suzdal, after which the Principality was referred to as Rostov-
Suzdal.

Астраханский ГМУ
 During the 11th and 12th centuries when southern parts of
Rus' were systematically raided by Turkic nomads, their
inhabitants began to migrate northward. In the formerly wooded
areas, known as Zalesye, many new settlements were
established. The foundations of Pereslavl, Kostroma, Dmitrov,
Moscow, Yuriev-Polsky, Uglich, Tver, Dubna, and many others
were assigned (either by chronicle or popular legend) to Jury I.
Sometime in 1108 Monomakh strengthened and rebuilt the
town of Vladimir on the Klyazma River, 31 km south of Suzdal.
During the rule of Jury I the principality gained military strength
and in the Suzdal-Ryazan war of 1146 conquered the Ryazan
Principality. Later in 1150s Jury occupied Kiev a couple of
times as well. From that time the lands of the northeastern Rus'
played an important role in the politics of Kievan Rus'.

Астраханский ГМУ
 Jury's son Andrew the Pious
(Андрей Боголюбский)
significantly increased Vladimir's
power at the expense of the
nearby princely states, which he
treated with contempt.
For Andrew, his capital of
Vladimir was a far greater
concern, as he embellished it
with white stone churches and
monasteries. Prince Andrew was
murdered by boyars in his
suburban residence at
Bogolyubovo in 1174.

Астраханский ГМУ
 After a brief interregnum,
Andrew's brother Vsevolod III
secured the throne. He
continued most of his brother's
policies and once again
subjugated Kiev in 1203.

Астраханский ГМУ
 Vladimir-Suzdal principality
during Mongols yoke

The principality was overrun by the Mongols under Batu

Khan in 1242. He and his successors asserted suzerainty over it
until 1328. During this period Vladimir became the chief town
of the Russian settlements in the basin of the Oka.
While Vladimir enjoyed hegemony for a time, it too would
disintegrate into a series of petty states, the most important of
which became Grand Duchy of Moscow, which itself would
eventually evolve into the Tsardom of Russia.

Астраханский ГМУ
 The Kingdom of Galicia-Volhynia

The Kingdom of Galicia-Volhynia was a principality in post-

Kievan Rus' in the late twelfth century and existed until the
middle of the fourteenth century. It was in south-western part
of Rus'.
During its time, the kingdom was bordered by the Grand
Duchy of Lithuania, the Kingdom of Hungary, the Kingdom of
Poland (1320–1385), the Principality of Moldova and the
Monastic State of the Teutonic Knights.
Along with Novgorod and Vladimir-Suzdal, it was one of
the three most important East Slavic powers to have emerged
from the collapse of Kievan Rus'.

Астраханский ГМУ
 Volhynia and Galicia had originally been two separate Rurikid
principalities, assigned on a rotating basis to younger members
of the Kievan dynasty. The line of Prince Roman the Great
(Роман Мстиславович) of Vladimir-in-Volhynia had held the
principality of Volhynia, while the line of Yaroslav Osmomysl
(Ярослав Осмомысл) held the Principality of Halych (later
adopted as Galicia).

Yaroslav Osmomysl
Roman the Great
Астраханский ГМУ
 Reign of Roman the Great

Roman acquired the Principality of Galicia and united his

lands into one state. In Roman's time Galicia–Volhynia's
principal cities were Halych and Volodymyr-in-Volhynia.
Roman was allied with Poland, signed a peace treaty with
Hungary and developed diplomatic relations with the Byzantine
Empire. At the height of his reign he briefly became the most
powerful of the Rus' princes.
In 1205 Roman turned against his Polish allies, leading to a
conflict with Leszek the White and Konrad of Masovia. Roman
was subsequently killed in the Battle of Zawichost (1205), and
his dominion entered a period of rebellion and chaos. Thus
weakened, Galicia–Volhynia became an arena of rivalry between
Poland and Hungary.

Астраханский ГМУ
 In 1221 Prince Mstislav Mstislavich
liberated Galicia–Volhynia from the
Hungarians. Daniil Romanovich
(Daniel I of Galicia), son of Roman,
formed a real union of Volhynia and
Galicia.
Under Danyl's reign, Galicia–Volhynia
was one of the most powerful states in
east of central Europe. Literature
flourished, producing the Galician–
Volhynian Chronicle. Demographic
growth was enhanced by immigration
from the west and the south. Commerce
developed due to trade routes linking the
Black Sea with Poland, Germany and
the Baltic region. Major cities were
important economic and cultural centers.
Астраханский ГМУ
 Danyl's dynasty
attempted to gain support
from Pope Benedict XII
and create European
alliance against the
Mongols, but it was the
rising of Grand Duchy of
Lithuania and Kingdom of
Poland. In 1349, after the
occupation of Galicia–
Volhynia by an allied
Polish-Hungarian force, the
Kingdom of Galicia–
Volhynia was finally
conquered and incorporated
in Poland.

Астраханский ГМУ
 Mongols yoke
In the 13th century the Mongol Empire invaded Kievan
Rus', destroying numerous cities, including Ryazan, Kolomna,
Moscow, Vladimir and Kiev, part of the Mongol invasion of
Europe.
The Mongol Empire emerged from the unification of
nomadic tribes in the Mongolia homeland under the leadership
of Genghis Khan, who was proclaimed ruler of all Mongols in
1206. The empire grew rapidly under his rule and then under
his descendants, who sent invasions in every direction.
As it was undergoing fragmentation, Kievan Rus' faced the
unexpected eruption of an irresistible foreign foe coming from
the mysterious regions of the Far East. "For our sins", writes
the Rus' chronicler of the time, "unknown nations arrived. No
one knew their origin or whence they came, or what religion
they practiced. That is known only to God, and perhaps to wise
men learned in books".
Астраханский ГМУ
Астраханский ГМУ
 The princes of Rus' first heard of the coming Mongol warriors
from the nomadic Cumans. Previously known for pillaging
settlers on the frontier, the nomads now preferred peaceful
relations, warning their neighbors: "These terrible strangers have
taken our country, and tomorrow they will take yours if you do
not come and help us". In response to this call, Mstislav the Bold
and Mstislav Romanovich the Old joined forces and set out
eastward to meet the foe, only to be routed in 1223 at the Battle
of the Kalka River.
Although this defeat left the Kievan principality at the mercy
of invaders, the Mongol forces retreated and did not reappear for
thirteen years, during which time the princes of Rus' went on
quarreling and fighting as before, until they were startled by a
new and much more formidable invading force.

Астраханский ГМУ
 First meeting of Russians
with Mongols was in the
Battle of the Kalka River in
1223, which resulted in a
Mongol victory over the
forces of several Rus'
principalities.
A full-scale invasion of Rus'
by Batu Khan followed, from
1237 to 1240. The invasion
was ended by the Mongol
succession process upon the
death of Ögedei Khan. All
Russian states were forced to
submit to Mongol rule.
Астраханский ГМУ
 In November 1237, Batu Khan besieged
Ryazan. After six days of bloody battle,
the city was totally annihilated. Having
burnt down Kolomna and Moscow, the
horde laid siege to Vladimir on February
4, 1238. Three days later, the capital of
Vladimir-Suzdal was taken and burnt to
the ground. The royal family perished in
the fire, while the grand prince retreated
northward. Crossing the Volga, he
mustered a new army, which was totally
annihilated by the Mongols in the Battle
of the Sit River on March 4.

Астраханский ГМУ
 In 1243 Batu khan established new Mongols state - Golden
Horde with the capital in Sarai.

Астраханский ГМУ
 The essence of the Mongol rule (yoke) over the
Russian lands

1) Russia was ruled by Russian princes. But the princes were

obliged to get permission to reign – Jarliq. Using this Jarliq,
Mongols skillfully maintained enmity between the Russian
princes. That’s why the political fragmentation in Russia
persisted until the late 15th century.
2) Russia was forced to pay tribute to the Mongols. This
tribute was called "Horde output (ордынский выход).
3) The first time the Mongols were not going to change the
Russian Orthodox faith.The Mongols were pagans. The Golden
Horde Orthodox churches were built and the priests prayed for
Khan and his family.
4) Mongols also stole many women into captivity and
craftsmen.

Астраханский ГМУ
 Dictionary
• The Dnieper trade route – trade rout “from Varangians to
Greeks”
• Feudal war – a war for power between members of ruling
clan
• Feudalism - social system which has such social
phenomenon as a combination of political power of land
ownership, the dependence of peasants on feudal, feudal
hierarchy and vassality, feudal fragmentation
• Votchina - feudal land, which could be inherited, sold,
exchanged and shared
• Hanseatic League - medieval association of northern
German cities, formed in 1241 and surviving until the 19th
century. In the later Middle Ages it included over 100 towns
and functioned as an independent political power.

Астраханский ГМУ
Thank you for your attention!