The Mongol Tatar yoke led to. The liberation of Russia from the Mongol-Tatar yoke

Like it or not, the story was, is, and also remains quite ghostly and unreliable, and those facts that we are used to taking at face value often turn out to be vague and vague upon closer examination. Who exactly, and most importantly, why rewrites that very objective information is often simply not possible to identify, for lack of eyewitnesses who can either confirm or refute it. However, it is worth saying that there are inconsistencies, outright absurdity, as well as blunders that are striking, it is worth discussing in more detail, because among the huge number of tares, it is quite possible that the truth will be found. Moreover, in the history of our country there is also enough such goodness, for example, you can discuss the Tatar-Mongolian yoke briefly, without wandering into the dark jungle of a windy girl named Clio.

Official version: when the Mongol yoke was formed and who might need it

First of all, you need to find out what says about the Mongolian Tatar yoke 1237-1480 is the official version of history, which we very successfully studied at school. It is this version that is considered correct, therefore it is necessary to proceed from this. Fans of this version believe, based on available sources, that in early spring In 1237, that is, at the very beginning of the thirteenth century, Genghis Khan suddenly appeared at the helm of the nomadic tribes that at that time lived communally and scattered. In just a couple of years, this really talented leader, and roughly speaking, a real, brilliant leader, gathered such a colossal army that he was immediately able to set out on his own, which turned out to be actually victorious, campaign to the northwest.

Although no, everything was somewhat not so fast, because at first, on hastily a well-knit state, which previously consisted of completely disparate tribes and communities, conquered China, which was quite strong at that time, and at the same time its closest neighbors. Only after all this Golden Horde, like an endless sea, rushed in our direction, clinking spears and playing with long beards, riding dashing horses, intending to plant the Tatar-Mongol yoke on Mother Russia, which is what we are talking about.

Tatar-Mongol yoke: start and end date, according to the official version, dates and numbers

Horror, fear, horror gripped all of ancient Russia, from edge to edge, when millions of troops entered our lands. Burning everything in its path, killing and also crippling the population, leaving behind only ashes, the "Horde" marched through the steppes and plains, capturing more and more territories, horrifying everyone who met them on the way.

Absolutely no one could prevent this incredible avalanche, fragrant with fat and soot, and our epic good fellows and heroes, apparently, were just lying on the stoves, maturing their prescribed thirty-three years. Having reached the Czech Republic and Poland itself, the victorious campaign, for completely unknown reasons, suddenly choked and stood up as if rooted to the spot, and the Tatar-Mongolian yoke stopped, splashed in place, like a real sea, establishing its own rules, as well as its rather tough regime on the conquered from amazing lightness of the territories.

It was then that the Russian princes received special letters, as well as labels from the khan for administration. That is, the country, in fact, simply continued to live its usual, everyday life. To make it clearer, it is worth saying that the yoke is in Ancient Russia this was the name of the yoke worn on powerful animals, oxen, pulling an unbearable burden, for example, a cart loaded with salt. True, the Mongols and Tatars, at times, apparently for greater fear and to prevent indignation with the regime, ravaged several small villages or towns.

Tribute to the Khan had to be paid regularly and very carefully, in order to avoid unnecessary conflicts and the establishment of the Mongol-Tatar yoke in Russia went off with a bang. The Mongols are eastern people - quick-tempered and hot-tempered, why tempt fate? This went on for about three hundred years, until Dmitry Donskoy finally showed the Horde handsome Khan Mamai where these domestic crayfish hibernate, which scared the invaders, who seemed completely fearless and invincible, to death.

At about the same time, in the middle of the fourteenth century AD, on the Ugra River, Prince Ivan the Third and the Tatar Akhmat, after standing against each other for several days, for some reason simply dispersed without even entering into battle. Moreover, the Horde "peepers" clearly lost these. This time is considered the official end of the Mongol-Tatar yoke. These events are dated around 1380.

The period of the Mongol-Tatar yoke in Russia: years and key dates

However, the invaders raged and raged for several more decades, and the consequences for the country turned out to be simply catastrophic, the horde managed to embroil the Russian princes, so much so that they were ready to tear each other's throats for labels and petitions from the Khan. At that time, the son of the notorious Genghis Khan, the elderly young man Batu, stood at the head of the Horde, and he surrendered to the enemy.

Thus, it turns out that the Tatar-Mongol yoke, which lasted about two or three hundred years, ended in nothing. Moreover, the official version of history also offers the dates of the Mongol-Tatar yoke, which are key. How long did the Tatar-Mongol yoke last in Russia? Think for yourself, it's not at all difficult, because specific numbers are given, and then pure mathematics.

• The Mongol-Tatar yoke, which we are briefly talking about, began in 1223, when an innumerable horde approached the borders of Russia.
• Even the date of the first battle is known, which marked the beginning of the Mongol-Tatar yoke. : May 31 of the same year.
• Tatar-Mongol yoke: the date of the massive attack on Russia is the winter of 1237.
• In the same year, the Mongol yoke in Russia, in short, reigned, Kolomna and Ryazan were captured, and after them the entire Palo-Ryazan principality.
• In the early spring of 1238, at the very beginning of March, the city of Vladimir was captured, which later became the center from which the Tatar-Mongols ruled, and Prince Yuri Vsevolodovich was also killed.
• A year later, the horde also captured Chernigov.
• Kyiv fell in 1240, and it was a complete collapse for Russia at that time.
• By 1241, the Palo Galicia-Volyn principality was captured, after which the activity of the Horde clearly stopped.

However, the Tatar-Mongol yoke did not end there, and for another forty years the Russians paid tribute to the Horde Khan, because official history says that it ended only in 1280. To get a clearer idea of ​​​​the events taking place, it is worth considering a map of the Tatar- Mongolian yoke, there everything is quite transparent and simple, if you take everything on faith.

Tatar-Mongol yoke: historical fact or fiction

What do they say, so to speak, alternative sources, was the Mongol-Tatar yoke in Russia really, or was it specially invented for some specific purpose? Let's start with Genghis Khan himself, an extremely interesting and even, one might say, entertaining personality. Who was this "leader of the Comanches", the most talented of all existing rulers, leaders and organizers, who probably outdid Adolf Hitler himself? A mysterious phenomenon, but the Mongol by birth and tribe, it turns out, was quite European in appearance! A Persian historian, a contemporary of the Mongol-Tatar campaigns, named Rashidad-Din, frankly writes in his chronicles:

“All children from the clan of Genghis Khan were born with blond hair, and besides, they also had gray eyes. The Great One himself had the yellow-green eyes of a wild cougar.”

It turns out that he is not a Mongol at all, a great Mongol! For a snack, there is more information, and quite reliable: In the twelfth-thirteenth centuries, when the invasion took place, the Mongolian and Tatar peoples simply did not have a written language! Therefore, they definitely could not write their own sources purely physically. Well, they didn't know how to write, and that's it! It is a pity, because their words would be useful to us in establishing the truth.

These peoples learned to write after as many as five centuries, that is, much later than the Tatar-Mongol yoke allegedly existed in Russia, and even that is far from all. If you thoroughly delve into the historical reports of other peoples, then nothing is written about the black-eyed and black-haired invaders of vast territories, from China to the Czech Republic and Poland. The trace is lost and it is impossible to find it.

The Mongol-Tatar yoke in Russia lasted a long time, but left no traces behind

When Russian travelers, exploring more and more new lands, turned their feet to the east, to the Urals and Siberia, then on their way, they would certainly have met at least some traces of the presence of the once multimillion-strong army. After all, the Tatar-Mongols, according to legend, were supposed to “keep” these territories too. Moreover, no burials were found that more or less resemble Turkic ones. It turns out that no one has died in them for three hundred years? Cossack travelers did not find even a hint of the city or any infrastructure "decent" for their time. But it was here that the very tract was supposed to pass, along which tribute was brought from all over Russia. A strange forgetfulness was observed among the people who occupied these lands for centuries - they did not know about any yoke either in sleep or in spirit.

In addition to the complete "lack of presence", as everyone's favorite humorist Mikhail Zadornov would say, one can also note the elementary impossibility of existence, and even more so the victorious march of an army of half a million people in those dense times! According to the same evidence on which official history relies, it turns out that every nomad had at his disposal at least two horses, and sometimes even three or four. It is difficult to imagine this herd of several million horses, and even more difficult to figure out how to feed such a host of hungry animals. In one day, these countless hordes of ungulates were supposed to gobble up all the greenery within a radius of several hundred kilometers and leave behind a landscape that most of all resembles the consequences of a nuclear attack or a zombie invasion.

Perhaps, under the attack and rule of the Mongols, someone skillfully disguised something else, completely unrelated to the poor nomadic peoples? It is hard to imagine that they, accustomed to living in a rather warm steppe, felt calm in the severe Russian frosts, and even the more persistent and enduring Germans could not stand them, although they were equipped with the latest technology and weapons. And the very fact of such a well-coordinated and well-functioning control mechanism is rather strange to expect from nomads. The most interesting thing is that completely wild people, at times, were depicted in early paintings dressed in armor and chain mail, and during hostilities they could calmly roll out a ram to the gates of the city. With the idea of ​​​​the Tatar-Mongols of that time, these facts somehow do not fit at all.

Such inconsistencies, large and small, can be found if you dig into more than one volume of scientific work. Who and why needed to falsify history, "sinning" the poor Mongols and Tatars, who were not even aware of something like that? To be honest, it should be admitted that these peoples learned about their heroic past much later, and most likely already from the words of Europeans. It's funny, isn't it? What did they want to hide from their descendants, laying responsibility for the destruction and years of unbearable tribute on Genghis Khan? So far, all this is just theory and conjecture, and it is not at all a fact that the objective truth will ever be clarified.

When historians analyze the reasons for the success of the Tatar-Mongol yoke, they name the presence of a powerful khan in power among the most important and significant reasons. Often, the khan became the personification of strength and military power, and therefore he was feared by both the Russian princes and representatives of the yoke itself. What khans left their mark on history and were considered the most powerful rulers of their people.

The most powerful khans of the Mongol yoke

During the entire existence of the Mongol Empire and the Golden Horde, many khans have changed on the throne. Especially often the rulers changed during the great zamyatne, when the crisis forced the brother to go against the brother. Various internecine wars and regular military campaigns have confused the family tree of the Mongol khans, but the names of the most powerful rulers are still known. So, which khans of the Mongol Empire were considered the most powerful?

• Genghis Khan because of the mass of successful campaigns and the unification of lands into one state.
• Batu, who managed to completely subjugate Ancient Russia and form the Golden Horde.
• Khan Uzbek, under whom the Golden Horde reached its greatest power.
• Mamai, who managed to unite the troops during the great memorial.
• Khan Tokhtamysh, who made successful campaigns against Moscow, and returned Ancient Russia to the forced territories.

Each ruler deserves special attention, because his contribution to the history of the development of the Tatar-Mongol yoke is huge. However, it is much more interesting to tell about all the rulers of the yoke, trying to restore the family tree of the khans.

Tatar-Mongol khans and their role in the history of the yoke

The name and years of the reign of the Khan	His role in history
Genghis Khan (1206-1227)	And before Genghis Khan, the Mongol yoke had its own rulers, but it was this khan who managed to unite all the lands and make surprisingly successful campaigns against China, North Asia and against the Tatars.
Ogedei (1229-1241)	Genghis Khan tried to give all his sons the opportunity to rule, so he divided the empire between them, but it was Ogedei who was his main heir. The ruler continued his expansion into Central Asia and Northern China, strengthening his position in Europe as well.
Batu (1227-1255)	Batu was only the ruler of the ulus of Jochi, which later received the name of the Golden Horde. However, the successful Western campaign, the expansion of Ancient Russia and Poland, was made from Batu national hero. Soon he began to spread his sphere of influence over the entire territory of the Mongolian state, becoming an increasingly authoritative ruler.
Berke (1257-1266)	It was during the reign of Berke that the Golden Horde almost completely separated from the Mongol Empire. The ruler focused on urban planning, improving the social status of citizens.
Mengu-Timur (1266-1282), Tuda-Mengu (1282-1287), Tula-Bugi (1287-1291)	These rulers did not leave a big mark on history, but they were able to isolate the Golden Horde even more and defend its rights to freedom from the Mongol Empire. The basis of the economy of the Golden Horde was a tribute from the princes of Ancient Russia.
Khan Uzbek (1312-1341) and Khan Janibek (1342-1357)	Under Khan Uzbek and his son Dzhanibek, the Golden Horde flourished. The offerings of the Russian princes were regularly increased, urban planning continued, and the inhabitants of Sarai-Batu adored their khan and literally worshiped him.
Mamai (1359-1381)	Mamai had nothing to do with the legitimate rulers of the Golden Horde and had no connection with them. He seized power in the country by force, seeking new economic reforms and military victories. Despite the fact that Mamai's power was growing stronger every day, problems in the state were growing due to conflicts on the throne. As a result, in 1380 Mamai suffered a crushing defeat from the Russian troops on the Kulikovo field, and in 1381 he was overthrown by the legitimate ruler Tokhtamysh.
Tokhtamysh (1380-1395)	Perhaps the last great khan of the Golden Horde. After the crushing defeat of Mamai, he managed to regain his status in Ancient Russia. After the march on Moscow in 1382, tribute payments resumed, and Tokhtamysh proved his superiority in power.
Kadir Berdi (1419), Hadji-Muhammed (1420-1427), Ulu-Muhammed (1428-1432), Kichi-Muhammed (1432-1459)	All these rulers tried to establish their power during the period of the state collapse of the Golden Horde. After the beginning of the internal political crisis, many rulers changed, and this also affected the deterioration of the country's situation. As a result, in 1480 Ivan III managed to achieve the independence of Ancient Russia, throwing off the shackles of centuries of tribute.

As often happens, a great state falls apart due to a dynastic crisis. A few decades after the liberation of Ancient Russia from the hegemony of the Mongol yoke, the Russian rulers also had to go through their dynastic crisis, but that's a completely different story.

The Tatar-Mongol yoke is a period of time when Ancient Russia was dependent on the Golden Horde. The young state, due to its nomadic lifestyle, conquered many European territories. It seemed that it would keep the population in suspense for a long time. different countries, but disagreements within the Horde led to its complete collapse.

Tatar-Mongol yoke: reasons

Feudal fragmentation and constant princely strife turned the country into an unprotected state. The weakening of the defense, openness and inconstancy of borders - all this contributed to the frequent raids of nomads. The unstable ties between the regions of Ancient Russia and the tense relations of the princes allowed the Tatars to destroy Russian cities. Here are the first raids that "smashed" the northeastern lands of Russia and plunged the country into the power of the Mongols.

Tatar-Mongol yoke: development of events

Of course, Russia was not in a position to immediately conduct an open struggle against the invaders: there was no regular army, there was no support from the princes, there was a clear backwardness in technical weapons, there was no practical experience. That is why Russia could not resist the Golden Horde until the 14th century. This century became a turning point: Moscow rises, a single state begins to take shape, the Russian army wins its first victory in the difficult Kulikovo battle. As you know, in order to reign, it was necessary to get a label from the Khan of the Horde. That is why the Tatars pursued a policy of pitting: they quarreled with the princes who argued for this label. The Tatar-Mongol yoke in Russia also led to the fact that some princes specifically took the side of the Mongols in order to achieve the elevation of their own territory. For example, the uprising in Tver, when Ivan Kalita helped defeat his rival. Thus, Ivan Kalita achieved not only a label, but also the right to collect tribute from all his lands. Actively continues to fight the invaders and Dmitry Donskoy. It is with his name that the first victory of the Russians on the Kulikovo field is associated. As you know, the blessing was given by Sergius of Radonezh. The battle began with a duel between two heroes and ended with the death of both. The new tactics helped to defeat the army of the Tatars, exhausted by civil strife, but did not completely get rid of their influence. But he liberated the state, and already a single and centralized one, Ivan 3. It happened in 1480. So, with a difference of a hundred years, the two most significant events took place military history. Standing on the Ugra River helped to get rid of the invaders and freed the country from their influence. After that, the Horde ceased to exist.

Lessons and consequences

Economic devastation, backwardness in all spheres of life, the grave condition of the population - these are all the consequences of the Tatar-Mongol yoke. This difficult period in the history of Russia showed that the country is slowing down in its development, especially in the military. The Tatar-Mongol yoke taught our princes, first of all, tactical warfare, as well as the policy of compromises and concessions.

1. In 1480, the Mongol-Tatar yoke was overthrown, which, to a large extent, was the result of the activities of Ivan III, one of the most progressive Russian princes of that time. Ivan III, the son of Vasily the Dark, ascended the throne in 1462 and ruled until 1505. During his reign, fateful changes took place in the life of Muscovite Russia:

• Russia was finally united around Moscow;
• the Mongol-Tatar yoke was overthrown;
• Russia became the political and spiritual successor of Byzantium;
• the first Sudebnik of the Moscow State was compiled;
• the construction of the modern Moscow Kremlin began;
• Moscow prince became known as the Sovereign of All Russia.

2. The decisive step in the unification of the Russian lands around Moscow was the suppression of two feudal centers that had competed with Moscow for many years:

• Novgorod in 1478;
• Tver in 1485

The annexation of Novgorod, an independent trade democratic republic, to the Muscovite state took place by force. In 1478, Ivan III, worried about the desire of the Novgorodians to join Lithuania, came to Novgorod with an army and presented an ultimatum. Novgorodians, whose forces were inferior to Moscow, were forced to accept him. The Novgorod veche bell, a symbol of democracy, was removed from the bell tower and taken to Moscow, the veche was dissolved. It was during the annexation of Novgorod that Ivan III was first publicly presented as the Sovereign of All Russia.

3. After the unification of the two largest Russian centers - Moscow and Novgorod, the next step of Ivan III was the overthrow of the Mongol-Tatar yoke:

• in 1478 Ivan III refused to pay tribute to the Horde;
• Khan Akhmat, together with the Golden Horde army, marched on Russian lands;
• in October - November 1480, the Russian and Golden Horde armies became camps on the Ugra River, which was called "standing on the Ugra River";
• having stood on the Ugra for a month, on November 11, 1480, Khan Akhmat gathered his army and left for the Horde.

This event is considered the moment of the end of the Mongol-Tatar yoke, which lasted 240 years.

However, standing on the Ugra River is a symbol of the overthrow of the yoke, but not its cause.

The main reason for the rather easy overthrow of the yoke is the actual death of the Golden Horde in 1480-1481.

The geopolitical situation in the world was changed by the Turks who came from Asia:

• first, in 1453, the Turks crushed the 1000-year-old Byzantium and took Constantinople;
• then came the turn of the Golden Horde (also an enemy of the Turks), which in the 1460s - 1470s. subjected to devastating raids from the south;
• in 1480, the Crimean Tatars, allies of the Turks, opened a “second front” for Russia, starting an invasion of the Golden Horde.

In addition, in the Golden Horde itself (by that time it had already changed its name several times - the White Horde, the Blue Horde, etc.) there were centrifugal processes - similar to those that led to the collapse of Kievan Rus. By 1480, the Golden Horde had actually disintegrated into small khanates. Sometimes the data of the khanate were "collected" by someone from " strong people"-warlords or khans, the last time the Golden Horde was united by Akhmat, who then tried to restore the vassalage of Muscovite Russia. However, while standing on the Ugra, news came of a new invasion of the Crimean Tatars and a new “Zamiatin” (civil strife) in the Golden Horde. As a result:

• Khan Akhmat was forced to urgently leave the Ugra in order to fight against the invaders invading from the south;
• in 1481, the army of Akhmat was defeated, Akhmat, the last khan of the Horde, was killed, and the Golden Horde ceased to exist and broke up into small khanates - Astrakhan, Kazan, Nogai, etc. That is why, having left the Ugra on November 11, 1480, the Mongol- the Tatars never returned.

The last attempt to revive the Golden Horde was made in 1492, but was thwarted by the Turks, Crimean Tatars, and local separatists. The Golden Horde finally ceased to exist. 4. The Muscovite state, on the contrary, was gaining strength and international prestige. Ivan III married Sophia (Zoya) Paleolog, the niece of the last emperor of Byzantium (the Eastern Roman Empire, which collapsed in 1453, like the Golden Horde, under the onslaught of the Turkish invasion). The young Moscow state was declared the political and spiritual successor of Byzantium. This found expression both in the slogan: "Moscow is the Third Rome" (after Rome and the "Second Rome" - Constantinople), and in the borrowing of Byzantine symbols and symbols of power:

• Coat of arms of the Palaiologos family - the double-headed eagle was taken as the coat of arms of the newly formed Russian (Moscow) state;
• gradually, a new name for the country was borrowed from Byzantium - Russia (Russia is the Byzantine version of the name Rus; in the Byzantine language, for ease of pronunciation, the letter “y” in the name of the countries was changed to “o” and the ending “-ia” (-ia) was added), for example, Romania sounded like Romania, Bulgar like Bulgaria, Rus like Russia).

In honor of the overthrow of the Mongol-Tatar yoke under Ivan III, construction began on the symbol of power - the Moscow Kremlin. According to the plan of Ivan III, the Kremlin was to become the residence of future Russian sovereigns and should embody greatness and sovereignty. The project of the Italian architect Aristotle Fiorovanti was taken as the basis, according to which, instead of the old white stone, the main part of the modern Moscow Kremlin was built of red brick. Also under Ivan III in 1497, the Sudebnik was adopted - the first set of laws of an independent Russian state. This Code of Laws legalized:

• unified system of state bodies;
• unified system of government;
• the right of peasants to change landlords ("Yuryev's day").

During the reign of Ivan III, the expansion of the territory of Russia to the east began. Yes, in the 80s and 90s. 15th century vast areas were mastered up to the Urals and the Arctic Ocean, as a result of which, under Ivan III, the territory of the Moscow State increased 6 times.

Ivan III died in 1505, leaving behind a strong, prosperous and independent state.

The question of the date of the beginning and end of the Tatar-Mongol yoke in Russian historiography as a whole did not cause controversy. In this short post, he will try to dot the i's in this matter, at least for those who are preparing for the exam in history, that is, as part of the school curriculum.

The concept of the "Tatar-Mongol yoke"

However, to begin with, it is worth dealing with the very concept of this yoke, which is an important historical phenomenon in the history of Russia. If we turn to ancient Russian sources (“The Tale of the Devastation of Ryazan by Batu”, “Zadonshchina”, etc.), then the invasion of the Tatars is perceived as a God-given reality. The very concept of "Russian land" disappears from the sources and other concepts arise: "Horde Zalesskaya" ("Zadonshchina"), for example.

The very same "yoke" was not called such a word. The words "captivity" are more common. Thus, within the framework of the medieval providential consciousness, the invasion of the Mongols was perceived as the inevitable punishment of the Lord.

Historian Igor Danilevsky, for example, also believes that such a perception is due to the fact that, due to their negligence, the Russian princes in the period from 1223 to 1237: 1) did not take any measures to protect their lands, and 2) continued to maintain a fragmented state and create civil strife. It is for fragmentation that God punished the Russian land - in the view of contemporaries.

The very concept of "Tatar-Mongolian yoke" was introduced by N.M. Karamzin in his monumental work. By the way, he deduced from it and substantiated the need for an autocratic form of government in Russia. The emergence of the concept of the yoke was necessary in order, firstly, to justify Russia's lagging behind the countries of Europe, and, secondly, to justify the need for this Europeanization.

If you look into different school textbooks, then the dating of this historical phenomenon will be different. However, it often dates from 1237 to 1480: from the beginning of the first campaign of Batu to Russia and ending with the Standing on the Ugra River, when Khan Akhmat left and thus tacitly recognized the independence of the Muscovite state. In principle, this is a logical dating: Batu, having captured and defeated North-Eastern Russia, has already subjugated part of the Russian lands to himself.

However, in my classes I always determine the date of the beginning of the Mongol yoke in 1240 - after the second campaign of Batu, already to South Russia. The meaning of this definition is that at that time the whole Russian land was already subordinate to Batu and he already imposed duties on it, arranged Baskaks in the occupied lands, etc.

If you think about it, the date of the beginning of the yoke can also be determined by the year 1242 - when Russian princes began to come to the Horde with gifts, thereby recognizing dependence on the Golden Horde. Quite a bit of school encyclopedias place the start date of the yoke under this year.

The date of the end of the Mongol-Tatar yoke is usually placed in 1480 after Standing on the river. Acne. However, it is important to understand that for a long time the Moscow kingdom was disturbed by the "fragments" of the Golden Horde: the Kazan Khanate, Astrakhan, Crimean ... Crimean Khanate and in general it was liquidated in 1783. Therefore, yes, we can talk about formal independence. But with reservations.

Sincerely, Andrey Puchkov