The Tatar-Mongol invasion and subsequent yoke are considered a special period in Russian history. It was this period of time that brought into culture, politics and the manner of farming many phenomena that exist to this day. The Tatar-Mongol invasion undoubtedly had a devastating impact on the state of the Old Russian state, on the development of agriculture and culture. What exactly were the prerequisites for the Mongol invasion, and what consequences did it entail?
At the beginning of the 13th century, numerous Mongol tribes began to move to a new stage in the development of statehood - centralization and unification of tribes led to the creation of a large and powerful empire with a huge army, supporting itself mainly through raids on nearby territories.
Reasons for the Mongol invasion of Rus'
The main reason for the Mongol invasion under the leadership of Khan Batu lies in the very type of statehood of the Mongols. In the 13th century, these were united groups of tribes engaged in cattle breeding. This type of activity required a constant change of terrain and, accordingly, a nomadic lifestyle. Mongol tribes constantly expanded their territories for grazing livestock.
The nomads needed a strong and powerful army. The aggressive military policy was based on an invincible army, consisting of clearly organized groups of warriors. It was the good organization and discipline of the troops that ensured many of the Mongol victories.
Having already conquered vast territories in China and Siberia, the Mongol khans sent their troops to Volga Bulgaria and Rus'.
The main reason for the first defeats of the Russian troops was the disunity and disorganization of the actions of the princes. Long-term civil strife and disputes between different principalities weakened the Russian lands; the princely squads were busy resolving internal conflicts.
The Battle of the Kalka River in 1223 showed the need for coordinated actions of various principalities - defeat in it was a consequence of uncoordinated actions and the refusal of many princes to join the battle.
The strictly organized Mongol army was able to win its first victories and advance deep into Russian lands with almost no difficulty.
Consequences of the Mongol invasion of Rus'
The Mongol invasion became a real disaster for Russian lands in the 13th century. Negative consequences were observed in all spheres of society. After the raids of 1237-1238, the Tatar-Mongol yoke was established in Rus', that is, a system of dependence on the victorious state. The yoke lasted until 1480 - this time significantly changed the state of the Old Russian state.
The invasion of the Tatar-Mongols and the subsequent yoke led to a sharp deterioration in the demographic situation in Rus'. Previously populous and numerous cities were deserted, and the population in the devastated lands decreased. The intervention of the Mongols was observed in social relations in Russian lands.
The Mongol invasion also influenced the political structure of Rus'. The established dependence assumed the influence of the Mongol khans on all political decisions in Rus' - the khans appointed princes by handing them labels to reign. The veche culture of many principalities was fading away, as the general political activity and interest of the population decreased.
The Russian economy also became dependent on the Tatar-Mongols. A system of collecting taxes by the khan's representatives, the Baskaks, was established. Often, residents of cities and villages resisted the tribute collectors and refused to give them anything - such revolts were harshly and bloodily suppressed.
The consequences were especially devastating in the cultural sphere. Stone construction ceased in Rus' for more than fifty years. Churches and fortresses of enormous architectural value were destroyed. There was a general decline in cultural life in Rus' - the number of artisans and painters working in the cities decreased. The previously high level of literacy of the Russian population has become truly insignificant, chronicle writing in many principalities has become more rare or has ceased altogether.
For two centuries, Rus' found itself under the yoke of foreign invaders - it was a kind of buffer on the way of the Mongols to Europe. The Tatar-Mongol army did not reach the European states, and from the 14th – 15th centuries there was a slow weakening of the khan’s power.
History of Russia from ancient times to the beginning of the 20th century Froyanov Igor Yakovlevich
Campaigns to Rus' Batu
Campaigns to Rus' Batu
After the death of Genghis Khan (1227), his son Ogedei became the heir. The campaigns of conquest continued. In the early 30s of the 13th century. The Mongols again attacked Transcaucasia. And in 1236 the campaign against Russian lands began. It was headed by the grandson of Genghis Khan, the son of his eldest son Jochi-Batu (Batu), who received possession (ulus) of the western lands, including those that were to be conquered.
Having captured Volga Bulgaria, by the fall of 1237 the Mongols crossed the Volga and concentrated on the river. Voronezh. It must be said that the new campaign against Rus' was not a surprise for the princes and the entire population. As the chronicles testify, in Russian cities they monitored the advance of the Mongol-Tatars, knew about their approach and plans of conquest, and prepared for defense. However, the Mongol-Tatars remained overwhelmingly superior in military forces. At the most conservative estimates, their army numbered from 37.5 thousand to 75 thousand people and used first-class siege equipment for that time. In the absence of political and military unity in Rus', it was extremely difficult to resist the numerous, well-trained and brutal troops of the Mongol-Tatars. And yet, the Russian lands, especially in the initial period, tried to organize a collective resistance. But the unification of the forces of several principalities was not enough to resist a strong enemy.
The first Russian volost on the path of the Mongol-Tatars was Ryazan. To Batu's demands for voluntary submission and payment of tribute, the Ryazan prince Yuri Ingvarevich and the Pronsky and Murom princes allied with him refused. In turn, having received no help from other lands, the Ryazan people had to act alone. But even while under siege, they found the courage to answer the Tatar ambassadors: “If we are all gone, then everything will be yours.” Ryazan fell after a five-day defense on December 21, 1237. The city was plundered and burned, and the inhabitants, including the princely family, were killed. Ryazan was never reborn in its original place.
In January 1238, the Mongol-Tatars moved to the Vladimir-Suzdal land. In the battle near Kolomna, they defeated the Vladimir people and the remnants of the Ryazan people, after which they approached Moscow. Moscow, which at that time was a small suburb of Vladimir, put up desperate resistance. The defense was led by Voivode Philip Nyanka. The city was taken only five days later. On February 3, 1238, Batu approached Vladimir and besieged it, while simultaneously sending a detachment to Suzdal. On February 7, after a number of unsuccessful attempts to take possession of the city through the Golden Gate, the invaders broke into it through gaps in the wall. The chronicler paints terrible pictures of robbery and violence. Bishop Mitrofan, with the princesses and children who were part of the family of Prince Yuri Vsevolodovich, and other people, who took refuge in the Assumption Cathedral, were set on fire and died in agony from suffocation and fire. Meanwhile, Prince Yuri of Vladimir himself, having gone north, tried with the forces of the Vladimir army and the regiments of the Rostov, Yaroslavl, Uglitsky and Yuriev lands gathered by him to stop the deadly march of the Mongol-Tatars. On March 4, 1238, a battle took place on the City River, lost in dense forests northwest of Uglich. The exact location of the battle has not yet been established, but it is reliably known that the entire Russian army was killed. Yuri Vsevolodovich also died. North-Eastern Rus' was devastated and devastated.
At the same time, another detachment of Mongol-Tatars moved to North-Western Rus'. Here they met stubborn resistance from the residents of Torzhok, a suburb of Novgorod. But on March 5 - after two weeks of standing under its walls - the Mongol-Tatars, using battering devices, took it too. The enemies exterminated everyone “from male to female, all of the priestly ranks and those of the Black Rises, and everything was naked and desecrated, giving up his soul to the Lord with a bitter death.”
The path to Novgorod was thus open. However, the unexpected happened: not having reached Novgorod a hundred miles, Batu, near the town of Ignach-cross, sharply turned south. The reasons for this decision can only be named tentatively: the upcoming spring thaw, as a result of which further advancement was extremely difficult, fatigue and loss of morale of the Mongols themselves, who fought in unusual conditions for them, as well as rumors that reached them about the determination of the Novgorodians to fight to the last.
The retreat was rapid and had the character of a “raid.” The Mongols divided into detachments and, going from north to south, covered with their “network” the settlements they encountered along the way. It is especially necessary to note the resilience of the residents (led by the young prince Vasily) of the small town of Kozelsk, who defended themselves without anyone’s help for seven weeks. They made forays, attacked the enemy, and destroyed siege engines. When it came to the assault, “the goats and knives were cutting with them.” The Tatars called it “Evil City” and “show no mercy from the young to the milk-sucking.”
Smolensk managed to fight back, but such large centers as Pereyaslavl-Yuzhny, Chernigov, etc. were devastated. After this, the Mongol-Tatars again went to the steppes. But already in 1239 a new invasion followed. After capturing Murom, the Mongols moved to southern Rus' and approached Kyiv. The defense of the city was organized by Voivode Dmitry (Prince Mikhail Vsevolodovich fled). The townspeople selflessly defended themselves for about three months; their strength was unequal. In December 1240, Kyiv was taken. The following year, the Mongol-Tatars defeated Galician-Volyn Rus and then invaded Europe. However, having suffered a series of failures in the Czech Republic and Hungary, Batu turned his troops to the East. The Italian monk Plano Carpini, who was passing through the southern Russian lands a little later, left chilling lines: the Tatars “went against Russia and carried out a great massacre in the land of Russia, destroyed cities and fortresses and killed people, besieged Kiev, which was the capital of Russia, and after a long siege they they took him and killed the inhabitants of the city; hence, when we rode through their land, we found countless heads and bones of dead people lying in the field; for this city was large and very populous, but now it has been reduced to almost nothing: there are barely two hundred houses there, and they keep those people in the most severe slavery.”
Based on the foregoing, it is difficult to take seriously L.N. Gumilyov’s conclusions that “the few Mongol warriors of Batu only passed through Rus' and returned to the steppe.” It seems that A.S. Pushkin said much more precisely about the tragedy that befell the Russian people, at the same time defining the significance that the fortitude and courage of the Russian people had: “... torn and bloodless Rus' stopped the Mongol-Tatar invasion on the edge of Europe.” Her dedication cost Rus' dearly. According to archaeologists, out of 74 Russian cities, 49 were devastated by the Tatars. 14 of them ceased to exist forever, and 15 turned into rural settlements. Thousands of townspeople, villagers, noble people and ordinary community members died. Many, especially artisans, were taken captive. The crooked Tatar saber and the accompanying fire devastated Rus', but did not bring it to its knees. Batu's invasion did not entail the destruction of the ancient Russian people and civilization.
From the book Rus' and the Horde. Great Empire of the Middle Ages author7.3. Third period: Vladimir-Suzdal Rus' from the middle of the 12th century until the invasion of Batu in 1237 MICHAEL, 1174–1176, reigned for 2 years, capital - Vladimir. VSEVOLOD THE BIG NEST, 1176–1212, reigned for 361 years, capital - Vladimir.GEORGII, 1212 –1216, reigned for 4 years, capitals - Vladimir and
From the book History of Russia. From ancient times to the 16th century. 6th grade author Kiselev Alexander Fedotovich§ 19. Batu’s INVASION OF Rus' Batu’s first campaign. The Ulus of Jochi was inherited by his eldest son, Khan Batu, known in Rus' under the name Batu. Contemporaries noted that Batu Khan was cruel in battle and “very cunning in war.” He inspired great fear even in his own people. In 1229, the kurultai
From the book Reconstruction of True History author Nosovsky Gleb Vladimirovich1. The grandiose Trojan War as revenge for Christ Rus'-Horde organizes Crusades against Tsar-Grad, and soon the center of the Empire is transferred to Vladimir-Suzdal Rus'. In 1185, Emperor Andronicus-Christ was crucified on Mount Beykos near Eros. Outraged provinces
From the book Book 1. New chronology of Rus' [Russian Chronicles. "Mongol-Tatar" conquest. Battle of Kulikovo. Ivan groznyj. Razin. Pugachev. The defeat of Tobolsk and author Nosovsky Gleb Vladimirovich7.3. Third period: Vladimir-Suzdal Rus' from the middle of the 12th century until the invasion of Batu in 1237 MICHAEL 1174–1176, reigned for 2 years, capital - Vladimir. VSEVOLOD THE BIG NEST 1176–1212, reigned for 36 years, capital - Vladimir. GEORGE 1212–1216, reigned for 4 years, capitals - Vladimir and Suzdal. MSTISLAV
From the book New Chronology and the Concept of the Ancient History of Rus', England and Rome author Nosovsky Gleb Vladimirovich3rd period: Vladimir-Suzdal Rus' from the middle of the 12th century until the invasion of Batu in 1237 Mikhail 1174–1176 (2), capital - Vladimir.Vsevolod the Big Nest 1176–1212 (36), capital - Vladimir.George 1212–1216 (4) , capital - Vladimir and Suzdal. Mstislav of Novgorod from 1212 (see, vol. 1, p. 87) to 1219
From the book Reconstruction of True History author Nosovsky Gleb Vladimirovich1. The grandiose Trojan War as revenge for Christ. Rus'-Horde organizes Crusades against Tsar-Grad, and soon the center of the Empire is transferred to Vladimir-Suzdal Rus'. In 1185, Emperor Andronicus-Christ was crucified on Mount Beykos near Eros. Outraged provinces
From the book Empire of the Steppes. Attila, Genghis Khan, Tamerlane by Grusset ReneCampaigns of Batu and Subotai to Europe At this time, by order of the Great Khan Ogedei, a large Mongol army of 150,000 people launched military operations in Europe. It was under the nominal leadership of Batu, the khan of the Aral steppes and the Urals. At his disposal
From the book Rus' and Rome. Colonization of America by Russia-Horde in the 15th–16th centuries author Nosovsky Gleb Vladimirovich5. Thirteenth century: the grandiose Trojan War as revenge for Christ Rus'-Horde organizes Crusades against Tsar-Grad and soon the center of the Empire is transferred to Vladimir-Suzdal Rus'. The Crusaders avenge the crucified Andronicus-Christ. In 1185 they crucified in Tsar-Grad
author Kargalov Vadim Viktorovich From the book Foreign Policy Factors in the Development of Feudal Rus' author Kargalov Vadim Viktorovich From the book Foreign Policy Factors in the Development of Feudal Rus' author Kargalov Vadim Viktorovich From the book Book 1. Western myth [“Ancient” Rome and the “German” Habsburgs are reflections of the Russian-Horde history of the 14th–17th centuries. The legacy of the Great Empire in cult author Nosovsky Gleb Vladimirovich3. XIII century The grandiose Trojan War as revenge for Christ Rus'-Horde organizes crusades against Tsar-Grad and soon the center of the empire is transferred to Vladimir-Suzdal Rus' 3.1. The crusaders avenge the crucified Andronicus-Christ. In 1185, in Tsar-Grad (near Eros) they crucified
From the book by Danilo Galitsky author Zgurskaya Maria PavlovnaChapter 5 The Coming of Batu to Rus'. It was not in vain that Mikhail feared the continuation of the struggle for the Galician table and the final victory of Danila: in the same 1239, the Tatars under the leadership of Batu Khan, the grandson of Genghis Khan, devastated Eastern Rus'. The disunity of the Russian princes was beneficial
From the book Reader on the History of the USSR. Volume 1. author author unknown46. BATY’S CAMPAIGN TO Rus' Excerpts (Nos. 46, 47) about Batu’s invasion are taken from the “Nikon Chronicle” - “Complete Collection of Russian Chronicles”, vol. X. In the summer of 6745. During the same winter I came from the eastern country to the Ryazan land, forest, the godlessness of the Tatars with Tsar Batu and, having arrived, Stasha
author Shakhmagonov Fedor FedorovichBatu's invasion of northeastern Rus' Svyatoslav, the son of Yaroslav the Wise, gave rise to the family of princes of Chernigov, after his son Oleg they were called Olgovichs, the youngest Oleg's son Yaroslav became the ancestor of the princes of Ryazan and Murom. Yuri Igorevich, Prince of Ryazan, was
From the book World of History: Russian lands in the XIII-XV centuries author Shakhmagonov Fedor FedorovichBatu's campaign against southern Rus' The Russian people have suffered many raids, invasions and devastations since they settled along the Dnieper, Dvina, Oka, Volga, Volkhov, and along the rivers and lakes of the Beloozersky region. But such devastation as Batu’s invasion brought to North-Eastern Rus',
In 1237, a terrible disaster came to the Russian principalities. The Mongols again moved to Europe. By that time, Genghis Khan had been dead for ten years. His third son Ugoda became the Supreme Khan, and other children and grandchildren inherited areas of the vast empire - uluses.
The grandson of Genghis Khan, Batu Khan, became the owner of the western ulus. In Rus' they began to call him Batu. And so Batu and the best Mongol commander Subedei, at the head of a huge Horde, crossed the Volga and rose against its current to the north. On this great river at that time there was a large state - Volga Bulgaria. In 1236, Batu with his 150,000-strong army destroyed this rich country. The survivors fled to Rus'. Grand Duke of Vladimir Yuri Vsevolodovich willingly accepted and settled these skilled artisans in the cities.
The following year the Mongols went to Rus'. The fragmented country was unable to defeat its enemies, although the courage and heroism of the defenders remained in the memory of the people. In December, the Horde entered the Ryazan principality. To the demand to surrender, the Ryazan residents responded: “When you come here, everything will be yours.” Only the Pronsky and Murom princes came to the aid of the city. Grand Duke Yuri refused to send his squad. Ryazan Prince Yuri and his son Fedor were killed. Fyodor's wife, Princess Eupraxia, along with her one-year-old son, threw herself from the tower and fell to their death. Ryazan fell.
Single combat between a Russian equestrian warrior and a Mongolian horseman. Boyar Evpatiy Kolovrat gathered those who survived after the destruction of Ryazan. With his detachment, he caught up with Batu’s Horde. The battle began with single combat. Batu’s relative Tovrul spoke out against Kolovrat. Kolovrat defeated him, and the battle began. Kolovrat died, but Batu released those of his warriors who survived this battle, admiring their courage.
Batu and Subedei moved to Kolomna. There they were met by Russian squads. The nephew of the Ryazan prince Roman Ingvarevich, who escaped during the capture of Ryazan, the son of Grand Duke Yuri Vsevolod and the governor Eremey led the battle. They lost. Roman and Eremey fell in battle, and Vsevolod fled to Vladimir with the few survivors. Batu took Kolomna and approached Moscow, which was defended by the governor Philip Nyanka and the youngest son of Yuri Vsevolodovich Vladimir. The future capital of Russia defended itself for five days, but it too suffered the same fate as Ryazan and Kolomna. Moscow was burned, the governor died, and the young prince was captured by cruel invaders. The Mongols captured Vladimir, Suzdal, Volokolamsk, Tver and many other cities. Then Batu and Subedei divided the Horde. They themselves moved to the city of Torzhok, and the temnik Burundai was sent to the Sit River. Grand Duke Yuri was not in Vladimir when the city perished. He was in the City gathering forces to repel the enemy. Prince Vasilko of Rostov and his retinue joined him. And then the terrible news reached Yuri Vsevolodovich - his capital had fallen, his family had died, and the Mongol temnik Burundai had already bypassed his army. The prince gave battle. In a brutal battle on March 4, 1238, Russian squads died. Prince Yuri also died. And Vasilko Rostovsky was captured. The conquerors, admiring his courage, invited Vasilko to join them in their service. But the brave Russian knight proudly refused and was brutally tortured.
The destruction of Vladimir by the Mongols. Stolny Vladimir fell after four days of siege on February 7, 1238. Prince Vsevolod tried to negotiate with his enemies and left the city. He was not spared. The surviving defenders and the princely family locked themselves in the Church of the Virgin Mary. The Mongols surrounded the church with wood and set it on fire.
At this time, Torzhok was defending itself from enemies for the second week. But on March 5, after two weeks of siege, the enemies broke into the city. And then the Mongols headed towards Veliky Novgorod. But the courageous defenders of Torzhok severely battered the conquerors. Spring was beginning, the thaw and lack of food were approaching. The horde turned back. Novgorod was saved.
Returning back, the Mongols besieged the small town of Kozelsk. Prince Vasily of Kozel was then only two years old. The defenders held the city for seven weeks. Nevertheless, the Mongols broke into Kozelsk, killed the townspeople and destroyed the city to the ground. The little prince has gone missing. Legend has it that Vasily drowned in blood. And from then on, enemies began to call Kozelsk an evil city.
In 1239, Batu began his second campaign against Rus'. He destroyed Pereyaslavl, Chernigov, Kyiv. The Mongols invaded Western Europe. The Horde reached Trieste, but then Batu received news - Khan Ogedei had died in Mongolia. The thinned army turned back. In 1242 Batu returned to the Volga. Here he founded the city of Sarai-Batu, which became the capital of a new vast state - the Golden Horde. The Russian principalities became dependent on the Mongols and began to pay them tribute. Thus began the Mongol-Tatar yoke.
The Mongols stopped just two hundred kilometers from Novgorod, where a stone Ignach cross was driven into the ground. It has not survived, but now a new cross and a memorial plaque have been installed in its place.
The Mongol-Tatar invasion of Rus' occurred during a period of princely civil strife, which greatly contributed to the success of the conquerors. It was led by the grandson of the great Genghis Khan, Batu, who started a war against the ancient Russian state and became the main destroyer of its lands.
First and second trip
In 1237, in winter, the first major attack of the Mongol-Tatar army on Rus' took place - the Ryazan principality became their victim. The Ryazan people defended themselves heroically, but there were too many attackers - without receiving help from other principalities (although messengers were sent out with alarming news), Ryazan held out for five days. The principality was captured, and its capital was not only completely plundered, but also destroyed. The local prince and his son were killed.
Next on their path was the Vladimir Principality. The battle began from Kolomna, where the prince's troops were defeated, then the Mongols captured Moscow and approached Vladimir. The city, like Ryazan, held out for 5 days and fell. The last decisive battle for the Vladimir-Suzdal principality was the battle on the City River (March 4, 1238), where Batu completely defeated the remnants of the princely army. The principality was devastated and burned almost completely.
Rice. 1. Khan Batu.
Next, Batu planned to capture Novgorod, but Torzhok became an unexpected obstacle on his way, stopping the Mongol army for two weeks. After its capture, the conquerors nevertheless moved towards Novgorod, but as a result of unknown reasons, they turned south and were stuck for seven long weeks at the walls of the heroically defending Kozelsk.
Impressed by how long this city held out against his large and well-trained army, Batu called it “evil.”
The second campaign began in 1239 and lasted until 1240. During these two years, Batu was able to capture Pereyaslavl and Chernigov, the last of the large cities was Kyiv. After its capture and destruction, the Mongols easily dealt with the Galicia-Volyn principality and went to Eastern Europe.
TOP 4 articles
who are reading along with this
Rice. 2. Map of the Mongol invasion.
Why was Rus' defeated?
There are several reasons why such a significant territory was captured quite quickly. The first and most important is the disunity of the principalities, which is confirmed by the entire history of Russia. Each of them pursued its own interests, so that political fragmentation became a prerequisite for the fact that the princes did not unite military forces, and each individual army was not numerous and strong enough to stop the Mongols.
The second reason was that the conquerors had a large army, equipped at that time with the latest military technology. An additional factor was that by the time Batu’s military leaders and soldiers arrived in Rus', they already had considerable experience in siege warfare, because they captured many cities.
Finally, the iron discipline that reigned in the Mongol army, where every soldier was raised from childhood, also contributed.
Rice. 3. The army of Khan Batu.
This discipline was also supported by a very strict system of punishments: the smallest unit in the army was ten - and all of it was executed if one soldier showed cowardice.
Consequences of the Mongol-Tatar invasion of Rus'
The results of the invasion were very difficult - this is described even in ancient Russian literature. First of all, the invasion of the Tatar-Mongols led to the almost complete destruction of cities - out of 75 that existed at that time, 45 were completely destroyed, that is, more than half. The population decreased greatly, especially the layer of artisans, which slowed down the development of Rus'. The consequence of this was economic backwardness.
Important social processes also stopped - the formation of a class of free people, the decentralization of power. The southern and southwestern parts of Rus' were alienated, and the division of the remaining territory continued - the struggle for power was supported by the Mongols, who were interested in disuniting the principalities.
Empires on the territory of ancient Russian principalities. This event left a deep mark on the history of our Fatherland. Next, let's look at how Batu's invasion of Rus' took place (briefly).
Background
The Mongol feudal lords who lived long before Batu had plans to conquer Eastern European territory. In the 1220s. preparations were made in some way for a future conquest. An important part of it was the campaign of the thirty thousand army of Jebe and Subedei to the territory of Transcaucasia and South-Eastern Europe in 1222-24. Its purpose was exclusively reconnaissance and collection of information. In 1223, the battle took place during this campaign and ended in victory for the Mongols. As a result of the campaign, the future conquerors thoroughly studied future battlefields, learned about fortifications and troops, and received information about the location of the principalities of Rus'. From the army of Jebe and Subedei, they headed to Volga Bulgaria. But there the Mongols were defeated and returned to Central Asia through the steppes of modern Kazakhstan. The beginning of Batu's invasion of Rus' was quite sudden.
Devastation of the Ryazan territory
Batu’s invasion of Rus', in short, pursued the goal of enslaving the people, capturing and annexing new territories. The Mongols appeared on the southern borders of the Ryazan principality demanding that tribute be paid to them. Prince Yuri asked for help from Mikhail Chernigovsky and Yuri Vladimirsky. At Batu's headquarters, the Ryazan embassy was destroyed. Prince Yuri led his army, as well as the Murom regiments, to the border battle, but the battle was lost. Yuri Vsevolodovich sent a united army to help Ryazan. It included the regiments of his son Vsevolod, the people of the governor Eremey Glebovich, and Novgorod detachments. The forces that retreated from Ryazan also joined this army. The city fell after a six-day siege. The sent regiments managed to give battle to the conquerors near Kolomna, but were defeated.
Results of the first battles
The beginning of Batu's invasion of Rus' was marked by the destruction of not only Ryazan, but also the ruin of the entire principality. The Mongols captured Pronsk and captured Prince Oleg Ingvarevich the Red. Batu's invasion of Rus' (the date of the first battle is indicated above) was accompanied by the destruction of many cities and villages. So, the Mongols destroyed Belgorod Ryazan. This city was never subsequently restored. Tula researchers identify it with a settlement near the Polosni River, near the village of Beloroditsa (16 km from modern Veneva). Voronezh Ryazan was also wiped off the face of the earth. The ruins of the city stood deserted for several centuries. Only in 1586 a fort was built on the site of the settlement. The Mongols also destroyed the fairly famous city of Dedoslavl. Some researchers identify it with a settlement near the village of Dedilovo, on the right bank of the river. Shat.
Attack on the Vladimir-Suzdal Principality
After the defeat of the Ryazan lands, Batu's invasion of Rus' was somewhat suspended. When the Mongols invaded the Vladimir-Suzdal lands, they were unexpectedly overtaken by the regiments of Evpatiy Kolovrat, a Ryazan boyar. Thanks to this surprise, the squad was able to defeat the invaders, inflicting heavy losses on them. In 1238, after a five-day siege, Moscow fell. Vladimir (Yuri’s youngest son) and Philip Nyanka stood in defense of the city. At the head of the thirty thousand strong detachment that defeated the Moscow squad, according to sources, was Shiban. Yuri Vsevolodovich, moving north to the Sit River, began to assemble a new squad, while expecting help from Svyatoslav and Yaroslav (his brothers). In early February 1238, after an eight-day siege, Vladimir fell. The family of Prince Yuri died there. In the same February, in addition to Vladimir, cities such as Suzdal, Yuryev-Polsky, Pereyaslavl-Zalessky, Starodub-on-Klyazma, Rostov, Galich-Mersky, Kostroma, Gorodets, Tver, Dmitrov, Ksnyatin, Kashin, Uglich, Yaroslavl fell. . The Novgorod suburbs of Volok Lamsky and Vologda were also captured.
The situation in the Volga region
Batu's invasion of Rus' was very large-scale. In addition to the main ones, the Mongols also had secondary forces. With the help of the latter, the Volga region was captured. Over the course of three weeks, secondary forces led by Burundai covered twice the distance than the main Mongol troops during the siege of Torzhok and Tver, and approached the City River from the direction of Uglich. The Vladimir regiments did not have time to prepare for battle; they were surrounded and almost completely destroyed. Some of the warriors were taken prisoner. But at the same time, the Mongols themselves suffered serious losses. The center of Yaroslav's possessions lay directly on the path of the Mongols, who were advancing towards Novgorod from Vladimir. Pereyaslavl-Zalessky was captured within five days. During the capture of Tver, one of the sons of Prince Yaroslav died (his name has not been preserved). The chronicles do not contain information about the participation of Novgorodians in the Battle of the City. There is no mention of any actions of Yaroslav. Some researchers quite often emphasize that Novgorod did not send help to help Torzhok.
Results of the seizure of the Volga lands
The historian Tatishchev, speaking about the results of the battles, draws attention to the fact that the losses in the Mongols’ detachments were several times greater than those of the Russians. However, the Tatars made up for them at the expense of prisoners. At that time there were more of them than the invaders themselves. So, for example, the assault on Vladimir began only after a detachment of Mongols returned from Suzdal with prisoners.
Defense of Kozelsk
Batu's invasion of Rus' from the beginning of March 1238 took place according to a specific plan. After the capture of Torzhok, the remnants of Burundai’s detachment, uniting with the main forces, suddenly turned to the steppe. The invaders did not reach Novgorod by about 100 versts. Different sources give different versions of this turn. Some say that the cause was the spring thaw, others say the threat of famine. One way or another, the invasion of Batu’s troops into Rus' continued, but in a different direction.
The Mongols were now divided into two groups. The main detachment passed east of Smolensk (30 km from the city) and made a stop in the lands of Dolgomostye. One of the literary sources contains information that the Mongols were defeated and fled. After this, the main detachment moved south. Here, the invasion of Rus' by Batu Khan was marked by the invasion of the Chernigov lands and the burning of Vshchizh, located in close proximity to the central regions of the principality. According to one of the sources, in connection with these events, 4 sons of Vladimir Svyatoslavovich died. Then the main forces of the Mongols turned sharply to the northeast. Having bypassed Karachev and Bryansk, the Tatars took possession of Kozelsk. The eastern group, meanwhile, took place in the spring of 1238 near Ryazan. The detachments were led by Buri and Kadan. At that time, Vasily, the 12-year-old grandson of Mstislav Svyatoslavovich, was reigning in Kozelsk. The battle for the city dragged on for seven weeks. By May 1238, both groups of Mongols united at Kozelsk and captured it three days later, albeit with heavy losses.
Further developments
By the middle of the 13th century, the invasion of Rus' began to take on an episodic character. The Mongols invaded only the border lands, in the process of suppressing uprisings in the Polovtsian steppes and the Volga region. In the chronicle, at the end of the story about the campaign in the northeastern territories, there is mention of the calm that accompanied Batu’s invasion of Rus' (“the year of peace” - from 1238 to 1239). After him, on October 18, 1239, Chernigov was besieged and taken. After the fall of the city, the Mongols began to plunder and destroy the territories along the Seim and Desna. Rylsk, Vyr, Glukhov, Putivl, Gomiy were devastated and destroyed.
Hiking in the area near the Dnieper
A corps led by Bukday was sent to help the Mongol troops involved in Transcaucasia. This happened in 1240. Around the same period, Batu decided to send Munke, Buri and Guyuk home. The remaining detachments regrouped, replenished a second time with captured Volga and Polovtsian prisoners. The next direction was the territory of the right bank of the Dnieper. Most of them (Kiev, Volyn, Galician and, presumably, the Turov-Pinsk principality) by 1240 were united under the rule of Daniil and Vasilko, the sons of Roman Mstislavovich (Volyn ruler). The first, considering himself unable to resist the Mongols on his own, set off on the eve of the invasion of Hungary. Presumably Daniel's goal was to ask King Béla VI for help in repelling the Tatar attacks.
Consequences of Batu's invasion of Rus'
As a result of the barbaric raids of the Mongols, a huge number of the state's population died. A significant part of large and small cities and villages was destroyed. Chernigov, Tver, Ryazan, Suzdal, Vladimir, and Kyiv suffered significantly. The exceptions were Pskov, Veliky Novgorod, the cities of Turovo-Pinsk, Polotsk and Suzdal principalities. As a result of the invasion of comparative development, the culture of large settlements suffered irreparable damage. For several decades, stone construction was almost completely stopped in cities. In addition, such complex crafts as the production of glass jewelry, the production of grain, niello, cloisonne enamel, and glazed polychrome ceramics disappeared. Rus' is significantly behind in its development. It was thrown back several centuries ago. And while the Western guild industry was entering the stage of primitive accumulation, Russian craft had to again go through that part of the historical path that had been done before Batu’s invasion.
In the southern lands, the settled population disappeared almost completely. The surviving residents went to the forest areas of the northeast, settling along the interfluve of the Oka and Northern Volga. These areas had a colder climate and less fertile soils than the southern regions, destroyed and ravaged by the Mongols. Trade routes were controlled by the Tatars. Because of this, there was no connection between Russia and other overseas states. The socio-economic development of the Fatherland in that historical period was at a very low level.
Opinion of military historians
Researchers note that the process of forming and merging rifle detachments and heavy cavalry regiments, which specialized in direct strikes with edged weapons, ended in Rus' immediately after Batu’s invasion. During this period, there was a unification of functions in the person of a single feudal warrior. He was forced to shoot with a bow and at the same time fight with a sword and spear. From this we can conclude that even the exclusively selected, feudal part of the Russian army in its development was thrown back a couple of centuries. The chronicles do not contain information about the existence of individual rifle detachments. This is understandable. For their formation, people were needed who were ready to break away from production and sell their blood for money. And in the economic situation in which Rus' was, mercenaryism was completely unaffordable.