The Mongol-Tatar yoke in Russia is the only successful example of a long military and political conquest of the Russian lands in their entire history. The invasion of Russia by the mighty Mongol army in 1237-1241 ended badly enough. However, this meeting with the eastern conquerors was not the first. The first acquaintance with the possibilities of the nomads took place fourteen years before their main parish, at the Battle of Kalka in 1223, when Russian-Polovtsian troops were defeated, and the state lost several Their princes. After this event, the hordes of Genghis Khan temporarily suspended their victorious advance to the west, because at first it was necessary to deal with another uncompromising opponent, the Volga Bulgaria.
Western trekking tour
Unfortunately, no proper conclusions were drawn by Russian statesmen to meet with dignity a threat in the future and to stop the Mongol-Tatar yoke. Years before the next invasion took place in endless mutual strife and wars for the principalities. The result of such carelessness was the successful Western campaign of Batu (the grandson of Genghis Khan, who died in 1227) and the commander Subadei. As a result of this campaign, many Russian cities were destroyed: Ryazan (1237), Moscow, Tver, Torzhok, Vladimir (all in 1238), Chernigov and Pereyaslavl (1239), and finally, Kiev (1240). The Mongol-Tatar yoke in Russia determined the vassalage of the once great principalities for centuries to come. Already the routings made by the conquerors during the campaign led to disastrous results: there were completely and permanently destroyed many cities that could not be restored, a significant number of living people were destroyed. Practical skills and crafts also suffered a painful blow. Military actions alone threw the country back centuries ago in its development.
Russia under the Mongol-Tatar yoke
At the same time, the military-political dominance of the Asian nomads in the next two hundred years was not at all devastating. The main form of this domination was the so-called labels. Labels were given out to Russian princes by the Mongolian khans after the approval of their loyalty and respect to the latter. After the issuance of such a label, in essence, the intervention of the khans in the domestic economy of the country ended. Fortunately, the Golden Horde created enough internal strife and other problems. Of course, the princes paid tribute to the khans, however, they collected it themselves, determining the total amount of fees, some of which went to the local treasury, some to Sarai Batu (the capital of the Mongolian state). The Mongol-Tatar yoke in Russia even created conditions for the successful development of certain structures. So, for example, the traditional policy of non-interference in religious affairs for nomads (which was a very wise step, allowing to find important supporters even among the conquered peoples) created conditions for the development and strengthening of the Orthodox Church in the country. It is important that this happened during the aggravation of confrontation with the Catholic Church and the crusades of Western knights.
Rise of Russian principalities and the elimination of the yoke
The Mongol-Tatar yoke in Rus was eliminated not simultaneously in different regions. So, for example, the southwestern lands of Galicia and Volhynia moved to Poland and the Great Lithuanian principality in the first half of the 14th century. In most of the Russian territories, the way out of this dependence was gradual. Throughout the XV century, the Horde lost more and more of its power as a result of internal contradictions and external strikes (Tamerlan's raids, for example). This allowed the Moscow prince in the year 1480 to completely relieve himself of any dependence and was the first stage in the creation of the Moscow kingdom. The latter in the future itself included the Tatar khanates in its possession.