Mongol-Tatar yoke. Its significance in the historical destiny of Russia

XIII century for the people of Russia was a period of severe trials, constant struggle for survival. It was at this time that the Mongols and Tatar yoke fell heavily on the shoulders of the people. It was in the 13th century that Alexander Nevsky showed the whole west the power of Russian weapons. The outcome of the heroic confrontation had a significant impact on the fate of the entire people. Changes affected all spheres of life: economic, social, religious. Rus became a kind of buffer, about which a wave of nomads broke. It was she who did not let the huge hordes of Mongol-Tatars into the vast expanses of Europe.

The first campaign of Batu Khan began in 1236. After the defeat of the Volga Bulgaria, his troops rushed to Ryazan. At that time there was a disunity among the princes in Russia, and the Ryazan had to fight alone with the nomads. As a result, the city was completely destroyed, the inhabitants were either killed or taken to slavery, only a small part of them were saved by hiding in the forests. The same fate befell Kolomna, Vladimir, Suzdal and Torzhok. Khan Baty rushed to Novgorod, but the bloodless army, weighed down by the booty, was already incapacitated. As a result, the Mongols turned back.

But already in 1239 the Horde started a new campaign, as a result of which Kiev, Murom, Gorokhovets were captured and plundered, after which the nomads rushed first to Galicia-Volyn Rus, and then to Europe. But the Mongols had to bleed to continue the campaign in battles with the Russian army.

If in Europe Baty walked a predatory raid, then Russia was imposed a heavy tribute, and the Mongol-Tatar yoke began. This for a long time stopped the development of Russia. It caused heavy damage to agriculture and culture. The consequences of the Mongol-Tatar yoke for Russia turned out to be very difficult. During two campaigns, about 50 cities were burned and looted, 14 of them were completely wiped off the face of the Earth and were no longer reborn, 15 cities from developing trade and handicraft centers turned into small villages.

The Mongol-Tatar yoke completely redrawn the map of Russia. The role of Kiev, in which, after plundering, no more than two hundred houses remained. The best masters of the Tatars were taken into slavery, destroying complex crafts. A heavy burden fell on the shoulders of the Russian people tribute, nominated by the Horde rulers. Russian princes had to travel to the Horde to obtain the right to reign, which increased the disunity of the principalities.

The Mongol-Tatar yoke had its own peculiarities. The main of them is that Rus was never included in the structure of the Horde lands. This is primarily due to the fact that the Russian forests were unsuitable for nomads. The second feature is the religious tolerance of the Mongol-Tatars. Moreover, the church was not taxed practically with any taxes, in response the priests supported the nomads and called the Russian princes to tolerance.

The overthrow of the Mongol-Tatar yoke occurred already in the 15th century, after the confrontation between the Russians and the Horde troops at the mouth of the Ugra River. None of the parties decided to take active military action, but Khan Ahmad had to withdraw with his army, and did not achieve the restoration of power over Russia.