The reign of Prince Ivan Danilovich Kalita. Ivan Kalita: the years of government

Big politicians get into the story thanks to their deeds, not their nicknames, but it is they, once aptly given, allow the descendants to appreciate the extent of the ruler's personality. His nickname Kalita Ivan Danilovich received during his lifetime for Generosity shown to the poor. Kalita is a leather bag, a purse. In the Moscow lands, there was a legend about how the prince was handing out silver money, which he took from a leather purse hanging on his belt. In addition, without regretting money, he bought neighboring principalities, tirelessly growing new lands. A man of extraordinary diplomatic talent, smart and generous, resourceful and tough, who united many Russian lands and founded the Moscow state is all the Grand Duke of Moscow Ivan Kalita, whose reigns are from 1325 to 1340. Today we will talk about him.

A descendant of Alexander Nevsky

In the annals there are no accurate data on the birth of Ivan Danilovich: historians are guided by the period from 1282 to 1283 years. He was the fourth son of the Moscow prince Daniil Alexandrovich and grandson of Alexander Nevsky. According to the laws of that time, the fourth son could not hope for a princely throne, but it turned out that Ivan I Danilovich Kalita occupied him. The rulers of Russia often occupied public offices unexpectedly.

The Way to the Throne

The first mention of Ivan Danilovich in the Novgorod chronicle is dated 1296 in connection with his appearance in the city. At the beginning of the fourteenth century he reigned in Pereyaslavl-Zalessky and successfully defended him in battle with the Tver boyar Akinf in 1305.

In 1303, the father of Ivan Daniil died, and the prince's throne passed to his elder brother Yuri, who ruled the Moscow lands from 1303 to 1325. All this time Ivan provided Yuri with powerful support. Often participating in campaigns and leaving for the Golden Horde, Yuri Danilovich with a calm heart left the principality, which was successfully looked after by Ivan Kalita. Years of the reign of Yuri Danilovich - from 1303 to 1325. During this time, due to various reasons, the other brothers of Ivan Kalita die, and when the Horde dies Yuri Danilovich at the Horde, the time of the reign of Ivan Kalita comes.

The beginning of government

It was a difficult period. Ordynian power extended to all of Russia. And the rule of each prince was affirmed in the Horde. When Ivan Danilovich took the throne, he was forced to go to the Golden Horde. There, in all its splendor, his tremendous diplomatic abilities appeared. He knew how to negotiate with the Tatars: he gave gifts of great value, than he sought a quiet existence and guarded the Moscow principality from the raids of the Tatars, which brought incalculable ills.

In those days, peace and quiet were almost impossible. After all, if it was possible, by paying a huge tribute for a while, to free themselves from Tatar outbreaks, neighbors - princes - could unleash a new campaign. The Moscow princes always vied with the Tver people. And Tver was in a better position than Moscow. She stood on the Volga, was rich in trade and every year she subordinated to herself more and more Russian lands. This was understood by Ivan Danilovich Kalita. Years of government taught him patience and the use of falling odds, even the most tragic ones.

Participation in the punitive expedition to Tver and its consequences

What happened in August 1327 in Tver revolt against the Tatars, who oppressed the Tver people, turned the course of history in another direction. The result of the popular revolt was the complete extermination of the Tatar garrison, to which the Horde could not but react. And in 1328 she equips a punitive expedition to Tver, in which many princes participate, including Ivan Kalita, whose reigns were just beginning. He could not listen, and he saw in the suppression of Tver the future might of the Moscow state. After the defeat of Tver, the ruling prince Alexander fled to Pskov. Ivan Kalita from Khan Uzbek got possession of the Kostroma principality and the ability to control Novgorod the Great.

After the death of Prince Suzdal in 1331, the Moscow prince achieved a label (permission) from the Uzbek Khan to the Vladimir Grand Duchy and became the head of the entire political system of Eastern Russia. In addition, Ivan Danilovich, showing outstanding abilities, persuaded the Khan to an unheard-of agreement: Uzbek instructed Ivan 1 to collect taxes from the population in exchange for a promise not to raid and not send Baskakov. Both sides kept their promises, the Tatars stopped robbing Russian lands, fearing the anger of Uzbek, and Kalita fully paid the established taxes.

Internal affairs

Chronicles of those times glorify the reign of Prince Ivan Danilovich Kalita: negotiating with the Horde, he achieved a significant period of peace and quiet, during which he carried out several grandiose projects that greatly contributed to the strengthening of Moscow's might.

Forty years of silence was given to the Russian land by Ivan Danilovich. Up until 1368, no raid was made on the Moscow lands. How did it work? The prince carried out all the obligations undertaken before the Horde: he regularly paid tribute, made innumerable gifts to the khan, periodically coming to him.

Ivan Kalita: the years of government

On the question of how such huge funds were collected, there is no unequivocal answer. Nevertheless, it is known that at the beginning of his reign the prince was able to clear the roads of robbers and robbers who repaired them, for which he received the second nickname - Dobry, and attracted merchants and merchant caravans to Moscow, increasing turnover and customs duties.

In addition, realizing that the local rulers assigned a large share of the collected tribute, Ivan Danilovich applied cruel methods for its full collection, punished the provocate governor and was merciless to his opponents.

Ivan Danilovich undertakes several campaigns to the Russian north, during which he opens another source of income - furs hunting. These methods probably allowed him not only to fully settle with the Golden Horde, but also to carry out grandiose changes in the principality.

Moscow - the capital of the Russian church

Ivan Danilovich was not just religious, he was confident of his own exclusivity thanks to God's providence and counted on the Metropolitan's help in realizing his plans to unite the Russian lands and strengthen the Moscow state. Concerned about the security of the principality, Ivan Danilovich erects a new oak Kremlin, which protects the city center and posad. On the territory of the Kremlin from 1326 to 1333, magnificent stone churches are built: the Archangel, Spassky and Uspensky cathedrals, the Church of St. John Climacus and the Transfiguration Church.

One of the important achievements of the struggle of the Moscow princes for the primacy in the Russian lands of the North-East is the union with the Metropolitan Department, which was started by Yuri Danilovich.

Perhaps, it was this grandiose construction project that influenced the decision Metropolitan Peter to arrange his residence in Moscow. For several years he was looking for suitable land. In 1326, Metropolitan Peter died and was buried in Moscow. Later, as Vladimir prince, Ivan Danilovich achieved the canonization of Peter.

Management and activities of Ivan Kalita

Relying on the active support of the Russian Orthodox Church and pursuing a competent policy of uniting the Russian lands, Ivan bought or conquered new principalities, leaving the reins of government in the hands of local princes who became the governors of the Moscow prince. In the spiritual letter of Dmitry Donskoy, the grandson of Ivan Danilovich, it is indicated that Uglich, Galich Mersky and Beloozer, purchased at different times, were annexed to the Moscow lands.

Difficult for Ivan Danilovich always had a relationship with Tver. After the uprising from 1327 to 1337 years, she was fairly loyal Konstantin Mikhailovich, but then returned to Tver prince-exile, forgiven by the Uzbek Khan, Alexander Mikhailovich. Realizing that the confrontation is starting again, Ivan Danilovich is leaving for the Horde and, giving Khan gifts, inspires him that Alexander Mikhailovich is playing a double game, while serving in Lithuania. In turn, the Tver prince also wavers intrigues, but Kalita defeats, and in 1339 in the Horde Khan Uzbek executed him along with his son Fyodor. Ilya Kalita was cruelly dealt with his enemies. Years of government coincided with time ruthless and difficult, and therefore he played by his rules.

Evaluation of the ruler's affairs by contemporaries

This was the last success of Ivan Danilovich. In the spring of 1340, he fell seriously ill, retired and took monastic vows in the Spassky Monastery, which he built near his residence. There he spent his last months of life and died in March, 1341.

An excellent literary monument, written by one of the monks, has survived. It is called "Praise to Ivan Kalita," where the deeds and actions of the "collector of the Russian land", which was Prince Ivan Kalita, were highly appraised, a biography whose politics and aspirations were subordinated to one noble goal of creating a Moscow state.