Boris d. 1277
Konstantin d. 1307
Roman d. 1339
| Mikhail d. 1293 |
| Gleb d. 1278 |
| Vasilii d.? |
I
Iurii d. 1238
I
Aleksandr Nevskii d. 1263
I
1
| Mikhail d. ? |
| Vasilii d. 1309 |
| I r |
| Dmitrii d. 1294 |
| Daniil d. 1303 |
| Ivan d. 1302 |
Andrei d. 1304
I 1
Iurii Ivan I d. 1325 Kalita d. 1341
| Semen d. 1353 |
| 1 |
| Ivan II d. 1359 |
| Aleksandr d. 1331 |
J
1
| Andrei d. 1252 |
| Iaroslav d. 1246 J |
| Г |
| Iaroslav d. 1271/2 |
| I |
| Konstantin d. 1255 |
Andrei d. 1353 I
I
| I |
| Vasilii d. 1277 |
| Ivan d.? |
| Dmitrii d. 1325 |
Sviatoslav d. 1248 I
Dmitrii d. 1268/9
Mikhail d. 1318 J
Г
I
Aleksandr d. 1339
| Mikhail d. 1399 |
I
Konstantin d. 1355
| Ivan d. 1380 |
| SEE TABLE 7.1 |
| Fedor d. 1380 |
| Dmitrii d. 1383 |
| Fedor d. 1331 |
| Konstantin d. 1365 |
| Andrei d. 1409 |
Dynastic reorganisation and the Golden Horde
By 1246, when Prince Mikhail of Chernigov was killed during his visit to Khan Baty (d. c.1255), the princes in north-eastern Russia had already paid homage to their Mongol suzerain and had been confirmed in their offices.21 Prince Iaroslav Vsevolodich succeeded his brother Iurii Vsevolodich, who had died in 1238, to become the prince of Vladimir. His appointment conformed to the traditional, lateral pattern of dynastic succession. Iaroslav's brother Sviatoslav received Suzdal' along with Nizhnii Novgorod. Another brother, Ivan, became prince of Starodub. Iaroslav's son, Aleksandr Nevskii, was sent to Novgorod. (See Table 6.1.)
It nevertheless took several years for the political situation in north-eastern Russia to stabilise. When Iaroslav appeared for a second time before Baty in 1245, he was sent to the Great Khan at Karokorum. He died on the return
21 Nasonov Mongoly i Rus', p. 26. 134
journey.[18] He was succeeded by his brother Prince Sviatoslav (1247), who divided his realm among Iaroslav's sons. Konstantin Iaroslavich received Galich and Dmitrov. Iaroslav Iaroslavich received Tver'. The six-year-old Vasilii Iaroslavich became prince of Kostroma.[19] Starodub remained in the possession of Ivan Vsevolodich's descendants. The descendants of Konstantin Vsevolodich, who had died in 1218, continued to rule Rostov, which subsequently fragmented into the principalities of Beloozero, Iaroslavl', Uglich and Ustiug.
This arrangement lasted only until 1249, when Iaroslav's sons Andrei and Aleksandr returned from Karakorum. At that time Andrei replaced his uncle Sviatoslav, who fled from Vladimir.[20] Andrei held his position for only two years. In 1251, when Mongke became the new great khan, the Russian princes were required to attend the khan of the Golden Horde to renew their patents to hold office. Although Aleksandr made the journey, Andrei did not. Aleksandr returned to Vladimir in the company of a Tatar military force and evicted Andrei, who fled first to Novgorod and then to Sweden. Aleksandr Nevskii became the prince of Vladimir in 1252.[21]
Initially, as Baty and his successors established their suzerainty over northeastern Russia, they respected the dynastic legacy inherited by the Vladimir princes from Kievan Rus'. They confirmed the Vsevolodichi as ruling branch of the dynasty in Vladimir. In their selection of princes of Vladimir they also observed the principles determining dynastic seniority and succession that had evolved during the Kievan Rus' era. But Mongol suzerainty altered the process of succession. Although they tended to uphold Riurikid tradition, the Mongol khans assumed the authority to issue patents to princes for their thrones. They also demanded tribute from their new subjects, and established their own agents, the baskaki, at posts in north-eastern Russia to oversee its collection and to maintain order. As the princes of north-eastern Russia adjusted to these conditions over the next century, dynastic politics altered. Succession to the position of grand prince of Vladimir came to depend less on traditional definitions of dynastic seniority and more on the preference of the khan; the khan's favour could, in turn, be earned by the demonstration of a prince's ability to collect and successfully deliver the required tribute.
Aleksandr Nevskii's reign in Vladimir (1252-63) was marked by co-operation with the Golden Horde. One of the clearest examples of his policy related to Novgorod, located in north-western Russia beyond the borders of the principality of Vladimir. The city of Novgorod controlled a vast northern empire that stretched to the Ural mountains. It was also a commercial centre that conducted trade with Swedes and Germans of the Baltic Sea. Unlike other principalities in Kievan Rus', Novgorod did not have its own hereditary line of princes. But by the early thirteenth century it regularly recognised the authority of the prince of Vladimir. It was in conformity with that practice that Prince Iaroslav Vsevolodich had sent his son Aleksandr Nevskii to govern Novgorod in the aftermath of the invasion.[22]
Novgorod had not been subjected to attack during the Mongol invasion, but in 1257, the Mongols attempted to take a census there for purposes of recruitment and tax collection. The Novgorodians refused to allow the officials to conduct the census. Nevskii, who had accompanied the Tatar officials, inflicted punishment on Novgorod, but was nevertheless summoned along with the princes of Rostov to the horde in 1258. Upon their return Prince Aleksandr, his brother Andrei and the Rostov princes joined the Tatars to enforce the order to take the census in Novgorod.
After these events and under the guidance of Prince Aleksandr Nevskii north-eastern Russia was drawn increasingly into the orbit of Sarai, the capital city of the Golden Horde built on the lower Volga River. Nevskii's successors, his brothers Iaroslav (1263-1271/2) and Vasilii (1272-7), followed his example of close co-operation with the Mongol khans. The princes ofVladimir lost interest in south-western Russia and confined their domestic focus to northern Russia, that is, Vladimir-Suzdal' itself and Novgorod.[23] In exchange Tatars aided them in their capacity as princes of Novgorod in a military campaign against Revel' (1269); they also helped Vasilii expel his nephew Dmitrii from Novgorod in 1273 and establish his own authority there.[24]
During the last quarter of the century the next generation of princes in north-eastern Russia appears to have taken advantage of political conditions within the Golden Horde to serve their own ambitions and challenge the dynastic traditions they had inherited. During the reign of Khan Mangu Temir (1267-81) another leader, Nogai, emerged as a powerful military commander with virtually autonomous authority over the western portion of the horde's territories. Nogai's power persisted through the reign of Tuda Mengu, who succeeded his brother in 1281, and who abdicated in favour of his nephew Tele Buga in 1287. Tele Buga was challenged, however, by the nephew of Mangu Temir, Tokhta, who eventually sought sanctuary and support from Nogai. Together Nogai and Tokhta succeeded in arranging the assassination of Tele Buga and the establishment of Tokhta as the khan at Sarai (1291). The alliance of Tokhta and Nogai did not survive; hostilities resulted in the defeat and death of Nogai in 1299.[25]
18