The Mongol-Tatar Invasion of Russia

The Mongol-Tatar invasion of Rus is characterized as a bright period in the history of the Fatherland.

In order to conquer new territories, the khan Baty decided to send his army to the Russian lands.

The Mongol-Tatar invasion of Russia began with the city of Torzhok. Two weeks the invaders led his siege. In 1238 on March 5 the enemy took the city. Penetrating into Torzhok, the Mongol-Tatars began killing its inhabitants. They spared no one, they ruined the elderly, children, and women. Those who managed to escape from the blazing city, were overtaken by the Khan's army along the northern road.

The Mongol-Tatar invasion of Rus subjected almost all cities to the brutal rout. The army of Batu led incessant battles. In the battles for the ruin of the Russian territory, the Mongol-Tatars were exsanguinated and weakened. Many forces have taken away from them the conquest of the northeastern Russian lands, the Polovtsian steppes.

Battles on the territory of Russia did not allow Khan Baty to gather the necessary forces for further campaigns towards the West. In the course of their conquests, the Mongols met with the fierce resistance of the Russian and other peoples who inhabited the territory of the state.

In history, it is often said that the invasion of the Mongol-Tatars against Russia protected the European peoples from invading hordes. For almost twenty years, Batu established and asserted his rule on Russian soil. This, mainly, prevented him from moving on with the same success.

After a Western campaign, very unsuccessful, Khan Batyi founded a strong state on the southern Russian border. He called it the Golden Horde. After some time, Russian princes gathered to approve the khan. However, the recognition of its dependence on the conqueror did not yet mean the complete conquest of the lands.

It was not possible to capture the Mongols-Tatars of Pskov, Novgorod, Smolensk, Vitebsk. The rulers of these cities opposed the recognition of dependence on the khan. Relatively quickly recovered from the invasion of the south-western territory of the country, where Daniel Galitsky (the prince of these lands) was able to suppress the rebellions of the boyars and organized resistance to the invaders.

Prince Andrew Yaroslavich, after the murder of his father in Mongolia, received the Vladimir throne, made an attempt to openly oppose the troops of the Horde. It should be noted that the chronicles do not contain information that he went to the khan to bow or sent gifts. And the tribute paid by Prince Andrew was not paid in full. In the fight against the invaders Andrei Yaroslavich and Daniil Galitsky concluded an alliance.

However, Prince Andrew did not find support among many princes of Russia. Some even complained to Batu on him, after which the khan sent a strong army led by Nevryu against the "disobedient" ruler. The forces of Prince Andrew were defeated, and he fled to Pskov.

The Russian land in 1257 was visited by Mongolian officials. They came to make a census of the entire population, and also to impose a heavy tribute on the whole people. Only the churchmen who received significant privileges from Batu were not rewritten. This census of the population was the beginning of the Mongol-Tatar yoke. Continued oppression of the conquerors until the year 1480.

Undoubtedly, the Mongol-Tatar invasion of Rus, as well as the prolonged yoke that followed, caused enormous damage to the state in all spheres without exception.

Constant pogroms, devastation of land, robbery, heavy payments of the people of the khan retarded the development of the economy. The Mongol-Tatar invasion of Rus and its consequences threw the country back several centuries ago in economic, social and political development. Prior to the conquest in the cities they proposed to destroy the feudal system. After the invasion, the progressive tremors died out for a long time.