The Mongol-Tatar invasion

In the first half of the 13th century, another invasion of nomads collapsed in Asia and Europe. The Mongols conquered one country after another. And soon they came to the borders of Russia.

It all began in 1206, when the Mongolian nobility elected Governor Genghis Khan. By that time, he already had great authority among the Mongols, and did not intend to stop at what he had achieved. The new ruler united under his power a lot of tribes, among which one of the largest were the Tatars. That is why the conquest of Genghis Khan, and then his grandson Batu, is known as the Mongol-Tatar invasion.

By 1223 the nomads subdued China, Central Asia and Transcaucasia. Having reached the Azov steppes, the Mongols came into conflict with the Polovtsi, who called for help from the Russian princes. In May 1223 the united army met with the enemy on the Kalka River. Rusichi suffered a catastrophic defeat: according to the chroniclers, only one in ten remained alive. The road to Kiev and other cities was opened. But then the Volga Bulgars hit the Mongols from the rear. The nomads exhausted by the distant campaign decided not to tie a new battle and went to their homeland. The Mongol-Tatar invasion was postponed.

The campaign against Russia and its consequences

In 1227, Genghis Khan died. The successor was his son Ugedei, who soon thought about new campaigns. In 1235, at the next kurultai (congress of the nobility), it was decided to go to the west. In the winter of 1237 the Mongolian hordes already stood at the borders of the Ryazan principality. The grandson of Genghis Khan Baty, who headed the march, demanded tribute from the Ryazan princes. Those refused and began to prepare for battle. The forces were unequal, and the Mongols won. After a 6-day siege, Ryazan was stormed, but the Ryazans themselves for a long time resisted the invaders, leading a guerrilla war.

Between the Russian princes there was no unity. Even in the face of the enemy, they failed to create at least some kind of coalition. This contributed to the victories of the Mongols, which were distinguished by iron discipline. A considerable role was played also by the siege technique borrowed from the Chinese. Throughout 1237-1238 the Mongol-Tatar invasion only gained momentum. The Vladimir-Suzdal Principality was defeated and captured, after which the conquerors turned to the south. Here, too, they had to work hard. Only one small town of Kozelsk did not surrender to the enemy for 7 weeks. In the same year, the Mongols attacked the Polovtsian khan, who was forced to retreat to Hungary.

In 1239 the nomads took up the south-western Russian principalities. Pereiaslav and Chernigov were defeated. Go to Kiev, the Mongols have not yet decided, instead, they attacked the Crimea. Only a year later the nomads went on a new campaign, now to the capital of Russia. In November 1240 the Mongolian detachments already stood under the walls of Kiev. The siege began. Having made breaks in the fortifications with the help of wall-cars, the Mongols broke into the city. Kiev was taken.

The wave of the invasion rolled to the west, leaving behind a conflagration. After passing through Galicia and Volhynia, the Mongols moved on. The nomads managed to capture Poland and Hungary. European kings were in a panic. Having reached Italy, the Mongols decided to turn back. Forces for further campaigns they did not have enough, in addition, in December 1241 died Khan Ugedei. Therefore Baty returned to Russia.

The Mongol-Tatar invasion and its consequences became a heavy blow for the Russian lands. Mass destruction, the decline of trade and crafts for a long time drove Russia back. The princes became vassals of the Golden Horde khans and undertook to pay tribute and help them in campaigns. Without the Khan's label (literacy), none of them could manage their principality. According to historians, the consequences of the Mongol-Tatar invasion were more profound for Russia than mere destruction and human sacrifice. This event changed the way of development of a significant part of the Russian lands, which was now more Asian than European. The destruction of cities weakened the role of the urban population in the life of the country and led to a longer preservation of serfdom than in the countries of Europe. Not the best situation has developed in agriculture, which for a long time was natural.