4. When the Mongols
invaded the lands of
Kievan Rus', Moscow was
an insignificant trading
outpost in the principality
of Vladimir-Suzdal
5. During the reign of
Daniel, Moscow was
little more than a small
timber fort lost in the
forests of Central
Russia
6.
7. More important to Moscow's
development into the state of
Moscow however, was its
rule by a series of princes
who collaborated with
Mongols and provide their
policy
9. Location of Moscow on the
broad Moscow River—a
tributary of the Oka, which
in turn flows into the
Volga—placed it on
important trade routes and
aided its economic growth.
11. The Muscovite ruling house
took its first major step up the
ladder of power when Prince
Yury (r. 1303-25) married a
sister of the Golden Horde khan
and won appointment from his
new brother-in-law as Russia's
grand prince.
12.
13. Yury's successor, his younger
brother Ivan (Kalita –
“Moneybag”). His skills at
collecting taxes convinced the
khan to grant Ivan the job of
collecting Mongol tribute
from all the Russian princes.
14.
15. Moscow's next outstanding
ruler was Dmitry Donskoi
(1359-89). He more than
doubled Moscow's size by
annexing major hunks of
territory to the northeast.
16.
17. In 1371 Dmitry took
advantage of the Golden
Horde's weakness to win
a reduction in tribute and
then stopped paying
entirely in 1375.
19. Dmitry met the enemies
at Kulikovo field on the
shores of the Don and
shocked everyone by
routing the haled Tatars.
20.
21. This victory was the early
signal of the end of the
"Mongol yoke". Its
spiritual importance for the
unification of the Russian
lands was even more
important.
22. As Nikolay Karamzin
said, the Russians went to
the Kulikovo Field as
citizens of various
principalities and returned
as a united Russian nation.
