During the years of the Tatar-Mongol yoke, Russia has experienced several major invasions of hordes from the east. One of these punitive expeditions is known as Dudenev's army.
Tudan Invasion
At the end of the XIII century, Russia was in complete decline. For fifty years now, the country has suffered from the invasions of the Mongols. These nomads imposed tribute on the Slavic cities, and the princes were forced to travel to the east to ask for a label allowing them to rule their native destinies. As a rule, the people behaved humbly, as they were bled and devastated. But there were occasional uprisings. Therefore, the Tatars had to organize trips to Russia in order to punish the disobedient. This is exactly what Dudenev's army was like.
In 1293, a huge army of Tudan invaded the Slavic principalities. It was a prince of the Horde, also known in Russian chronicles as Duden. The Tatar army went to the aid of Grand Duke Andrei Alexandrovich. At this time, he fought with other contenders for the throne of Vladimir. It was Andrei who was supported by the Golden Horde, granting him a label. However, some princes did not agree with this decision. Dmitry Aleksandrovich became the head of the coalition.
The fall of Russian cities
Dyudenev's Tatar army was not the first to appear on Russian soil to roband kill under the guise of helping one of the contenders for power in Vladimir. However, it is the events of 1293 that are most fully reflected in the Russian chronicles. This is not surprising, because Dudenev's army ruined dozens of cities in North-Eastern Russia, which has not happened since the first invasion of Batu.
Moore fell first. The whole Ryazan land traditionally turned out to be a springboard for the eastern hordes. There were convenient crossings across the Oka, passing through which, it was possible to operate without difficulty in the most populated regions of Russia. Murom was followed by Suzdal, Vladimir, Uglich and other important cities. The princes could not oppose the invaders, since their actions were fragmented and inconsistent.
No resistance
Traditionally, the Russian rulers were unable to gather a common army to repel the deadly blow of the enemy. This was due to the disastrous political fragmentation of Russia. Dudenev's army gladly took advantage of the weakness of the princes. The date of her invasion is marked in the annals of that time with terrible tales of merciless bloodshed. Men were killed, women were taken as slaves, cities were burned, and fortresses were torn down.
This predatory approach was the norm for the eastern hordes. People who grew up in the steppe did not appreciate anything but their own horse. They gladly destroyed the buildings and cities of the settled Slavs. Nevryuev's army, Dudenev's army and other invasions always ended in the same thing - a colossal economic decline in Russia. In the 13th century, due to regular bloodshed and wars in citieseven some crafts were forgotten, as all the masters died or were taken into slavery.
Consequences
When Duden had destroyed enough cities to intimidate the princes and gained a lot of booty, he calmly retired back to the steppes. His invasion had the most long-lasting consequences for North-Eastern Russia. Researchers emphasize that it was at the end of the 13th century that many residents of large cities fled to the outskirts of the country. Most often, the deaf northern forests became shelters from the nomads, where their cavalry could not reach. So, after the invasion of Duden, the population began to massively move to Vyatka, Novgorod and other safe areas.
From a political point of view, the campaign of the Tatars also bore fruit. Their protege Andrei Gorodetsky became the Grand Prince of Vladimir and occupied the throne until his death in 1304. Many contemporaries hated him, believing that for the sake of his selfish interests he brought a horde of Tatars to his native country, which destroyed many cities and villages.
