Great politicians get into history thanks to their deeds, not nicknames, but it is they, once aptly given, that allow descendants to assess the scale of the ruler's personality. Ivan Danilovich received his nickname Kalita during his lifetime for
generosity shown to the poor. Kalita is a leather bag, purse. In the Moscow lands, a legend has been preserved about how the prince distributed silver money, which he took out of a leather purse hanging on his belt. In addition, not sparing money, he bought neighboring principalities, tirelessly adding new lands. A man of remarkable diplomatic talent, smart and generous, quirky and tough, who united many Russian lands and founded the Muscovite state - this is all the Grand Duke of Moscow Ivan Kalita, whose reign is from 1325 to 1340. Today we will talk about him.
Descendant of Alexander Nevsky
The chronicles did not preserve the exact data on the time of Ivan's birthDanilovich: historians focus on the period from 1282 to 1283. He was the fourth son of Prince Daniil Alexandrovich of Moscow and the grandson of Alexander Nevsky. According to the laws of that time, the fourth son could not hope for the princely throne, but it so happened that it was Ivan I Danilovich Kalita who occupied it. The rulers of Russia often took public office unexpectedly.
Road to the throne
The first mention of Ivan Danilovich in the Novgorod Chronicle is dated 1296 in connection with his appearance in the city. At the beginning of the fourteenth century, he reigned in Pereyaslavl-Zalessky and successfully defended it in a battle with the Tver boyar Akinf in 1305.
In 1303, Ivan's father Daniil Alexandrovich dies, and the princely throne passes to his elder brother Yuri, who ruled the Moscow lands from 1303 to 1325. All this time, Ivan has provided Yuri with strong support.
Frequently participating in campaigns and leaving for the Golden Horde, Yuri Danilovich left the principality with a calm heart, which Ivan Kalita successfully looked after. The years of the reign of Yuri Danilovich are from 1303 to 1325. During this time, for various reasons, the rest of the brothers of Ivan Kalita die, and when Yuri Danilovich dies in the Horde at the hands of the Prince of Tver, the time comes for the reign of Ivan Kalita.
Start of reign
It was a tough period. Horde power spread throughout Russia. And the reign of each prince was confirmed in the Horde. When Ivan Danilovich took the throne, he was forced to go to the Golden Horde. There, in all its brilliance, it appearedamazing diplomatic skills. He knew how to negotiate with the Tatars: he gave gifts of great value, thereby achieving a peaceful existence and protecting the Moscow principality from Tatar raids that brought innumerable troubles.
In those days, peace and quiet were almost impossible. After all, if it was possible, by paying a huge tribute, to temporarily get rid of the Tatar attacks, the neighbors - the princes - could unleash a new campaign. Moscow princes have always competed with those of Tver. And Tver was in a better position than Moscow. She stood on the Volga, grew rich in trade and every year subjugated more and more Russian lands.
Ivan Danilovich Kalita understood this. Years of rule have taught him patience and the use of chances, even the most tragic ones.
Participation in the punitive expedition to Tver and its consequences
The uprising that took place in August 1327 in Tver against the Tatars, who oppressed the people of Tver, turned the course of history in the other direction. The result of the popular revolt was the complete extermination of the Tatar garrison, to which the Horde could not help but react. And in 1328, she equips a punitive expedition to Tver, in which many princes participate, including Ivan Kalita, whose reign was just beginning. He could not disobey, and he saw in the suppression of Tver the future power of the Muscovite state. After the defeat of Tver, Prince Alexander, who ruled in it, fled to Pskov. Ivan Kalita from Khan Uzbek received the Kostroma principality and the ability to controlVeliky Novgorod.
After the death of the Prince of Suzdal in 1331, the Moscow prince obtained from Khan Uzbek a label (permission) for the Grand Duchy of Vladimir and became the head of the entire political system of Eastern Russia.
Besides, Ivan Danilovich, showing extraordinary abilities, persuaded the khan to an unprecedented agreement: Uzbek instructed Ivan to collect taxes from the population in exchange for a promise not to organize raids and not to send Baskaks. Both sides kept their promises, the Tatars stopped plundering the Russian lands, fearing the wrath of the Uzbek, and Kalita paid the established taxes in full.
Internal affairs
Chronicles of those times glorify the reign of Prince Ivan Danilovich Kalita: negotiating with the Horde, he achieved a significant period of peace and quiet, during which he carried out several grandiose projects that greatly contributed to the strengthening of Moscow power.
Forty years of silence was presented to the Russian land by Ivan Danilovich. Until 1368, not a single raid was made on the Moscow lands. How was it possible? The prince fulfilled all his obligations to the Horde: he regularly paid tribute, made countless gifts to the khan, periodically visiting him.
Ivan Kalita: years of reign
There is no single answer to the question of how such huge funds were collected. Nevertheless, it is known that already at the beginning of his reign, the prince was able to clear the roads of robbers and robbers who made disgrace on them, for which he received a second nickname.– Kind, and attracted merchants and trade caravans to Moscow, increasing turnover and customs duties.
In addition, realizing that the local rulers appropriated a considerable share of the collected tribute, Ivan Danilovich used cruel methods to collect it completely, punished the stealing governors and was merciless to his opponents.
Ivan Danilovich undertakes several trips to the Russian north, during which he discovers another source of income - fur fishing. These methods, probably, allowed him not only to fully settle accounts with the Golden Horde, but also to carry out grandiose changes in the principality.
Moscow is the capital of the Russian Church
Ivan Danilovich was not just religious, he was confident in his own exclusivity thanks to God's providence and counted on the help of the Metropolitan in implementing his plans to unite the Russian lands and strengthen the Muscovite state. Taking care of the security of the principality, Ivan Danilovich erects a new oak Kremlin, protecting the city center and the suburbs. From 1326 to 1333, magnificent stone churches were built on the territory of the Kremlin: the Archangel, Spassky and Assumption Cathedrals, the Church of St. John of the Ladder and the Church of the Transfiguration.
One of the important achievements of the struggle of the Moscow princes for supremacy in the Russian lands of the Northeast is the alliance with the metropolitan see, which was initiated by Yuri Danilovich.
Maybe it was this massive building project that influenced the decision
Metropolitan Peter to arrange his residence in Moscow. For several years he was looking for suitable land for this. In 1326 Metropolitan Peter died and was buried in Moscow. Later, as Prince of Vladimir, Ivan Danilovich achieved the canonization of Peter.
Board and activities of Ivan Kalita
Relying on the active support of the Russian Orthodox Church and pursuing a competent policy of uniting Russian lands, Ivan 1 bought or conquered new principalities, leaving the reins of government in the hands of local princes, who passed into the status of governors of the Moscow prince. In the spiritual letter of Dmitry Donskoy, the grandson of Ivan Danilovich, it is indicated that Uglich, Galich Mersky and Beloozero, bought at different times, were annexed to the Moscow lands.
Relations with Tver have always been difficult for Ivan Danilovich. After the uprising from 1327 to 1337, it was ruled by quite loyal Konstantin Mikhailovich, but then the prince-exile, forgiven by Khan Uzbek, Alexander Mikhailovich returned to Tver. Realizing that the confrontation is starting again, Ivan Danilovich leaves for the Horde and, having presented the Khan with gifts, inspires him that Alexander Mikhailovich is playing a double game while in the service of Lithuania. In turn, the Prince of Tver also weaves intrigues, but Kalita wins, and in 1339 in the Horde, Khan Uzbek executed him along with his son Fedor. Ivan 1 Kalita de alt cruelly with his enemies. The years of government coincided with a merciless and difficult time, which is why he played by its rules.
Assessment of the deeds of the ruler by contemporaries
This was the last success of Ivan Danilovich. In the spring of 1340, he fell seriously ill, retired and took monastic vows in the Spassky Monastery, which he built not far from his residence. There he spent his last months of life and died in March 1341.
An excellent literary monument, written by one of the monks, has been preserved. It is called "Praise to Ivan Kalita", where the deeds and deeds of the "collector of the Russian land", who was Prince Ivan Kalita, whose biography, policy and aspirations were subordinated to one noble goal - to create the Muscovite state.
