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Thus, when in 1272 the sons of Alexander
Nevsky, Grand Duke of Vladimir, partitioned among themselves the territories
that their father controlled, the youngest,
Daniel,
(Daniil) 1272-1303 received Moscow as his appanage. He went there and soon
realized the possibility that Moscow could play an important role in preventing
further dissolution of the country and eventually emerge as a new capital city
in the subsequent struggles against the Tartars and in the fulfillment of the
national aspirations of the entire people. In 1296 he proclaimed Moscow a
principality and officially made himself the first prince of Moscow. His
importance among Russian princes considerably increased, when in 1302 he took
under his control the ancient principality of Pereiaslavl-Zalessky and a few
regions around Moscow including Kolomna. Daniil enlarged his capital and laid
foundations for its rapid growth. Its convenient geographical position offered
many advantage for political expansion and for the development of local and
foreign trade. With this came increased cultural relations with other
principalities and neighboring countries. Daniil organized an army, built new
fortifications around the Kremlin, and established several strategic forts
around Moscow, including the Danilov monastery, which he founded. The Chronicle
mentions that he built two wooden churches in the Kremlin: The Church of the
Transfiguration and the Church of Archangel Michael. Daniil was canonized by
the Church and history recognized him as the founder of the dynasty of Moscow
princes.
Yurii (1303-1325) succeeded his father in 1303. When the grand duke of
Vladimir, Andrei III Aleksandrovich, died in 1304, Yurii claimed the vacant
throne of his uncle for himself as the only direct descendant of Alexander
Nevsky. However, after prolonged conflicts and undignified conduct by both
contenders at the Golden Horde, Khan Tokhty gave the "yarlyk"
(a written decree issued by khans designating a prince to hold a certain title)
to the nephew of Nevsky, Prince
Mikhail
Yaroslavich of Tver, (1305-1318) because he offered more tribute money than
Yurii; he was the first to assume the title of "The Grand Duke of All
Rus" (Russia). In the beginning the boyars and the Orthodox Church gave
full support to Mikhail. In 1299 Kiev Metropolitan Maxim moved to Vladimir,
where he assumed for the first time the title of "Metropolitan of All
Russia." The Orthodox Church's cooperation with Mikhail was cut short when
at the end of 1304 Maxim died. To replace Maxim, Mikhail had his own candidate,
but the Patriarch of Constantinople appointed metropolitan Peter (1305-1306) to
the Russian see. When Peter reached Vladimir in 1309, Mikhail showed open
hostility towards the new head of he Orthodox Church. Yurii, of course, did
just the opposite, making Peter one of his most ardent supporters. After a
while, Peter even moved his see to Moscow. Mikhail blundered even more when
Novgorod invited Yurii to become its prince. To impose his rule over the free
city Mikhail needed the help of Tatar troops; he then imposed ruthless
repression, and finally lost the war when Tatar support was withheld. At this
time changes took place at the Golden Horde too; Khan Uzbek replaced Khan
Tokhti, who died. Yurii rushed to pay respect to the new khan and stayed at his
court for two years. After marrying the khan's sister there and promising to
collect even higher tribute for the khan from his subjects, he was appointed
grand duke of Vladimir (1318-1322).
Mikhail organized resistance, and not far from Tver, at
Bortenovo in 1317, inflicted on Yurii a
humiliating defeat and even took his Tatar wife prisoner. Both Russian dukes
were ordered to come to the Horde. A run of bad luck continued for Mikhail. The
sudden death of Yurii's wife in captivity, and an accusation of insubordination
to the khan, carried the death penalty, and Mikhail was beheaded in 1318.
Considering him a martyr, the Orthodox Church canonized him too. Internecine
struggles continued, and Yurii's luck did not last long. Implicated of
improprieties in the collection of tribute for the Tatars, he was deprived of
the grand ducal yarlyk, which went to Mikhail's son Dimitri (1322-1324. Again
both dukes were summoned to the Horde where, after heated incrimination,
Dimitri assassinated Yurii. Avenging the death of this father. He was himself
executed by the Tatars. Both were succeeded by their brothers: Dimitri by
Aleksander of Tver and Yurii by Ivan I. When in 1327 the Khan's first cousin
Chol-Khan was assassinated in Tver and a rebellion erupted there, Aleksander
fled to Pskov to escape a punitive Tatar expedition, which was headed by none
other than his cousin Ivan I. Tver, was pillaged and many of its citizens
massacred, and Ivan became the Grand Duke of Vladimir.
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