Big politicians go down in history thanks to their deeds, not nicknames, but they, once aptly data, allow descendants to assess the scale of the ruler’s personality. His nickname Kalita Ivan Danilovich received during his lifetime for
the generosity shown to beggars. Kalita is a leather bag, a purse. In Moscow lands, a legend has been preserved about how the prince handed out silver money, which he took out of a leather wallet hanging on his belt. In addition, not sparing money, he bought neighboring principalities, tirelessly adding new lands. A man of remarkable diplomatic talent, clever and generous, quirky and tough, uniting many Russian lands and founding the Moscow state - these are 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 exact data on the time of the birth of Ivan Danilovich: historians are guided by the period from 1282 to 1283. He was the fourth son of the Prince of Moscow Daniil Alexandrovich and grandson of Alexander Nevsky. According to the laws of that time, the fourth son could not hope for a princely throne, but it so happened that it was Ivan I Danilovich Kalita who occupied him. The rulers of Russia often held public office unexpectedly.
Way to the throne
The first mention of Ivan Danilovich in the Novgorod annals dates back to 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, the father of Ivan 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 provided Yuri with powerful support.
Often participating in campaigns and leaving for the Golden Horde,
Yuri Danilovich with a calm heart left the principality, which was successfully looked after by Ivan Kalita. The years of the reign of Yuri Danilovich - from 1303 to 1325. During this time, for various reasons, the remaining brothers of Ivan Kalita die, and when Yury Danilovich dies from the hands of the Tver prince in the Horde, the time comes for the reign of Ivan Kalita.
The beginning of the reign
It was a difficult period. Horde power spread throughout Russia. And the rule of each prince was affirmed in the Horde. When Ivan Danilovich took the throne, he was forced to go to the Golden Horde. There, in all its splendor, his stunning diplomatic abilities appeared. He knew how to negotiate with the Tatars: he gave gifts of tremendous value, thereby achieving a quiet existence and protected the Moscow principality from the raids of the Tatars, which brought innumerable troubles.
In those days, peace and quiet were almost impossible. After all, if by paying a huge tribute for a while it was possible to free oneself from Tatar attacks, neighbors - princes - could unleash a new campaign. Moscow princes always competed with the Tver princes. And Tver was in a better position than Moscow. She stood on the Volga, was rich in trade and every year subjugated more and more Russian lands.
This was understood by Ivan Danilovich Kalita. The years of rule taught him patience and the use of falling chances, even the most tragic.
Participation in a punitive expedition to Tver and its consequences
The uprising against the Tatars oppressing the Tverichs in Tver in August 1327 in Tver turned the course of history in a different direction. The result of the popular uprising was the complete extermination of the Tatar garrison, to which the Horde could not help but respond. And in 1328, she equips a punitive expedition to Tver, in which many princes participate, including Ivan Kalita, whose reign has just begun. He could not disobey, and he saw in the suppression of Tver the future power of the Moscow state. After the defeat of Tver, the ruling prince Alexander fled to Pskov. Ivan Kalita from the Khan of Uzbekistan received the Kostroma principality and the ability to control Novgorod the Great.
After the death of Prince Suzdal in 1331, the Moscow Prince obtained a label (permission) from the Khan of Uzbekistan for Vladimir the Grand Duchy and became the head of the entire political system of Eastern Russia.
In addition, Ivan Danilovich, showing extraordinary abilities, persuaded the khan to an unprecedented agreement: Uzbek instructed Ivan 1 collection of taxes from the population in exchange for a promise not to organize raids and not send the Basques. Both sides kept their promises, the Tatars stopped robbing Russian lands, fearing the wrath of Uzbek, and Kalita paid the established taxes in full.
Internal affairs
Chronicles of those times glorify the rule 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 Moscow lands. How did this work out? The prince fulfilled all his obligations to the Horde: he regularly paid tribute, made innumerable gifts to the khan, periodically coming to him.
Ivan Kalita: years of rule
To the question of how such enormous funds were raised, there is no single answer. Nevertheless, it is known that already at the beginning of his reign, the prince was able to clear the roads of robbers and robbers, fixing their disgraces, for which he received the second nickname - Good, and attracted merchants and trade caravans to Moscow, increasing speed and customs duties.
In addition, realizing that a considerable share of the collected tribute was appropriated by the local rulers, Ivan Danilovich used brutal methods to collect it completely, punished the stolen governor, and was merciless to his opponents.
Ivan Danilovich undertakes several trips to the Russian north, during which he opens up another source of income - furs. 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 exceptionalism thanks to God's providence and counted on the help of the Metropolitan in realizing his plans to unite the Russian lands and strengthen the Moscow state. Caring for the security of the principality, Ivan Danilovich erects a new oak Kremlin, which protects the city center and posad. On the territory of the Kremlin from 1326 to 1333 magnificent stone churches were built: Arkhangelsk, Spassky and Uspensky Cathedrals, the Church of St. John Climacus and the Transfiguration Church.
One of the important achievements of the struggle of the Moscow princes for primacy in the Russian lands of the Northeast is an alliance with the Metropolitan Department, the beginning of which was laid back by Yuri Danilovich.
Perhaps it was this grandiose construction project that influenced the decision.
Metropolitan Peter 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 activity of Ivan Kalita
Relying on the active support of the Russian Orthodox Church and pursuing a competent policy of uniting the Russian lands, Ivan 1 bought or conquered new principalities, leaving the reins in the hands of local princes, who transferred to the status of governors of the Moscow prince. The spiritual letter of Dmitry Donskoy, the grandson of Ivan Danilovich, indicates the accession to the Moscow lands of Uglich, Galich Mersky and Beloozero purchased at different times.
Relations with Tver have always been difficult for Ivan Danilovich. After the uprising from 1327 to 1337, it was ruled by a rather loyal Konstantin Mikhailovich, but then the exiled prince, forgiven by the khan Uzbek, Alexander Mikhailovich returned to Tver. Realizing that the confrontation is starting again, Ivan Danilovich leaves for the Horde and, giving gifts to the khan, inspires him that Alexander Mikhailovich is playing a double game while serving in Lithuania. In turn, the Tver prince also weaves intrigues, but Kalita defeats, and in 1339, in the Horde, Khan Uzbek executed him along with his son Fedor. Ivan 1 Kalita was brutally cracking down on his enemies. The years of rule coincided with ruthless and difficult times, and therefore he played by his rules.
Evaluation of the affairs of the ruler by contemporaries
This was the last success of Ivan Danilovich. In the spring of 1340, he became seriously ill, retired and took monastic tonsure at the Spassky Monastery, which he built not far from his residence. There he spent his last months of his life and died in March 1341.
An excellent literary monument by one of the monks has been preserved. It is called “Praise to Ivan Kalita”, where the deeds and actions of the “collector of the Russian land”, which was Prince Ivan Kalita, whose biography, political board and aspirations were subordinated to one noble goal — to create the Moscow state, are highly appreciated.