The Grand Duchy of Ryazan is a Russian feudal state. It existed from the XII to the beginning of the XVI century. on the Middle Oka. At first, the Ryazan land was considered part of the Chernigov Principality. Over time, however, a separate Murom-Ryazan principality was formed. In the middle of the XII century. Ryazan became the capital.
Isolation process
After Vsevolod Olgovich expelled Yaroslav Svyatoslavich from Chernigov, the principality, the center of which was Mur, stood out from the Chernigov principality. In historiography, it is referred to as the Principality of Murom-Ryazan. The power here belonged to the descendants of Yaroslav.
In 1129, the Principality of Ryazan arose. In the late 1150s. Ryazan became the center of the land. In the early 1160s. The Principality of Murom has separated from Ryazan. However, in some historical sources, the Muromo-Ryazan principality is mentioned up to the Tatar-Mongol invasion. After him, the Ryazan and Murom principalities were finally isolated. The capital of the first was Pereyaslavl-Ryazan.
Territorial device
The Ryazan principality extended from the Middle Oka to the border of the forest lands in the north, the upper Voronezh and the Don in a southerly direction. On the western side, the principality of Chernigov bordered on it. In the south were the Polovtsy, who made constant raids.
At the end of the XIII-beginning of the XIV centuries. the political situation begins to change. The northeastern territories moved to Moscow. On joining Ryazan then there was no talk. Always the capital of the principality was on the Oka. Such an advantageous position ensured constant trade with the southern and northern lands. In addition, there were watch fortresses and large cities: Kolomna, Belgorod, Dubok, Kadom, etc.
Historical reference
Long before Ryazan’s annexation to Moscow (in which year it happened, it’s hard to say, since the process was gradual), after his death in Yaroslav’s Murom, his sons, Yuri, Svyatoslav and Rostislav, sat down to reign consecutively. The second became the first Ryazan prince . In 1152, Ryazans took part in a campaign near Chernigov - Rostislav joined Yuri Dolgoruky.
In 1153, Rostislav died. Vladimir Svyatoslavich became the eldest in the family. In the annals of Nikon, he is called the Grand Duke of Ryazan. After the death of Vladimir in 1161, his descendants established themselves on the Murom land, and Gleb Rostislavich and, accordingly, his descendants - in Ryazan.
Under Gleb, the Ryazans took part in campaigns organized by Andrei Bogolyubsky in 1172 against the Volga Bulgaria and in 1173 near Vyshgorod. The sources contain information that in 1205 the Ryazans made an independent campaign against the Polovtsy.
The capital of the Ryazan principality
In Pereyaslavl-Ryazan, significant defenses were created at that time. The main part of the city was the Kremlin. It was located near the confluence of the Lybed and Trubezh rivers. The Kremlin was made in the form of a huge wooden fortress. On the earthen rampart, some elements of which have survived to the present, rose five-meter high oak walls with 12 towers. One of them was stone.
Not far from the Kremlin, perhaps at the site of the installation of the modern monument to Yesenin and near it was the residence of the bishops of the Ryazan principality - a wooden Ostrog.
Outside Ostrog and the Kremlin in the 16th century there were areas in which trade was active, craft was widespread.
Under Fedor (the son of Oleg Ivanovich), construction of stone buildings began. The first to build the Assumption Cathedral. He became the tomb for the princes. In the Assumption Cathedral, 5 princes and 3 princesses were buried.
The construction was square, 12 m long and wide. The composition and name of the cathedral resembled a temple built in 1326 in Moscow. Masters reproduced several motifs of the Spassky Cathedral of Old Ryazan.
The policy of Vladimir rulers
After Andrei Bogolyubsky died, Gleb took part in the struggle for power in the northeastern lands. He supported the sons of Rostislav, who opposed Vsevolod and Mikhail, who relied on the help of Svyatoslav Chernigov.
During the confrontation, Gleb was able to ruin Vladimir. However, he had to return the loot. Gleb lost the battle at Koloksha and was captured. Vsevolod offered him to abandon the reign in Ryazan and leave for the southern lands, but he refused.
Despite all the diplomatic efforts undertaken by Mstislav the Brave, Gleb remained in captivity and died unreleased. His sons received their inheritance with the permission of Vsevolod.
Mongol invasion
In 1235 the Principality of Ryazan occupied a huge area. On the territory of the state there were many large cities: Pronsk, Belgorod, Dubok, Izheslavl, Rostislavl, Kolomna, Perevitsk, etc.
In 1237, in December, the Ryazan lands became the first victim of the Mongol warriors. Prince Yury Igorevich, who reigned at that time, remained in Ryazan with part of the squad and resisted the invaders. However, on the sixth day he was killed. The city was ruined. Fedor (son of Yuri) and his wife and son Ivan were killed in the battle. Yuri's nephew, Oleg, was captured by the Mongols, and returned only in 1252.
Another part of the squad, led by Roman (nephew of Yuri) headed towards the army of Yuri Vsevolodovich. However, together they were defeated in the battle of Kolomna in early January 1238. After this, a detachment of Yevpatiy Kolovrat, the Ryazan boyar, who returned from Chernigov and caught up with the invaders in Suzdal, was defeated.
Loss of independence
At the beginning of the XIV century. confrontation of the Ryazan and Moscow princes began. However, the former suffered constant setbacks. Firstly, they lost Kolomna. Secondly, there was a rivalry between them all the time. Constant confrontations contributed to the acceleration of Ryazan's accession to Moscow.
The date of entry into the reign of Oleg Ivanovich is considered the starting point of strengthening the power of the Ryazan principality. In 1350-1402 - the heyday of the territories. However, due to unfavorable historical factors, Oleg could not turn Ryazan into a center, near which it would be possible to collect northeastern lands.
With Oleg’s successors coming to power, a gradual loss of independence began, which ultimately led to Ryazan joining Moscow . Already his son Fedor was subordinate to the Moscow prince. After him, the son reigned - Ivan. The first mention of it dates back to 1430. Then Ivan, trying to get rid of the power of the Tatar-Mongols, entered into an alliance with Vitovt, to whom he promised faithful service. However, very soon, Ivan replaced him with an agreement with the Prince of Moscow and supported the latter in the fight against Yuri Dmitrievich.
After the defeat of Vasily, however, Ivan sided with Yuri. But after 7 years, he again entered into an alliance with the Prince of Moscow. Although at the same time, Ivan did not break off relations with the Lithuanian ruler.
After death, Ivan entrusts the reign and his son to the Moscow prince. Eight years later, power was returned to Vasily (the son of Ivan), who ruled until 1483. Ryazan coexisted in complete agreement with its neighbors, including Moscow . This was facilitated by the wife of Vasily, Anna, the sister of Ivan III.
At the beginning of the XVI century. Russian lands united around Moscow. Ryazan and Pskov are the only territories that formally retained independence. Soon Pereyaslavl-Ryazansky remained the capital of the only principality, independent of Moscow authorities.
Politics of Ivan III
In 1501, Anna Vasilievna died, acting as a guarantor of the integrity of the Ryazan principality. After the death of his sister, Ivan III intensified his actions against Ryazan. Joining Moscow began with territories with the cities of Staraya Ryazan, Perevitsk, and Pronsk. 1/3 of Pereyaslavl-Ryazan also went to the center.
Meanwhile, Ivan III did not plan to accelerate Ryazan’s accession to Moscow . As follows from historical sources, he led a very cautious policy. Ivan III sought to enlist the support of the rulers who were assisted: they could be dependent on Moscow, but at the same time retained formal sovereignty. According to this scheme, relations were built with the Kasimov Khanate and the Pskov Republic.
Joining Ryazan to Moscow under Vasily 3
In 1505, Ivan III died. Vasily III ascended the throne in Moscow. It was he who finally deprived of independence the feudal possessions: by 1521, the annexation of Ryazan to Moscow was completely completed.
After Vasily Ivanovich, Ivan Vasilievich ruled in Ryazan, and then Ivan Ivanovich. However, the latter owned a small part of the principality, since back in 1503 Fedor (his uncle) bequeathed a inheritance to the Moscow prince.
In 1520, Ivan Ivanovich was summoned to Moscow. He was suspected of having links with Crimeans. In Moscow, Ivan was detained. However, in the next 1521, during the invasion of the Crimeans, he was able to escape. In Pereyaslavl, Ivan was not accepted, and he went to Lithuania, where he received Stolishka’s inheritance from Sigismund I for life. Here he died in 1534.
After the capture of Ivan Ivanovich, the Ryazan principality as an independent territory ceased to exist. It was annexed to Moscow and became its region.
In 1565, Ivan IV divided the state into zemstvos and oprichnina. Ryazan was included in the first.
Of the later events on the territory of the principality, one can name the ruin of the Tatars, the participation of Ryazans in the liberation of Moscow during the Time of Troubles.
Captivity of Ivan
The growing prince adopted from his mother Agrippina the idea of reviving the independence of his territories. For its implementation, he wanted to rely on the boyars opposed to Moscow. These included the families of the Sumbulovs, Kobyakovs, and Korobyins. It was supposed to receive military assistance from the Crimean Khanate and Lithuania.
Vasily III found out about Ivan's plans and ordered to bring him to Moscow. At the same time, Agrippina was taken out of Pereyaslavl-Ryazan and tonsured a nun. Basil also ordered the removal from the department of Bishop Protasius, who supported the idea of restoring the independence of the Ryazan principality. Most of the boyars were evicted from Pereyaslavl-Ryazan. A governor was sent from Moscow to the city, who brought an artillery gun with him.
Ivan Ivanovich could escape from captivity and last visit his principality only in 1521. That year, Muhammad Giray made a devastating expedition to Russia. He managed to cross the Oka and gain a foothold near Moscow. According to Karamzin, the bewildered Vasily III was forced to give a letter to the khan to resume the payment of tribute, as in the time of the Horde.
Finally
As you can see, the process of joining Ryazan was not accompanied by special bloodshed. For example, to join the Novgorod Republic, the Moscow prince had to use force. In any case, the process of collecting land around Moscow was inevitable.