During the reign of Daniil Aleksandrovich, Moscow assumed the role of the “unifier” of Russian lands. It is from this time that the creation of a centralized state with a single capital begins. The rise of the Moscow Principality and its center - Moscow - is no coincidence. This was facilitated by a favorable geographical position, the policies pursued by the Moscow rulers, and the development of new trade routes passing through Russian lands. The founder of the dynasty of princes of Moscow is considered to be the son of Alexander Nevsky - Daniel, who took control of the principality in 1263 and was actively engaged in the expansion of his lands. So, in 1301 Kolomna joined the Moscow Principality, and in 1303 - Mozhaisk. Over the several years of the reign of Daniel, his principality significantly increased and became one of the largest and most powerful in the north-east of Russia.
The rule of Ivan Daniilovich had a great influence on the formation of the Moscow state, who basically continued his father’s work to expand the territory of his lands and annexed the Belozersk, Uglich and Galich principalities to Moscow. Ivan Daniilovich, nicknamed Kalita, went down in the history of Russia as a cruel, smart and consistent decision-making ruler, who paid great attention to relations with the Golden Horde. During the reign of Ivan Kalita, Moscow became the center of the prince's permanent presence in it, which further strengthened the authority of the Moscow princes before the rulers of the remaining Russian lands.
Further education of a centralized Moscow state occurs under the leadership of the sons of Kalita - Ivan the Red and Simeon the Proud, who annexed to it the Starodubsky, Dmitrovsky lands, Kostroma and Kaluga.
The feudal feuds that broke out in Russia in the middle of the 14th century between the great-grandchildren of Ivan Kalita, who ruled in the principalities located in the immediate vicinity of Moscow, could not but influence the process of forming a single state. The main reason for the enmity of the brothers among themselves was the question of changing the order of succession. Another meaning of the feudal wars of the 14th century lies in the struggle of opponents and supporters of the creation of a single state on the territory of Russia with the capital in Moscow. As a result, those who advocated the centralization of Russian lands won an unquestioning victory.
The formation of the Moscow state was completed during the reign of Ivan the Third and his son - Vasily the Third. The boyars and princes of the remaining Russian principalities willingly went to serve in Moscow. Those who still refused to recognize the power of the Moscow princes threw their lands and fled to neighboring countries (in particular, Lithuania). The last, largest land that retained its authority as a separate principality was Veliky Novgorod, whose boyars managed to conclude an agreement on vassal dependence with Lithuania by this period. Upon learning of this, Ivan the Third in 1471 organized a campaign against the city. The decisive battle took place in the area of the Shelon River, the Novgorod troops were completely defeated by the Muscovites. Seven years later, Novgorod became part of the Moscow Principality.
The formation of the Moscow state was completed with the accession to it in 1485 of Tver. Ivan the Third, who ruled in it at that time, received the title of sovereign of all Russia. The end of the 14th century entered the history of our country as a period of the end of its feudal fragmentation.
The formation of the Moscow state is associated with such a great event as the liberation of Russia from the almost 240-year-old Tatar-Mongol yoke. Ivan the Third was the first among the rulers of the country over the past centuries to stop paying tribute to the Tatars. In 1480, Khan Akhmat attempted to restore dominance over the country, which was unsuccessful. After the liberation of Russia from the hated yoke, an unprecedented strengthening of the position of the Moscow principality took place, and the remaining unruly lands were added to it: Smolensk, Pskov and Ryazan. At the end of the 15th century, a new power appeared on the map, increasingly called Russia.