By the second half of the XIII century, Moscow lands were an inconspicuous patrimony, incomparable in size and significance with the richer and more extensive principalities in Russia. In 1272 they were inherited by the eleven-year-old Prince Daniil Alexandrovich, who managed the affairs of this region until his death, that is, until 1303. During his reign, this patrimony greatly expanded, taking possession of the territory right up to the mouth of the Moscow River.
And Prince Daniel, the son of Alexander Nevsky, the youngest of his brothers, has become famous for centuries as the founder of the famous Grand Dynasty, the Moscow line of the Rurikovich, the ancestor of Russian tsars.
Background to the reign
Little is known about the childhood of Prince Daniil Alexandrovich. He was born in 1261, as it is supposed, in November or December, and therefore his ascetic was considered the Christian ascetic Daniil Stolpnik, whose name is traditionally honored by the Orthodox Church on December 11. In honor of him, the prince later erected a monastery, wore his image on his gloves. The boy’s father died when he was less than two years old. And therefore, he spent his childhood years with Uncle Yaroslav Yaroslavovich, the Tver and Vladimir Prince, in Tver.
The grand duchy included Moscow, which at that time was governed only by governors. Therefore, the receipt by Daniel after the death of his guardian of the Moscow lands did not at all predict his future exaltation and did not speak about the trace that he would leave in history.
Muscovy
In those days, Russia had many problems: princely feuds, the dominance of the Mongol-Tatars. All this very ruined and bled Russian lands. However, it is believed that the wilderness of Moscow avoided major troubles. This circumstance can be judged because in the annals after 1238, in connection with the brutal skirmishes of the princes, fires and invasions of the Tatars, this land, full of forests and swamps, was not mentioned.
On the contrary, immigrants from dysfunctional and devastated areas: Kiev, Chernigov, Ryazan, escaped here in search of a peaceful life and salvation from the persecutors. Among the refugees were excellent farmers, skilled craftsmen, brave wars. All this became the basis for the imminent greatness of the future capital.
The governor-princes ruled this estate, starting from the XII century. But Daniil Aleksandrovich is the first Moscow prince to go down in history, because it was he who strengthened these lands by expanding to the Oka River, adding the city of Kolomna during the war with Ryazan in 1302.
Creative activity
From the age of fifteen, Prince Daniel had already carried out active creative work in the lands entrusted to him, which continued until the end of his life. He erected monasteries and temples, introduced changes to the procedure for collecting trade duties, increased the defense of the principality, striving for its independence.
The activities of Prince Daniil Alexandrovich and his policy was aimed at expanding their own lands. Naturally, wanting this, he could not avoid the intrigues, the struggle for power and the internecine clashes that seriously shocked Russia at that time. However, chronicles and popular memory, and later Orthodox traditions, attributed to him a fair amount of peace and wisdom, noting his diplomatic abilities, the desire to avoid blood and military conflicts.
Battles with the Golden Horde
The eldest sons of Alexander Nevsky in the 80s of the XIII century launched a struggle for Vladimir and other principalities. One of them, Dmitry Pereyaslavsky, obsessed with the struggle for power, was looking for an alliance with the Golden Horde ruler of the western ulus Nogai. The second of the brothers, Andrei Gorodetsky, turned to his rival Khan Tuda-Mengu for help. By that time, the Tatars had already pretty much ruined Ryazan, Murom, and Mordovian lands. And therefore, looking for new profit, we were delighted with the opportunity, taking advantage of the rumors of the Russian princes, to intimidate and rob Vladimir and other rich cities of Russia.
Trying to protect Moscow from the Tatar lawlessness and shortsightedness of the brothers, Prince Daniil Aleksandrovich was forced to pursue a flexible policy, supporting this or that of the parties to the conflict. Together with the prince of Novgorod, his second uncle, Daniel stopped the Tatars and gained an impressive victory over the troops of the Golden Horde. In addition, the youngest son of Alexander Nevsky managed to reconcile, although for a while, his brothers, Andrei and Dmitry, who after that fought for some time on one side. A considerable political benefit came to Daniel from a friendly alliance with Prince Vladimir, who later became his elder brother Dmitry, and later with his son Ivan.
Strengthening the influence of Moscow
But the feuds of the Russian princes, as well as their battles for thrones, continued and could not stop at all. The warring parties quarreled, then reconciled, uniting and breaking off relations with each other. They did not disdain to strengthen their positions and alliance with the Tatars, who in those days were distributing labels on the board. The Russian princes fawned before them in order to only put their rivals in their place. And this made the foreigners only stronger, their dominance was stronger, which brought Russia new ruins.
A terrible disaster for Moscow and for another fourteen affected cities was the invasion of the Tatars and their robberies that occurred in 1293. Even the dead places, wild forests and swamps were not an obstacle for them. Russia desperately needed a strong power that could protect it.
In an effort to strengthen the position of Moscow, Daniel led his policy, acting either by conviction or by force. Soon he got the opportunity to establish himself in Novgorod, where he became the ruler of the young son of Prince Daniil Alexandrovich. It was Ivan, who later received the nickname Kalita and under this name went down in history.
Ivan Kalita was the fourth son of Daniel. The others were Boris, Alexander and first-born Yuri. In total, seven sons were born. Nothing was mentioned in the annals about the daughters, and therefore it is not known whether the Russian prince Daniil Alexandrovich had them. But then there is some information about his wife, a certain Evdokia Alexandrovna.
Joining Pereyaslavl
Ivan Dmitrievich, the prince of Pereyaslavl, who died in 1302, left his possessions to Uncle Daniel, since he was very sympathetic to him during his life, considering him a wise politician, and he did not have direct heirs. The accession of a new strong principality (which was exactly what Pereyaslavl was considered at that time) for the Moscow lands was a very important acquisition, which added political weight and strengthened the position of Prince Daniil Alexandrovich. And most importantly, everything happened without intrigue and military conflicts, voluntarily.
However, it still could not have done without rivals. And the son of Yuri, sent by Daniel to Pereyaslavl, had to force out other applicants. The conflict was resolved without bloodshed, but Prince Andrei, who was the instigator of the showdown, again rushed with complaints and requests to the Tatars in order to assert his rights to the principality, though without special consequences.
Monastic tonsure
Prince of Moscow Daniil Aleksandrovich was a devout man, and therefore, before his death, he tonsured monks, tired of quarrels, squabbles and cruelties of this world. So testify the annals of those times.
He died in 1303 in March. Regarding the place of his burial, the information diverges. Some believe that his body found its last refuge in the Danilovsky Monastery built by him in honor of his holy patron saint of Stolpnik. According to other sources, they buried him in the church of the Archangel Michael in Moscow. Both places became famous in the Orthodox world over time and became very visited. The last of them eventually turned into the Archangel Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin.
Thus ended the reign of Prince Daniil Alexandrovich. The Orthodox Church has not forgotten and honors his name to this day. March 17 and September 12 are considered the days of his memory. He was canonized in 1791.
Danilovsky Monastery
The fate of the Danilov Monastery turned out to be amazing. After the death of his founder, he existed for some time, and then became impoverished, and for some period even his memory completely disappeared in Russia. But, as Orthodox traditions say, miracles began to take place in this place.
Legends indicate that St. Daniel of Moscow began to appear to people and talk with them. Other amazing incidents also happened, and sick people were healed. Since there were many such evidence, under Ivan the Terrible, a new church was rebuilt on the site of the Danilovsky Monastery. And in the Church of Saints, the Father of the seven Ecumenical Councils decided to transfer the relics of the Holy Prince Daniel. It happened in August 1652.
The heirs of Prince Daniil Alexandrovich
After the death of Daniel, his place was taken by his son Yuri, and, contrary to customs, the elder brother did not want to give anything to the other children. The Moscow principality, meanwhile, has expanded greatly. An active part in the protection of its territories was taken by Ivan Kalita, defending Pereyaslavl-Zalessky. But the struggle continued with Tver, where Prince Mikhail Yaroslavich settled down, who, by intrigue with the Tatars, received a label for rule from the Golden Horde. For the war with him, Ivan entered into an alliance with Novgorod. His influence was growing.
According to the official version, Ivan Danilovich began to rule in Moscow in 1325 after the treacherous murder of his brother Yuri by Dmitry Tversky. Soon he received Kostroma, began to control Novgorod and the Volga region. During the reign of Ivan Kalita in the wars in Russia there was a relative lull, which continued after his death and lasted about 40 years.
But peace was achieved only because the Horde had established uninterrupted collection of tribute from the Russian lands, accompanied by the use of brute force. For this, the Tatars noted Kalita and awarded the title "Prince of the Great of All Russia", which he passed on to his descendants. However, it was the strengthening of the positions of the Moscow principality during the time of Ivan Danilovich that became the key to future victories over foreigners, the deliverance of Russia from the Tatar-Mongol yoke and the endless feuds of princes in the struggle for power.