In the 13th century, Russia was forced to wage a fairly difficult fight against various foreign invaders. Mongol conquerors attacked the state from the East . From the West, Russian land experienced aggression from the crusaders - Danish, Swedish and German knights.
The outcome of the confrontation was largely a determining factor in the historical fate of the peoples of Russia, influencing their state, economic and political development subsequently, and also led to quite significant changes in the political and ethnic map of Central Asia and Eastern Europe.
The Tatar-Mongol yoke became the most destructive foreign invasion for the Russian state. The Golden Horde for a long time suspended the economic development of the country, undermined the culture, destroyed agriculture.
The Tatar-Mongol yoke in Russia led to a decline in the importance of cities in political and public life. Destruction, fires, captivity of literate artisans provoked the disappearance of many complex professions for a very long period. The consequences of the Tatar-Mongol yoke had a devastating effect on the applied and visual arts. For a long time construction in cities was suspended.
One of the most serious consequences is the increase in Russia of disunity, the separation of individual areas in the state. The weakened power could not defend some of the southern and western regions that were captured by the Lithuanian and Polish feudal lords. The Tatar-Mongol yoke inflicted a serious blow on the trade relations of the state with the West. Only Smolensk, Polotsk, Vitebsk, Pskov and Novgorod managed to save them.
As a result of the invasion of the Mongol-Tatars, the number of the Russian population was sharply reduced. In particular, this affected cities. A lot of people died, no less were enslaved. Some destroyed villages and cities have never been able to recover. Many warriors, princes perished. The death of the feudal lords for a long time suspended the formation and development of agriculture.
The revival of the destroyed villages and cities was largely difficult. The Tatar-Mongol yoke obliged the population to pay an excessive tribute. A significant amount of the country's national income went to the Horde.
The country was weakened by the constant and prolonged opposition to the onslaught of the invaders. To some extent, the Russian lands restrained further campaigns of the Golden Horde.
Despite all the hardships, the Russian people were able to maintain their national independence and identity, moreover, they were able to resist and, as a result, expel the enemy from their land.
The Tatar-Mongol yoke was mainly expressed in the payment of tribute. It should be noted that, unlike the states of the Caspian Sea region, the Northern Black Sea region and Central Asia, the Golden Horde did not claim to be directly included in its composition of Russian lands.
At the end of the 13th century, the Horde were forced to shift the collection of tribute to the Russian princes. This happened as a result of numerous popular uprisings against tribute collectors (Basques). The Baskaki were subsequently recalled from all Russian cities. This reduced the ability of the Horde to intervene in the internal political development of Russia.
The Mongol-Tatars tried not to encroach on the religious lifestyle of the captured people. They were somewhat tolerant of other faiths. Often, the Russian clergy was an ally of the Horde. This is due to the fact that the Orthodox Church opposed Catholics. The Pope, in turn, was an enemy of the Mongol-Tatars. In addition, at first, the Russian clergy supported those princes who agreed to coexist with the Horde. The Mongol-Tatars, on the other hand, exempted church servants from tribute, gave them letters of protection for the property of the church.