Part 60

Learn about the Mongol invasions of Rus, the rise of the Golden Horde, and the consolidation of power under Ivan III and Ivan the Terrible in Civilization V.

The first Mongol incursion into Kievan territory occurred in 1223, when a Mongol reconnaissance unit met the combined warriors of several Rus states at the Battle of the Kalka River. The Rus forces, led by Mstislav the Bold and Mstislav Romanovich the Old, initially succeeded but became disorganized. The Mongols rallied and defeated the pursuers, slaughtering many who had surrendered under the promise of safety.

A larger Mongol army of over 30,000 horse archers crossed the Volga River in 1237. Over the next few years, they captured, looted, and destroyed dozens of Russian cities including Ryazan, Kolomna, Moscow, Rostov, Kashin, Dmitrov, Kozelsk, Halych, and Kiev. By 1240, most of Rus was destroyed and under Mongol control.

The Western Mongol Empire, which included much of Russia, was known as the "Golden Horde." Its capital was Sari, a new city built on the Volga River. While ruthless conquerors, the Mongols were generally benign rulers, preferring to maintain existing power structures and collect tribute. They were tolerant of other religions and eventually converted to Islam.

The Golden Horde fell to attacks from Timur (Tamerlane) from the south at the end of the 13th century. Timur destroyed Mongol cities like Sarai, Azov, and Kaffa, weakening their rule. Local Rus leaders, particularly those in the Principality of Muscovy, began to fill the power vacuum.

Under Ivan III (1462 - 1505), Muscovy initiated the "gathering of the Russian lands," annexing East Slavic territories. Novogorod was annexed in 1478, and Tver in 1485. A succession struggle in 1497 nearly derailed these efforts, forcing Ivan to name his second wife's son, Vasily, as heir over his grandson.

Ivan III also engaged in European diplomacy, seeking to pressure the Polish-Lithuanian state. After Ivan's death, his son Vasily III strengthened the monarchy and expanded Muscovy. Due to a late heir, a regency was established for his son Ivan, who was three and sickly in 1533. This regency period was marked by political intrigue.

At 16, Ivan the Terrible (1530 - 1584) was crowned the first "tsar" of Muscovy. Little is known of him personally, except that he was sickly and married six times. His early reign may have been as a figurehead for various factions. During this period, reforms rebuilt the military and legal system, and laws were enacted to limit the power of hereditary landowners, likely in preparation for territorial expansion.

In his mid-twenties, Ivan dramatically increased his power. The Imperial Court was purged of independent nobility, and the military's upper echelons were similarly cleansed. Ivan declared millions of acres of prime land as "oprichnina" (crowned land) under his direct control.

Ivan's military leadership was disastrous. He virtually destroyed the army and bankrupted the country in the Livonian War (1558 - 1583), which lasted twenty-five years. He died in 1584.

After Ivan's death, Boris Godunov briefly assumed the throne. However, upon Boris's death in 1605, the period known as the "Time of Troubles" (1606 - 1613) began. Central authority collapsed, and foreign and domestic armies fought across the land, with successive pretenders taking and losing the crown.