Mongol Rule in Russia

Mongol armies conquered most of Russia, including Kievan Rus', early in the 13th century. Their rule lasted until the middle of the 15th century. It had considerable impact in limiting Russian contacts with other societies, reducing trade and educational levels, and shifting political emphasis more toward central Russia. Many Russians copied Mongol habits in matters such as dress, and Russian leaders may have learned more about an authoritarian political model. Russia's Asian elements, certainly, gained ground in this period. But Russia was not completely changed, and among other things orthodox religious emphasis remained intact.

The documents that I would like you to read describe Mongol conquest and rule (Russians, as I mentioned today, called the Mongols Tartars). They are a bit fragmentary, coming from snippets in Russian chronicles and travelers' accounts. They are also not entirely harmonious, in talking both about atrocities and about considerable political and religious latitude. How do the documents, in combination, help explain why Mongol rule lasted so long? How do they also help explain why ultimately Russian leaders sought to drive the Mongols out?

Document I comes from the First Novgorian Chronicle, dealing with the year 1238. The passage provides another account of the attacks on Riazan and the city Vladimir, already discussed in document III in my earlier post. Chronicles were written by orthodox priests, and this authorship explains some of the terms used in the chronicle and might raise questions about factual accuracy.

Document II is from another religious source, a Catholic (Franciscan) monk, Giovanni de Plano, describing a visit to Kiev in 1244.

Document III is from a message sent to his people by the Prince of Novgorad, between 1266 and 1272.

Document IV deals with a Mongol decree, issued by Khan Mengu-Emir around 1308, sent to the Metropolitan (archbishop) of the Russian Church.

Document V comes from fragments of chronicles in the 13th century, on dealings between Russian princes and their Tartar overlords.

Document VI, finally, comes from another chronicle, the Voskresnesk, in 1262, discussing Muslim agents that Mongols used to collect taxes in Russia.

Collectively, the documents (which you can read by clicking here) deal with a major episode in the occupation of one society by conquerors from another. They encourage assessment of changes and continuities between initial conquest and consolidation of rule in Russia, and they allow analysis of methods of rule and of the impact of the conquest period. Once you have read the documents, I would like you to think about and discuss the following: What were the worst aspects of Mongol conquest and rule? What were the best aspects? Why and how did Russian commentary ultimately go beyond the initial horror stories? What did Mongols seek in conquering Russia? How do their goals compare with those of other major conquests in world history? Are there biases in the sources available, and do they distort our picture of Mongol rule? Why did Mongol rule last so long without a huge occupying force? Why did Russian leaders ultimately decide to contest the occupation and push the Mongols out? What were the long-term implications of Mongol rule for the nature of Russian culture and politics, including foreign policy? What were the impacts on Russian identity? Finally, how does the Mongol period in Russia compare with Mongol impact on other parts of Asia and Europe? PLEASE TAKE THE TIME TO READ AND DISCUSS THIS DOCUMENT IN PREPARATION FOR MONDAY'S COURT CASE. Your thoughts?