Was the unification of Rus' inevitable? What domestic policy did Ivan pursue? What is inheritance? Who was allocated inheritance

The unification of Rus' is the process of political unification of disparate Russian lands into a single state.

Prerequisites for the unification of Kievan Rus

The beginning of the unification of Rus' dates back to the 13th century. Until this moment, Kievan Rus was not a single state, but consisted of disparate principalities that were subordinate to Kyiv, but still remained largely independent territories. Moreover, smaller fiefs and territories arose in the principalities, which also lived an autonomous life. The principalities constantly fought with each other and with Kiev for the right to autonomy and independence, and the princes killed each other, wanting to lay claim to the Kiev throne. All this weakened Rus', both politically and economically. As a result of constant civil strife and hostility, Rus' could not gather a single strong army in order to resist the raids of nomads and overthrow the Mongol-Tatar yoke. Against this background, the power of Kyiv weakened and the need arose for the emergence of a new center.

Reasons for the unification of Russian lands around Moscow

After the weakening of Kyiv's power and constant internecine wars, Rus' was in desperate need of unification. Only an integral state could resist the invaders and finally throw off the Tatar-Mongol yoke. The peculiarity of the unification of Rus' was that there was no one clear center of power; political forces were scattered throughout the territory of Rus'.

At the beginning of the 13th century, there were several cities that could become the new capital. The centers of unification of Rus' could be Moscow, Tver and Pereyaslavl. It was these cities that had all the necessary qualities for a new capital:

Had a profitable geographical position and were removed from the borders where the invaders ruled;
They had the opportunity to actively engage in trade due to the intersection of several trade routes;
The princes ruling in the cities belonged to the Vladimir princely dynasty, which had great power.

In general, all three cities had approximately equal chances, but the skillful rule of the Moscow princes led to the fact that it was Moscow that seized power and gradually began to strengthen its political influence. As a result, it was around the Moscow principality that a new centralized state began to form.

The main stages of the unification of Rus'

In the second half of the 13th century, the state was in a state of severe fragmentation, with new autonomous territories constantly being separated. Tatar-Mongol yoke interrupted the process of natural unification of lands, and the power of Kyiv by this period was greatly weakened. Rus' was in decline and needed a completely new policy.

In the 14th century, many territories of Rus' united around the capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. In the 14-15 centuries, the great Lithuanian princes owned Goroden, Polotsk, Vitebsk, Kyiv and other principalities; under their rule were the Chernigov region, Volyn, Smolensk region and a number of other lands. The rule of the Rurikovichs was ending. By the end of the 15th century, the Principality of Lithuania had grown so much that it came close to the borders of the Moscow Principality. The North-East of Rus' all this time remained under the rule of the descendant of Vladimir Monomakh, and the Vladimir princes bore the prefix “all Rus'”, but their real power did not extend beyond Vladimir and Novgorod. In the 14th century, power over Vladimir passed to Moscow.

At the end of the 14th century, Lithuania joined the Kingdom of Poland, which was followed by a series of Russian-Lithuanian wars, in which Lithuania lost many territories. New Rus' began to gradually unite around the strengthened Moscow principality.

In 1389 Moscow became the new capital.

The final unification of Rus' as a new centralized and unified state ended at the turn of the 15th-16th centuries during the reign of Ivan 3 and his son Vasily 3.

Since then, Rus' has periodically annexed some new territories, but the basis of a unified state has already been created.

Completion of the political unification of Rus'

In order to hold the new state together and avoid its possible collapse, it was necessary to change the principle of governance. Under Vasily 3, estates appeared - feudal estates. Patrimonies were often fragmented and became smaller, as a result, the princes who received their new possessions no longer had power over vast territories.

As a result of the unification of the Russian lands, all power was gradually concentrated in the hands of the Grand Duke.

In the XIII-XV centuries. most of the lands of the former Kievan Rus was united under the rule of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (GDL). At one time, Lithuania was stronger than any Russian principality. At the beginning of the 15th century, under Prince Vytautas (1392-1430), Lithuania achieved such power that the Moscow Grand Duke Vasily II the Dark (1425-1462), his grandson, was considered his vassal, and Veliky Novgorod was at one time ruled by a Lithuanian prince. It seemed that nothing could stop Lithuania from uniting all Russian lands, including the North-Eastern, Suzdal Rus'. But it happened differently. The reign of Vytautas became the peak of Lithuanian power. Already with him its decline began.

Grand Duchy of Lithuanian-Russian

The rise of Lithuania was facilitated by the Mongol invasion of Rus'. Lithuania and many Western Russian principalities found themselves on the sidelines and began to unite to repel the threat. Western Russian princes sometimes willingly became vassals of Lithuania, other times Lithuania conquered the principalities by force. But unification with Lithuania meant freedom from paying tribute to the Golden Horde.

Under the Grand Duke Gediminas (1316-1341), Lithuania included the entire current territory of Belarus. The Polotsk and Turovo-Pinsk principalities and part of the Volyn principality have long been located here. Under his son Olgerd (1345-1377), Lithuania spread to the Kiev, Volyn, Pereyaslav, Chernigov and Novgorod-Seversk principalities. In the east, its borders included the entire Central Russian Upland and the ancient lands of the Vyatichi. In the 70s of the 14th century, Lithuanian squads came to Moscow more than once. At the very end of the 14th and in the first years of the 15th century, under Vytautas, Lithuania annexed the Smolensk principality and reached the Black Sea in the south.

The Lithuanian princes were pagans. At the same time, they had long been exposed to the influence of Russian culture, and some of them converted to Orthodoxy. The written language of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania was Old Russian. The Gedimin dynasty gradually replaced almost all the princes from the Rurik dynasty in the subject principalities. But the Gediminovichs became Russified, were called in the Russian manner with “-vich” - for example, Dmitry Olgerdovich - and often pursued a policy independent of the Grand Duke, especially on the outskirts of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The toleration of the Lithuanian princes and the widespread dissemination of Russian culture contributed to the fact that the state itself increasingly became the successor of Kievan Rus in every sense.

Union with Catholic Poland

However, one circumstance seriously complicated the position of Lithuania. Settled in the XII-XIII centuries. In the Baltics, the German Teutonic Order led an offensive against Lithuania, forcibly converting the population to Catholicism, taking away lands for its knights and turning the Baltic inhabitants into serfs.

Poland, neighboring Lithuania, was also Catholic, but it also experienced the onslaught of the Germans, and besides, it did not encroach on Lithuanian territories. General danger brought Lithuania closer to Poland. Only Poland at that time could help Lithuania in the confrontation Teutonic Order. But the Polish aristocracy was ready to provide this assistance only on the condition that Lithuania converted to Catholicism.

The turning point came in 1385. At this time, Jagiello Olgerdovich reigned in Lithuania, who came to power as a result of an internecine war. Jagiello did not understand the means and was distinguished by extreme cruelty. It was no secret to anyone that he treacherously captured his uncle Keistut Gediminovich and then ordered his death.

At the same time, the Polish throne became vacant. King Louis I of Luxembourg, who also occupied the throne of Hungary, died in 1382. Poland was formally ruled by his youngest daughter Jadwiga. The Polish nobility did not want unification with Hungary and prevented Louis's eldest daughter Maria from ascending the throne. Fun detail: Jadwiga was crowned formally as a man, with the title of king, not queen, since the basic laws of Poland prohibited only a woman from occupying the throne.

At the same time, the Polish nobility matured a plan for a dynastic union with Lithuania. They decided to marry twelve-year-old Jadwiga to Jagiello, who was already over thirty years old. The only obstacle was the mutual love of Jadwiga and the fifteen-year-old Austrian Duke Wilhelm, who were betrothed in childhood. Wilhelm came to Krakow, and the young lovers even met in secret, until, finally, one day the guards of the Krakow archbishop closed the gates of the castle where the duke lived in front of the powerless queen, and escorted him out of Poland. After much persuasion, especially from the clergy, who promised the queen the highest reward in heaven for the conversion of the pagans, Jadwiga agreed to marry Jagiello, who thus became the Polish king.

Vytautas Keistutovich, cousin of Jagiello, in 1386 also agreed to convert to Catholicism and introduce it in Lithuania. It is curious that before this, Vytautas was also baptized according to the Catholic rite in 1382, but in 1384 he converted to Orthodoxy. Despite further wars with Jagiello, Vytautas, having defended his right to the Lithuanian throne, recognized his vassalage to the Polish crown and continued to spread Catholicism.

The union of Lithuania with Poland, accompanied by the defeat of the rights of the Orthodox nobility, dealt the first serious blow to Lithuania’s attempts to become the head of all of Rus'.

Defeat from the Golden Horde

The Golden Horde was Lithuania's main enemy in the east. In 1399, Vytautas set out on a campaign with a powerful army, including Lithuanians, Russians, Poles, Teutons and Tatars - opponents of Khan Timur-Kutlug. The parties agreed on the Vorskla River. Khan gained time by negotiations while waiting for the troops of the Temnik Edigei, and on August 12, the Horde completely defeated Lithuania. So Lithuania received a second serious blow. Eastern Rus' remained in the sphere of influence of the Golden Horde.

Svidrigail's Troubles

Orthodoxy in Lithuania long and stubbornly resisted the implantation of Catholicism. The most powerful reaction of the Orthodox population was the war for the Lithuanian throne, launched by Prince Svidrigail Olgerdovich. He himself was not Orthodox, but he patronized the Orthodox population and tried to rely on their support, as well as on Moscow, in the struggle for power.

Svidrigailo's wars, interspersed with truces, his capture, false oaths and renunciations, lasted from 1408 to 1440. In 1430-1432, after the death of Vytautas, Svidrigail succeeded in short term seize the throne of ON. But his cruel, violent temper turned the entire population of the principality against him, including the Orthodox, who made a fatal mistake by betting on such a person, and not even a fellow believer.

The Svidrigailo Troubles turned out to be the last, third decisive blow to the alternative that Orthodox Lithuania could have played in history as the unifier of all Russian lands.

In 1408, the two centers of unification of Russian lands - Moscow and Lithuania for the first time received a common border, but a clash was avoided and the principalities lived peacefully for almost a century. But from the beginning of the 16th century, a series of conflicts began, most of which ended in favor of the eastern state. Although there were occasional defeats, and the Time of Troubles, after the death of the last Rurikovichs, briefly reversed the process of reconquest, Ancient Rus' gradually revived under the hand of the Moscow ruler. Why did Moscow become the capital of Russia and not Vilna?

Lithuania took full advantage of the Mongol invasion of Russian lands and began annexing the devastated principalities

The Lithuanians were the first to begin collecting Russian lands. In the period after the Mongol invasion until the early 1250s, Prince Mindovg occupied the western regions of the future Belarus. He and his descendants successfully defended the integrity of their new possessions from the Russian princes and their Horde overlords. And after the start of civil strife or the “great turmoil” in the Golden Horde, Olgerd defeated three Tatar commanders at Blue Waters and annexed Kyiv. The ancient capital of Prince Vladimir became a secondary city for the new rulers. Lithuania joined the race to annex ownerless Russian lands.

At the time of the beginning of the Lithuanian conquests, Moscow was not even independent yet. In 1266, the young son of Alexander Nevsky, Daniel, received this city as his inheritance, which became the center of the new principality. His possessions were poor and small. But the prince was very lucky: in 1300, the Golden Horde Khan Tokhta defeated his rebellious military leader Nogai. His Russian vassals went into the service of Daniil and were used by him in wars to increase his principality.

In 1339, at the libel of Ivan Kalita, Prince Alexander of Tver was killed by the Khan of the Golden Horde. After this, the only rival of Moscow became the Lithuanian state

The liar, renegade and collaborator Ivan Kalita, son of Daniil, truly strengthened the power of Moscow. He achieved the right to collect tribute for the khan from the Russian principalities, and repeatedly brought Tatar armies against all his enemies. But he kept his own lands intact. Kalita's children and grandchildren only increased the army and the size of the state until they equaled its power with Lithuania, despite the late start.

However, resources were not comparable. The northern Moscow principality was locked in forests, sparsely populated and had little fertile soils barely enough to feed themselves. And Lithuania owned the rich Ukrainian lands with high population density. And the adoption of Catholicism and the union with Poland strengthened it even more.

The Lithuanian princes did everything to ensure that Western Rus', subordinate to them, received all the attributes of an “independent” power. At their instigation, in 1317, Constantinople created a separate Russian metropolis Orthodox Church, not connected with Moscow. That time was troubled for world Orthodoxy. The Turks drove the Greeks out of Asia and began territorial conquests in the Balkan Peninsula. Among the Greek Church, talk began about submitting to the Pope in order to receive military assistance from Europe. The church hierarchs of Western Rus' were also not against recognizing the power of Rome.

Fermentation began among them, which ended in 1596 with the announcement Metropolitan of Kyiv about the transition to submission to the Roman throne.

But this did not hinder the rise of Moscow. What is the reason for the victory of the economically and militarily weaker Moscow principality? Its rulers did not stop paying tribute to the Golden Horde until the very end in order to be able to use Tatar troops in their wars.

But this is only one reason for further victories. In 1385, the Lithuanian Grand Duke Jogaila was chosen king of Poland. A gradual merger of the two states began. The subsequent Union of Gorodel equalized the rights of the Polish and Lithuanian Catholic nobility. But the Orthodox boyars were excluded from this privileged group. They were no longer allowed into the princely council. “Differences in faith produce differences in opinions,” the union explained. The restriction of the rights of Russian subjects to their own lands. The rulers of Lithuania, instead of a previously loyal vassal, received an eternally dissatisfied Western Rus' - a “fifth column”, always ready to stick a knife in the back.

Many Orthodox princes, according to ancient Russian law, went into the service of the Moscow ruler. And that wasn't the end. The gentry's autocracy in Poland and Lithuania led to the destruction of a strong central government. And in Moscow, autocracy only strengthened. The first major military conflict of 1500-1503 led to Lithuania losing a third of its possessions and recognizing Ivan III as the title “sovereign of all Rus'”, i.e. his rights to the historical lands of the Eastern Slavs.

Three great deeds of Ivan III - overthrowing the Tatar yoke, taking over the Byzantine heritage and victory over Lithuania

The strong power and desire of Western Rus' to unite with fellow believers led to the slow fall of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, which after the Pereyaslav Rada of 1654 became irreversible.

THE RUSSIAN STATE IN THE FIRST THIRD OF THE XVI CENTURY.

Questions in the text of the paragraph

When was the unification of the northeastern and northwestern Russian lands around Moscow completed? What task faced the great princes after the completion of the unification of the Russian lands around Moscow?

Under Vasily III, with the annexation of Pskov (1510), Smolensk (1514), Ryazan (1521), Belgorod (1523), the unification of the lands of North-Eastern and North-Western Rus' around Moscow was completed. The main task The sovereign was the transformation of the once independent lands into a single Russian state. The first national institutions were created, a single army appeared - a noble local militia, and a communications system. The country was divided into districts, headed by Moscow governors.

What is inheritance? Who was given the inheritance?

An appanage is a part of a grand duchy that was owned and ruled by a member of the grand ducal family. The share of a representative of the princely family in the family domain was also called appanage. Despite the fact that the estate was under the control of an appanage prince, it belonged to the Grand Duke. Often, appanages were formed as a result of inheritance, donation, land redistribution and even violent seizures. In connection with the creation of the Russian state, the formation of appanage principalities ceased: the last one, Uglich, was abolished in 1591.

Questions and tasks for working with the text of a paragraph

1. Explain the economic and political meaning of assigning the exclusive right to mint coins to the Grand Duke.

The Grand Duke's monopoly on the right to mint coins made it possible to streamline commodity and money circulation, which had a positive effect on the development of trade. Accordingly, trade brought income to the state treasury. In addition, at that time there were no paper substitutes for money, and therefore there was no requirement to have security for the money supply in circulation - the coins themselves were minted from precious metals and represented an independent value. This means that the sovereign’s ability to implement his own plans, which required financing, was limited only by the amount of precious metals mined. At any moment, the sovereign could order the release of as many coins as needed. This gave the sovereign some freedom in making decisions. The right to mint coins also had a political meaning. In this way, the sovereign demonstrated the primacy of the supreme power and acted in the international political arena as an equal ruler.

2. Was the unification of Rus' inevitable?

Of course, the unification of Rus' was not inevitable. It cannot be said that the unification took place without wars, blood, and betrayal. Their outcome is impossible to predict. And only the desire of the rulers of the state and the people for unification made it possible to overcome all difficulties and create a unified Russian state.

3. Describe the role of the sovereign’s court in governing the country.

The Sovereign's Court is the ruling elite of Moscow society. It included representatives of the old boyar families, as well as princes and their boyars who switched to Moscow service. From among the members of the sovereign's court, governors, governors, butlers, ambassadors, their assistants and subordinates were appointed; They also served in the court positions of bed guards, bed guards, and sleeping guards. Less noble servants of the great sovereign guarded the palace, participated in court ceremonies, formed the ruler's retinue during his trips, and were part of the sovereign's regiment - the main part of the Moscow army. In fact, the sovereign’s court included the sovereign’s closest associates and assistants, who carried out his will and decisions in all Russian lands and represented the interests of the sovereign abroad.

4. What was the source of income for the sovereign's governors? Why was this form of receiving funds called “feeding”?

The source of income for the sovereign's governors and their servants was cash and food provided by the population of the territory governed by the viceroy. This system was called “feeding” because, indeed, the governor lived on the funds that people brought him. Moreover, the amount of maintenance - “feed” - was determined and regulated by statutory charters.

5. From whom in the first third of the 16th century. was a unified army formed? Explain the origin of the names of these classes.

A single army at the beginning of the 16th century consisted of equestrian noble local militia, “city regiments” and “road army”. The local army was the basis of the Russian army and constituted the main branch of the army - the cavalry. The local army included landed nobles, people in the service of the sovereign. For his service, the landowner was given a land allotment and a salary. For this, he had to, the landowner had to appear at the call of the sovereign, and also bring his people - from every 100 acres (about 50 acres) of land, one warrior had to set out on a campaign “on horseback and in full armor,” and on a long campaign - “about two horses.” The “city regiments” were recruited from the townspeople, and the “road army” from the rural population. Also an integral part of the army were mercenary detachments - at this time on a contractual basis military service carried by “serving Tatar princes”, “Horde princes”, Lithuanian princes with their warriors.

By the second half of the 16th century, foot and mounted city Cossacks, streltsy regiments and artillery “attacks” began to appear in the Russian army. Sagittarius were recruited from free people. For their service, they received a salary (irregularly) and plots of land near cities, for which they were obliged to serve for life and hereditarily. The archers lived in special settlements, engaged in trade and craft. The archers were trained in formation and shooting from arquebuses. The Streltsy were the first permanent, but not yet regular, army in Rus'. The Streltsy army was the core of the infantry in wars.

In the 16th century, the artillery “attack” became an independent branch of the military. The government encouraged service in the ranks of gunners and fighters with the necessary knowledge and skill. Artillery was divided into fortress artillery, intended to protect cities, siege artillery - battering rams and field artillery with medium and light guns.

Working with the map

Show on the map the territorial acquisitions of Vasily III listed in the paragraph.

Consider the map on page 29 of the textbook

The capitals of the lands annexed to Russia during the reign of Vasily III are highlighted on the map with blue lines. This:

Pskov land in 1510
Smolensk land in 1514
Pereyaslavl-Ryazan in 1521
Belgorod land in 1523.

Studying documents

About what qualities of Vasily’s characterIII can be judged from this fragment of the letter?

From this fragment of the letter we can conclude that Vasily III was a loving and caring husband and father.

2. Why was the veche bell removed from the city?

Vasily III, in bringing Pskov to obedience, followed the example of Ivan III in his struggle with Novgorod. Just like in Novgorod, as a sign that there would never be veche traditions in Pskov again, the veche bell was taken out of the city.

We think, compare, reflect

1. Using the text of the paragraph and the Internet, draw up in electronic form (or in a notebook) a diagram of the governance of the Russian state in the first third of the 16th century.

2. Explain the meaning of the phrase: “At the church council, Ivan III proposed “to take villages from the metropolitan, and from all the rulers, and from all the monasteries,” and in return to provide them “from his treasury with money... and bread.”

The phrase means that Ivan III proposed to confiscate its property and lands from the Church and transfer them to state management. To which I received the answer that the Russian Orthodox Church was endowed with lands by the ancestors of Ivan III, and all church acquisitions and accumulations are God’s accumulations.

3. Compare the Russian estate and the European feud according to the following characteristics: a) who endowed it; b) why they gave it; c) right of disposal (inheritance, sale, exchange, etc.); d) right of withdrawal. Present the results in a notebook in the form of a table.

Characteristic	Russian estate	European fief
Who endowed	Sovereign	Senior
Why did they give it?	For military, and later any public service.	Allotted only to nobles on the condition that the vassal perform military, administrative or court service in favor of the lord
Right of disposal	The landowner has the right to transfer the estate by inheritance if his son comes to serve instead of his father. Sale and exchange of the estate is not permitted.	The vassal's right to use the fief remained with him only if the vassal performed service in favor of the lord. The fief could be the property of the feudal lord, or it could only be in use. The feud could be inherited.
Right of withdrawal	It is confiscated if the landowner terminates his service and does not transfer the service to his son. Partially confiscated if the landowner dies in service - the widow remains part of the estate.	If the vassal stopped fulfilling his obligations, the lord had the right to take away the fief.

4. Give examples showing the significance of the unification of Russian lands around Moscow.

A unified Russian state was formed, strife practically ceased, the economy and commodity-money relations began to develop, laws uniform for all lands were adopted, a unified army was created, and a centralized management system was formed. The formation of a unified Russian state had a great impact positive value as for economic development the lands included in it, and for their protection from attacks by neighbors.

Possible questions during the lesson

What are the prerequisites for the formation of a unified Russian state

Spiritual

Common historical roots of peoples, ancient Russian statehood.
The spiritual and cultural unity of the people in conditions of fragmentation was preserved on the basis of a single faith - Orthodoxy.
The United Church supported the unification of the country.
The growth of national self-awareness of the Russian people, awareness of the importance of spiritual and cultural unity.

Socio-economic

Revival and development of the country's economic life (increasing agricultural productivity, strengthening the commercial nature of crafts, growth of cities and trade).
Stability and order, strong power were necessary to strengthen the economic and trade foundations of the country, its development, which was supported by almost all social groups.
The increasing dependence of peasants on large landowners caused resistance, which could be restrained by centralized power. At the same time, a strong government could protect the peasants from the tyranny of the Horde and landowners.
The boyars and nobles were interested in preserving their possessions and consolidating the dependence of the peasants.

Political (internal and external)

The need to eliminate the consequences of the Horde yoke.
Strengthening and expanding the power of the Moscow Principality.
Union of the Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church western church, signed by the Byzantine-Constantinople Patriarch (Russia is the only Orthodox state).
An external threat to the borders of Russian lands (Lithuania, the Livonian Order, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Sweden, etc.) forced us to look for ways to unite all forces and resources.

What did the rulers need to do to centralize the state?

To centralize the state, the rulers needed to bring the land of the state into submission, install their governors, create a system of centralized management, create uniform laws, form strong army, ensure order and obedience of the population, streamline commodity-money relations.

Memorizing new words

Boyar Duma- the highest advisory body under the sovereign, which included “Duma ranks” - boyars, okolnichy, Duma nobles. A volost is the lowest administrative-territorial unit in Russia. The Sovereign's Dvor is an institution for the social organization of landowners in Russia. It arose at the end of the 12th century. on the basis of the princely squad.

Nobles- during the appanage period - the service people of the prince and boyars, replacing the warriors; in the conditions of a unified Russian state - a privileged service class, which received an estate from the sovereign for the period of service.

"Children of the Boyars" - provincial nobles who performed compulsory service and received estates from the Grand Duke for it.

Feeding- a system of maintaining officials at the expense of the local population, who provided them with “food” in cash or in kind (bread, meat, fish, oats, etc.) during their service.

Viceroy- an official whom the Grand Duke placed at the head of the district; was in charge of the court, collected fines and court fees in favor of the state.

Orders- central government bodies in Russia in the 16th - early 18th centuries. (Posolsky, Local, Zemsky, Petition, State, etc.). They had a predominantly judicial function. Some of them controlled specific territories (order of the Kazan Palace, Siberian order, Novgorod Chet, etc.).

Mill- an administrative-territorial unit that occupied an intermediate position between the county and the volost; two or three camps made up a district.

County- the largest territorial unit in the united Russian state, created under Vasily III; in turn, was divided into camps and volosts