Editing History of Russia (section)

===Mongol invasion and vassalage (1223–1480)===
{{Main|Mongol invasion of Kievan Rus'|Great Troubles}}
[[File:Mongols vladimir.jpg|thumb|left|The sacking of [[Vladimir, Russia|Vladimir]] by [[Batu Khan]] in February 1238]]

The invading [[Mongols]] accelerated the fragmentation of the [[Kievan Rus'|Rus]]'. In 1223, the disunited southern princes faced a Mongol raiding party at the [[Battle of the Kalka River|Kalka River]] and were soundly defeated.<ref>See [[David Nicolle]], ''Kalka River 1223: Genghis Khan's Mongols Invade Russia'', Osprey Publishing, 2001. {{ISBN|1-84176-233-4}}.</ref> In 1237–1238 the Mongols burnt down the city of [[Vladimir, Russia|Vladimir]] (4 February 1238)<ref>Tatyana Shvetsova, [http://www.vor.ru/English/homeland/home_004.html The Vladimir Suzdal Principality] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080320070136/http://www.vor.ru/English/homeland/home_004.html |date=20 March 2008 }}. Retrieved 21 July 2007.</ref> and other major cities of northeast Russia, routed the Russians [[Battle of the Sit River|at the Sit' River]],{{sfn|Martin|2004|p=139}} and then moved west into [[Poland]] and [[Hungary]]. By then they had conquered most of the Russian principalities.<ref>{{cite web |url = https://tspace.library.utoronto.ca/citd/RussianHeritage/4.PEAS/4.L/12.III.5.html |title = The Destruction of Kiev |archive-url=https://archive.today/20110427075859/https://tspace.library.utoronto.ca/citd/RussianHeritage/4.PEAS/4.L/12.III.5.html |archive-date=27 April 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Only the [[Novgorod Republic]] escaped occupation and continued to flourish in the orbit of the [[Hanseatic League]].<ref>Jennifer Mills, [http://depts.washington.edu/baltic/papers/hansa.html The Hanseatic League in the Eastern Baltic] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110629134048/http://depts.washington.edu/baltic/papers/hansa.html |date=29 June 2011 }}, SCAND 344, May 1998. Retrieved 21 July 2007.</ref>

The impact of the Mongol invasion on the territories of Kievan Rus' was uneven. The advanced city culture was almost completely destroyed. As older centers such as Kiev and Vladimir never recovered from the devastation of the initial attack,<ref name="Hamm"/> the new cities of Moscow,<ref name=Curtis2>[http://countrystudies.us/russia/3.htm Muscovy] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110920102514/http://countrystudies.us/russia/3.htm |date=20 September 2011 }}, excerpted from Glenn E. Curtis (ed.), ''Russia: A Country Study'', Department of the Army, 1998. {{ISBN|0-16-061212-8}}.</ref> [[Tver]]<ref name=Curtis2/> and [[Nizhny Novgorod]]<ref>Sigfried J. De Laet, ''History of Humanity: Scientific and Cultural Development'', Taylor & Francis, 2005, p. 196. {{ISBN|92-3-102814-6}}.</ref> began to compete for hegemony in the Mongol-dominated [[Rus' principalities]] under the suzerainty of the [[Golden Horde]]. Although a coalition of Rus' princes led by [[Dmitry Donskoy]] defeated Mongol warlord [[Mamai]] at [[Battle of Kulikovo|Kulikovo]] in 1380,<ref name=Kulikovo>{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20070607151328/http://www.fanaticus.org/DBA/battles/Kulikovo/index.html The Battle of Kulikovo (8 September 1380)]}}. Retrieved 22 July 2007.</ref> forces of the new khan [[Tokhtamysh]] and his Rus' allies immediately [[Siege of Moscow (1382)|sacked Moscow in 1382]] as punishment for resisting Mongol authority.{{sfn|Halperin|1987|p=73–75}} Mongol domination of the Rus' principalities, along with tax collection by various overlords such as the [[Crimean Khanate|Crimean Khans]], continued into the early 16th century, despite later claims of Muscovite bookmen that the [[Great Stand on the Ugra River|indecisive standoff at the Ugra in 1480]] had signified "the end of the Tatar yoke" and the "liberation of Russia".{{sfn|Halperin|1987|p=77–78}}

The Mongols dominated the lower reaches of the Volga and held Russia in sway from their western capital at [[Sarai (city)|Sarai]],<ref name="history world">{{cite web|url=http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/PlainTextHistories.asp?historyid=aa76|title=History of the Mongols|publisher=History World|access-date=26 July 2007|archive-date=28 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181028151842/http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/PlainTextHistories.asp?historyid=aa76|url-status=live}}</ref> one of the largest cities of the medieval world. The princes had to pay tribute to the Mongols of the Golden Horde, commonly called [[Tatars]];<ref name="history world" /> but in return they received charters authorizing them to act as deputies to the khans. In general, the princes were allowed considerable freedom to rule as they wished,<ref name="history world" /> while the [[Russian Orthodox Church]] even experienced a spiritual revival.

The Mongols left their impact on the Russians in such areas as military tactics and transportation. Under Mongol occupation, Muscovy also developed its postal road network, census, fiscal system, and military organization.<ref name=Curtis/>

At the same time, Prince of Novgorod, [[Alexander Nevsky]], managed to [[Battle on the Ice|repel the offensive]] of the [[Northern Crusades]] against [[Novgorod Republic|Novgorod]] from the West. Despite this, becoming the Grand Prince, Alexander declared himself a vassal to the Golden Horde, not having the strength to resist its power.{{POV statement|date=November 2020}}