The Mongols in Russia

by Jeremiah Curtin

Though all Russia was under the Mongol, the yoke weighed with greatest burden on the lands in the center; that place which was the real heart of Russia, and had formed the principality of Vladimir. It was unspeakably more difficult for Yaroslav to manage than for princes in Volynia and Galitch. After Kief had been swept from the earth, so to speak, or crushed into it, and Batu had shown no wish to take Hungary or Poland, Galitch and Volynia, as being nearest those countries, were in the easiest position of all the principalities in Russia.

Batu, in his first campaign, did not touch Smolensk in its western portions, and in the second he did not go beyond Brest in a northern direction. In the princes of Volynia and Galitch he had his last representatives. On the west was the country which for their own reasons the Russians represented to Batu as little dependent on their rule, in fact a foreign region, and purposely they called it not Rus, but Litvá. Thus of all Russian princes, the position of Daniel was most favored with reference to the Mongols. As to his rival in Chernigoff, Prince Michael, his possessions might have been called non-existent. Chernigoff and Kursk were in the worst position possible, because nearest the Mongols. Hence after the conquest, Daniel and Michael were, each in his own way, distinguished beyond other princes in Russia.

Daniel knew not from childhood what rest was, and only in years of ripe manhood, after endless toil and great effort, did he secure Volynia and Galitch on the very eve of the Mongol tempest, to appear next in a fateful position from which he found no issue whatever. His principalities, which comprised the borderland of [[249]]Southwestern Russia in the days of Kief supremacy, were attracted to the ancient capital from the earliest, but as the Russia of Kief times existed no longer, and as Northern Russia had been turned into a Mongol possession, the ruler of Volynia and Galitch had to do one of two things: either compact his lands into a new and special body and stand apart from the rest of Russia,—alone he could not stand, for he would be obliged to associate himself willingly or unwillingly with his western neighbors, the Poles and Hungarians, and, as they were in close connection with the Holy Roman-German Empire, he might not stand apart even from union with that power (he might be forced to join Rome, the Latin communion),—or he had the other issue: to recognize and strengthen the ancient bond of Volynia and Galitch with the remainder of Russia, with that Russia which had begun in Rurik’s day in Novgorod, and which was baptized in the Dnieper under Vladimir. But in this case, he would have to suffer Mongol captivity with it, and sacrifice his own land for the benefit of the common, much suffering country. He would have to cling to the princes of the house of Vladimir, who had been turned into slaves, and bear with them the same bitter burden which they were bearing. His Orthodox feeling forbade him to join Rome and the West. But to join the other Russian princes and the rest of the Russian people in their subjection to the Mongols was also beyond his endurance; his pride could not brook that, so he languished all the rest of his life in a position without escape and without moral refuge.

Hungary and Poland, crushed by the Mongol invasion, were saved only because those countries were too narrow for the nomad Mongols, who wanted the freedom of movement and the space which existed in Russia. But the Hungarians and Poles, proud of their safety, though defeated and led away captive in every encounter with Mongols, explained the affair in another way: the West was no longer afraid of a Mongol invasion. Rome, which had tried in the time of Daniel’s father to bring “the kingdom” of Galitch to the Latin religion, did not cease now to point out to Daniel, with pride, the freedom of the West from Mongol subjection, and to promise that if he would obey the True Mother he would have a right to the same freedom. The Pope explained to Daniel that the only means of saving his country from that [[250]]slavery which had been put on it because of its schism, was “to return” to the bosom of the Mother. He promised in that case the assistance of Poles and Hungarians and the whole Roman Empire, and offered at the same time a crown and a kingly title. Daniel refused the title and the crown, but asked very earnestly for the military assistance. He asked that Germany, Hungary, Bohemia, Poland, and all who obeyed the Holy See, should be roused to a general attack on the pagan Mongols. Rome summoned all nations against the Mongols, and to Daniel came assurance that aid from the West would not be slow in arriving.

Of Russian princes Daniel alone reigned a number of years without a summons from Batu to visit the Golden Horde. He had paid no tribute and had not been to the Khan with obeisance. But the promised aid from the West came not, and in 1250 envoys arrived from Batu, who repeated the message sent to other Russian princes: “It is unbecoming to live on the Khan’s land, and not bow down to him.” To this was added: “Give Galitch.”

Daniel might give Galitch, withdraw to the depth of Volynia, and be satisfied with half his inheritance; besides the country beyond Brest was unconquered. But after praying earnestly, and counseling with his brother, Daniel said: “I will go to Batu.”

When Daniel reached Kief, he saw dreadful misery. He prayed to the Archangel Michael; he implored the monks to pray for him, and then sailed down the river to Pereyaslavl. Hence he went directly along by Mongol stations toward the Golden Horde, and he grieved greatly when he witnessed the pagan ceremonies in the Russian land. In places Orthodox for centuries, men worshiped fire, bowed down to the sun, moon, earth, and dead ancestors. Beyond the Volga and near Sarai, he was troubled still more when he heard how at the Horde they would force him to pagan observances. By that time most other Russian princes had been at the Horde, and the Mongols declared that not one of them had violated the ceremonies established for receptions. One of the officials said to Daniel: “How great is Prince Yaroslav of Vladimir, but no exception was made for him. He bowed to the bushes, and thou wilt bow.” Daniel spat, and said: “The devil speaks through thy lips. God close them to guard me from hearing such utterances.”

But Batu, in addition to saving Daniel from all that might seem [[251]]like the worship of idols, greeted him pleasantly, and with unusual kindness. When the prince, led into the Khan’s tent, bowed in a way that seemed to humiliate him, Batu said: “Daniel, thou wert long in coming, but thou art here and thou hast done well to come. Thou art ours now. Take our drink.” And they brought him a goblet. The prince emptied it and bowed, repeating the commonplace words which all princes uttered on similar occasions: “God gave thee power. I obey thee through God’s will.” He bowed again, and begged to salute the Khan’s consort. “Go,” said Batu, and he added when Daniel was about to leave, “Thou art not accustomed to milk; drink wine.” And when he was taking farewell of the Khan’s wife, they brought a goblet of wine to him from Batu. They detained Daniel at the Horde a shorter time than was usual for princes. After confirming all his rights in Volynia and Galitch, they dismissed him with courtesy.

Great was the delight of Daniel’s family when he returned to them unharmed. His success was mentioned on all sides. That summer the King of Hungary sent this message: “Take my daughter for thy son Lev.” The king feared Daniel because he had visited the Horde, and besides, on the San, he had beaten the king’s son-in-law and expelled him from Galitch. When the wedding took place Daniel restored all captive Hungarians. Thus he and the king became friendly. Roman, another son of Daniel, married Gertrude, a daughter of the late Duke of Styria. Roman now claimed Styria as the dowry of Gertrude. The King of Bohemia, whose queen was a daughter of the same duke, also claimed this inheritance.

Daniel, with Boleslav of Poland, Bela’s son-in-law, campaigned against the Bohemian king. He did this to make friends in the West, and thus get rid of the Mongols. He tried to induce his western neighbors to join him, and for this purpose he entered their circle of action. But from beginning to end, every promise of aid proved futile,—empty sound, nothing more. The Pope saw very well how fruitless were his efforts. Not only in Germany, but in Hungary and Poland his messages were unheeded. At last Daniel left papal promises unanswered. Then a legate was sent to deliver the crown to him and anoint him king in Western fashion. It was not the first time that they had come to Daniel for this purpose, but he had set them aside with various excuses. For example, [[252]]he had said earlier to the legate that it was no time for coronation when his lands were in danger,—not a crown did he need, but strong warriors. But now the papal envoy found Daniel at the place and time most convenient for his object, namely, at Cracow, on the way from Bohemia to Galitch, surrounded by his allies after a victory and the capture of a city.