Andrei now went to Sarai a second time and brought an army against Dmitri, who fled to Pskoff, and the Mongols seated Andrei on the throne of Vladimir. Again Russian towns were pillaged. Suzdal and Moscow suffered greatly, churches were sacked and precious vessels broken. If people resisted they were slaughtered. Dmitri, driven from Vladimir, wished to return to Pereyaslavl, his capital, but he was attacked by Andrei and fled to Tver, where Michael made peace between the brothers, and Dmitri, after struggling for three years to hold his own, promised to abdicate all claim to the Grand Principality. Shortly after this he fell ill and died (1294).
During all these troubled years Moscow had been slowly gaining power and influence. Daniel, called by the people, who loved his peaceful and gentle life, “Holy Daniel,” was the first Prince of Moscow, the first real heir to it, and he became the founder of the Moscow line of princes, as well as the founder of the city’s [[294]]greatness. Nevski’s youngest son received the smallest portion, but, though no one could even dream of it in Daniel’s day, it was to excel in glory and importance every other capital in Russia. Vladimir, Kief and Novgorod all paled before Moscow. After Daniel had united to his capital places on the border and had acquired Pereyaslavl, his portion, by its size and good order, surpassed every other. He was not Grand Prince; the glory of his name, which was to be handed down from generation to generation, was not in a resounding title, or in mighty deeds. His entire reign passed in comparative peace, but to him specially fell the honor of maintaining the illustrious memory of his ancestors, so that they might be renowned among Russians till the remotest generation. The glory of his name is connected forever with Moscow. While his brothers were struggling with one another and with their uncle for the Grand Principality of Vladimir and the title, not one of them left a permanent inheritance to their children, not one of them became famous. Daniel, called simply “the Moscow prince,” collected an entire principality around his inconsiderable town, and amassed such an inheritance for his descendants that not only his grandchildren and his great-grandchildren, but his own children were called Princes of All Russia.
We have few facts concerning Daniel; they are not to be found in Russian chronicles. He was among the best of the princes—a man who worked in the gloomy days of Mongol oppression.
Daniel’s work was continued by his son Ivan, surnamed Kalitá (Purse). As his father had gathered around Moscow a whole principality and his residence had become the capital of a coming empire, so Ivan began to gather round Moscow all the unconnected parts of the country, and in his day the city appeared as the center of Great Russia, its genuine capital, and Vladimir ceased to be important. Though without the splendid virtues of his father, he, more than any of his brothers, resembled him. A churchgoer, he loved home and economy,—the latter he carried to excess even. His predecessors had struggled for the Grand Principality, but Ivan left this work to Yuri, his brother, and improved that which his father had left him. To things beyond Moscow, Ivan paid no attention. During twenty-five years his name was mentioned rarely. Meanwhile he was toiling at the heritage left by Nevski and winning strength in it. One of his great works consisted [[295]]of clearing the whole principality of thieves, evil-doers and robbers. There was no such order anywhere in that day as in Moscow, and the city increased through immigration and otherwise beyond all places.
Besides other advantages, the central position of this principality helped it immensely. In it the roads crossed in every direction. The great water system began in its borders. Craftsmen, traders and people of all kinds came readily to settle in Moscow. Land-tillers found it more to their profit to live there than in places torn by quarrels. Hence Moscow was made up of men from every part of Russia. Next to Moscow was Tver, but there was less strength in Tver and less order. The turmoils of Novgorod were felt in Tver somewhat, and Tver was more exposed to raids from Lithuania. The place was, moreover, distinguished for an almost frivolous and insolent demeanor toward Mongols; hence in Moscow there was less danger from Mongols. All these causes taken together made Tver less desirable to immigrants than Moscow.
In 1304 died Andrei, brother of Nevski. After his death, two men were rivals for the dignity of Grand Prince. Yuri, son of Daniel, through the glory of his grandfather, Nevski, and the newly won greatness of Moscow, where he and his brother Ivan were ruling, looked on himself as the senior. But the senior in fact, if descent were decisive, was Michael of Tver, the youngest brother of Nevski. Both Yuri and Michael hastened to occupy the throne of Vladimir, and each strove to incline Novgorod to his side. Michael hurried off to the Horde to win the patent, but found that Yuri had preceded him. The boyars of Andrei, the recent Grand Prince, were in favor of Michael, and the men who had served with Andrei were convinced that the throne would fall to their candidate. But Yuri succeeded in occupying Vladimir, and Novgorod was divided. Though that city contained many followers of Yuri, it did not reject Michael. The Novgorod men declared to both candidates that they would accept him who obtained the Khan’s patent; still they murmured at Michael. Why was he sending officials to Novgorod while he lacked confirmation?
Maxim, the metropolitan, was friendly to Michael; he revered Ksenia, Michael’s widowed mother, as one of God’s chosen people; and respected Michael’s wife, Princess Anna, because she had [[296]]many Christian virtues. Yuri seemed to him not in the right as compared with his senior. Seeing the general movement of warriors and regiments on both sides, he was greatly alarmed, and, wishing for agreement, he not only threatened Yuri, but implored him to make peace. Maxim thought that he had succeeded, but he did not know Yuri, who never dropped any claim that he cherished. He would give no word not to go to the Horde. When the metropolitan tried to win a promise he answered:
“I am not going to the Horde for a patent, but for another object.”
This wily prince, who was ambitious and unprincipled, stopped at nothing to obtain power, which was dearer to him than all things else. He knew well that the Horde was all-powerful, and the Khan was its master in Russia. The word of the Khan was his sword; on this sword Yuri’s trust was unswerving, and he used every means to wield it; hence he set out for Sarai. While on the journey Michael’s adherents came very near seizing Yuri. He escaped, however, and by a roundabout road reached the Horde in safety, but only after much effort.
The Mongol magnates charmed the prince with their readiness to feast and make friends with him. “Give more than Michael, and the yarlyk (patent) will be thine,” said they. So the princes strove to surpass each other in making presents to the Khan’s wives and favorites, as well as to Horde magnates. It proved, however, that Michael had more gold to spend than had Yuri. Yuri halted, and going to Michael, he said: “Let us strive no longer. I will not ruin my heritage. Let Vladimir be thine.” Soon after this the Khan gave the patent to Michael, who returned home eight months later.