With Alexander went the princes of Bailozero and Yaroslavl. When the Tver prince approached the Khan’s capital, his son came to meet him, and with tearful eyes told of Uzbek’s dreadful anger. “God’s will be done,” said Alexander. “If I do not die now, I shall die on some other day.” In accord with Mongol custom, he presented rich gifts to the Khan and his magnates, but the gifts were received in gloomy silence. His offenses were not declared, nor were questions asked him. It was announced that the Khan had commanded to give him to death without trial. But till his last day, October 28, 1339, he enjoyed freedom. That morning he sent to one of the Khan’s wives, who had been kind to Feodor, to learn his fate; then he mounted a horse to make the inquiry in person. She did not conceal from the prince that his last sun had risen.
Returning to his tent, Alexander embraced Feodor, and took farewell of his attendants. He kissed his boyars, asking pardon of all, then he and his son with the boyars took holy communion. Soon after that they heard the executioners approaching, and Alexander and Feodor went forth to meet them. The men stripped the clothes from the two princes, tied their hands, and led them toward Tablubey, the Khan’s magnate, who was present on horseback. “Kill them!” commanded Tablubey. The executioners hurled the prince and his son to the earth, beat both with fists, and then, after trampling them to death, cut their heads off. Alexander’s attendants carried the bodies to Tver. [[324]]
That winter Ivan’s three sons were sent home in high favor. By command of “the Godless Uzbek,” adds the chronicler, “the following princes were put to death during that winter: Feodor of Starodub, Ivan and Vassili of Ryazan, and Alexander Novosilski.”
The position acquired by Ivan through the favor of Uzbek was evident to all other princes. They knew, moreover, that after his death no change would be made. Every measure had been taken to give primacy to his family, and not to another.
Six months had not passed after the death of Alexander and his son, when Ivan died, March 31, 1340, being about fifty years of age. He died before his time, and perhaps unexpectedly, but he was able to go to Spasski, his favorite monastery, and put on the monk’s habit. He was buried in the Archangel Cathedral, his tomb being the first in that series of Moscow sovereigns, his descendants.
Uzbek, besides appreciating Ivan as a servant who was faithful and who worked for him zealously, liked the man personally. He placed him above all the princes, honored him in sovereign style, and made him presents. Among those presents was a bag, the Mongol kalitá, destined to historic celebrity. Of Ivan it was said by those who praised him that to the poor he stretched a hand which was never empty; that whenever he went from his palace he filled his kalitá with coins and gave them to the poor whom he met in his progress. “Not precious the gift,” says the proverb, “but precious the love which goes with it,” and Ivan Kalitá, as people came to call him from the gift of the Khan which ever afterward he used so constantly, gave his coins affably, for he liked much to give to the needy. The kalitá which he had received from Uzbek’s own hands might be considered emblematic of his leading activity and methods. Though one use of this kalitá was to carry coins for the needy, Ivan’s purse had other uses. It was the clearing house of Russia in his day. Into it flowed the tribute and taxes; out of it went the sums for which account was imperative; with him remained for use in his struggle for supremacy all profits and remnants of every kind. One of the most important acts of Ivan’s life was the removal of the religious capital of Russia from Vladimir to Moscow. During his pastoral visits, Peter of Lithuania, at that time metropolitan, came to Moscow frequently, and conceived a friendship for Ivan. Later he spent all of his time in Moscow, where he died and was buried. His last words to Kalitá were: “If [[325]]you obey me, my son, you will build a church here and give repose to my bones in your city. You and your sons and your grandsons will thus gain more fame than all the other princes, and this place will be renowned. The pastors of the church will dwell in it, and it will be above all other cities.” The church was built. The succeeding metropolitan would not desert the house and tomb of the holy Peter, and Moscow became the center of religious administration.
During 1340 died Ivan Kalitá, Gedimin, and Uzbek Khan of the Golden Horde, three men who left profound traces in Russia.
Before touching on Gedimin, we must give some account of his dynasty. In the district of Kovno, on the right bank of the Dubissa, is a place called Eiragola. In the thirteenth century there was a small wooden castle in Eiragola, and from that castle came the Lithuanian princes. The first noted man of this line was Mindog; the first great one was Gedimin. Mindog was sure of success in that place and epoch. He was a man for whom all means were equally good, if equally effective. He had only one way of judging an action,—might it be of use to him, and had he power to commit it?
When Batu had conquered Eastern Russia, the Lithuanian princes fell to raiding the west of that country, but in 1246, while returning from a raid, they were overtaken near Pinsk and scattered by Daniel of Galitch and his brother, Vassilko. The next year, another such party was crushed by those same princes.
In 1252, Mindog sent Vykint, his uncle, and two nephews, Tovtivil and Edivil, to attack Smolensk places, and to ravage the country. “Let each of you keep what he wins,” said he at parting. But these words were used simply to mislead and deceive his three relatives. As soon as they had gone, Mindog seized their possessions, and sent warriors to follow and kill them. They heard of this treachery in season, and took refuge quickly with Daniel, who had married the sister of Tovtivil and Edivil. Mindog sent at once to Daniel, asking him not to assist them, but Daniel paid no heed to this message; first through regard for his wife’s brothers and her uncle, and second because he wished to weaken Mindog and his people. After counseling with Vassilko, Daniel formed a plan. He sent to Polish princes this message: “It is time for us to fall upon pagans, since they are warring against one another.” He sent similar messages to the Yatvyags, to Jmud, and to the Germans in Riga. [[326]]