When Mamai made war on the Grand Prince, he alleged as chief cause non-payment of tribute. Dmitri, to ward off invasion, gave an obligation to stop no stipulated payment. Mamai then demanded more than had been agreed upon. Moreover, the princes of Ryazan and Nizni regions, and other subordinates of Moscow, treated rudely, and even insulted the Mongols, and when they had learned to insult they went further,—they attacked the Khan’s warriors. To inspire obedience in Dmitri’s chief ally, his father-in-law, Saraiko, a murza, was sent by the Khan from Sarai to Nizni. But the Nizni prince, who no doubt consulted with Dmitri, had no fear of the envoy. Seeing that Saraiko had with him a thousand attendants, the Nizni prince lodged these Mongols in different places, as if to show honor. Saraiko, though maintained in luxury, was, as it were, in detention.
The Grand Prince had his well-wishers in Sarai, and paid his friends there liberally. They lived under various disguises, but were getting information for Moscow at all times. From them news was brought that Mamai, who had long threatened Moscow, had decided at last to accomplish his wishes. But Moscow was ready, and the troops sent by Mamai to punish the city merely ravaged Ryazan, which, as things stood at that time, was no injury to Moscow.
All the summer of 1373 Dmitri had his main forces on the bank of the Oká, and had divisions widely disposed waiting for the Mongols. The Mongols, on their part, had friends in Moscow and secret spies everywhere. They had information that Moscow was looking for uninvited guests, hence they did not cross the Oká.
If 1373, the year following the Tver peace, passed quietly for Moscow, it was because a strong army stood “on the brink,” [[365]]and did not let in the Mongols from Ryazan parts. There was perfect concord in the Grand Prince’s family. The devotion of his cousin, Vladimir, seemed reflected in the boyars and officials. The greater number of the boyars had served Kalitá also. Young men followed old, but the families continued. For example a descendant of Protasi, a noted boyar in Kalitá’s time, was commander in Moscow for Dmitri, and his brother, Timofei, was renowned as a voevoda and counselor. The commander himself, Vassili Velyaminoff, who died in 1374, left three sons, men as faithful as he had been, except one, who gave truth to the proverb: “No family without a deformity.” One of Velyaminoff’s sons had married the sister of Dmitri’s wife; and the other son, Polyekt, was connected with a princely house also. One of Dmitri’s sons had married Polyekt’s daughter.
Ivan Kvashnya, another of the Grand Prince’s intimate boyars, commanding beyond the Volga, was a son of Rodion Nestorvitch, renowned under Kalitá. Feodor Svibl was a great-grandson of Akinfi, a Moscow boyar, who was killed while serving Tver, after leaving the service of Moscow. Still another, Feodor Kashka, was a son of the noted Andrei Kobyla, more correctly Kambil (this Andrei Kambil was the ancestor of the Romanoffs, now reigning in Russia). Dmitri had also many faithful servants and friends, who had come to Moscow during his own reign. First among these recent men was Dmitri, the Volynian prince called Bobrok, who had married Anna, the sister of the Grand Prince. There was a wonderous zeal in serving Dmitri; only one rebel appeared, the son of Vassili Velyaminoff, who left three sons: Mikula, Polyekt, and a third named Ivan.
When the commander died Dmitri did not appoint any one to take the place left vacant by him. This offended Ivan, who had hoped to receive the office. Being disappointed, he began an intrigue, or more correctly a conspiracy. He found no confederate among boyars or the people. A merchant in silk and Eastern stuffs, a certain Nekomat, became his associate. Whether he was of Moscow origin, or came from Novgorod, or what were his habits, no one could declare surely: “Ivan and Nekomat began work with many lies to the ruin of people,” is what the chronicler states of them. They went to Tver and roused Michael to strive again for the patent. They assured the Tver prince that many people [[366]]in Moscow would rise to assist him. “We have associates everywhere,” said they. They persuaded Michael that success at the Horde was beyond peradventure. Nekomat appeared as a man who knew the Horde well, and was conversant with every affair among Mongols. Of course it was not because of what these men could do, or say, that Mamai upheld Michael. But they undertook to work for the Tver prince at the Horde because Mamai was enraged at Dmitri. And they met with success.
Not only was Michael appointed Grand Prince again, but Mamai engaged to send an army; Michael this time had begged for Mongol warriors. Atchi Hodja, the envoy, brought the Khan’s patent, but he did not bring the warriors. Thereupon Michael turned to Olgerd for aid, and, while waiting for men from the Horde and Lithuania, broke the peace with Moscow. He sent envoys to renounce the oath given Dmitri.
The Grand Prince was not slow in his answer; he summoned his allies and commanded them all to hasten. Then, collecting his forces, he marched toward Volok, whither his subordinates and allies were hurrying. They assembled quickly and in formidable numbers. Their rage against Michael was boundless. “How many times has he brought Olgerd against us; how much harm has he done, and how often? Now he is on the Khan’s side, and assisting him. If we let Michael go further, the Mongols will destroy us.” And from Volok they marched directly against Tver. Michael shut himself in for a siege there, and strengthened his chief city quickly. The besiegers, to reach the place, built two bridges over the Volga. The Novgorod men, remembering Michael’s recent offense, and how Torjok had been ruined, hastened to Dmitri’s assistance. Tver men fought with desperate valor, quenching fires and repairing breaches. While the siege was progressing, Staretsa Zubtsoff and other towns fell to Moscow, which, with its allies, seized every place on the march, and took captives. They destroyed or mastered all things.
No matter how great might be Michael’s resistance, he was vanquished. He could have no hope of Mongol aid, or of aid from Olgerd. The Lithuanians did come, but when they drew near they hesitated, then turned and marched home. From the Horde was heard no word of any kind; famine touched Tver decisively. Michael, overpowered at all points, was forced to [[367]]depute the Tver bishop and the oldest boyars to ask peace of the Grand Prince.
Dmitri gave a stern peace, but a just one. He deprived Michael forever of the claim to rival Moscow, and subjected him to Moscow primacy. He permitted him to style himself, and to be within certain limits Grand Prince in Tver regions; but it was established that Kashin must be independent of Michael. Every clause was defined very strictly, and in case of dispute Dmitri agreed to let Oleg of Ryazan act as arbiter. No man could think of Oleg as partial to Moscow. Further Michael was not to seek Moscow, or the Grand Principality, or Novgorod for himself, or his children, or any of his family, and was not to accept the Grand Principality of Vladimir from the Mongols.