Mamai fled from Kulikovo and assembled a fresh and numerous army to take revenge on Dmitri for his triumph. But suddenly a new enemy rose up against him: Tohtamish, made Khan only recently by Tamerlane, declared himself heir of Batu, and set out from the Yaik River to take possession of his inheritance. Mamai marched forth to meet him, and on that renowned field near the Kalka, the field where Mystislav the Gallant had been vanquished, the Mongols met now to slaughter one another. Tohtamish triumphed. Mamai’s perfidious murzars fell at the feet of the conqueror, and swore to serve him faithfully all their lives. Mamai fled to Kaffa, the present Theodosia, taking with him rich treasures. “He went with much gold, silver, jewels and pearls, and was slain by the Genoese deceitfully.” They seized all his property, secure in the knowledge that the death of Mamai would please the new Khan greatly. The position of the Genoese was precarious in those days, and they strove always to please in every way possible the Mongol Khan who was in power.
Master now of the Golden Horde, Tohtamish sent envoys to Moscow and all other places, stating that he had conquered Mamai, their common enemy, and had taken possession of Sarai. The unexpected and uninvited guests were received nowhere with pleasure; still they were entertained with honor and dismissed with presents and politeness; but those things were not what the new Khan was seeking. He wished to see the Russians just such slaves as they had been under Batu and Uzbek.
In 1381, Tohtamish sent an envoy, Ak Hodja, with a suite of seven hundred, to Dmitri to demand that all princes should visit him immediately. But when he reached Nizni, the envoy dared not go farther. The Grand Prince had sent a message saying that he could not answer for the safety of Ak Hodja or that of his suite, [[393]]should they continue their journey to Moscow. Ak Hodja then sent attendants to consult with Dmitri, but even those, when they saw the resentment of Russians, did not venture to enter the capital. Indignation against messengers bringing insolent demands from men who had fled from the battle-field of Kulikovo was pardonable on the part of the victors, but in the lofty answer of Dmitri was heard a note which had never been heard from him earlier, and this note was not to the profit of Russia.
After the victory at Kulikovo, Dmitri was so confident that he did not think it necessary to assemble new forces, and be ready for battle. Trusting too much in Mongol weakness, he turned his attention to home questions. Feeling the need of a metropolitan, it was decided to summon Cyprian, who had been expelled from Moscow. An embassy was sent to him, and on May 23, 1381, he returned, and was received in the city with great solemnity. On that same day was announced the coming of Pimen, ordained at Tsargrad in place of Mityai. But, as already stated, upon his arrival at Kolomna, he was arrested and sent off to Chuhloma. Thus the Grand Prince passed the year occupied in home affairs, till news came on a sudden that, in the land of the Bulgars, the Mongols had arrested Russian merchants, had seized their boats, and in those boats they were now sending warriors toward Moscow.
When Dmitri insulted and threatened Tohtamish’s envoy, serious work began at once at the Horde. A daring campaign was planned and preparations were made in strict secrecy. Tohtamish wished to surprise Moscow and capture it. Every man who could give news to the capital was seized and held securely; strong pickets were stationed at all points. Even reports could not go to Dmitri. At last, however, in spite of every precaution, news reached Moscow, but too late to be of service. Dmitri learned of the terrible power of his enemy only when many Russian princes had already joined Tohtamish.
In this absence of union among princes lay the peril of Moscow. The great need was to root out this remnant of a system of semi-independent princes, a system no longer endurable, and unite the whole country. Moscow had done much in that direction, already. The victory on the Don was proof of what Russia could do when princes were united. But the more Dmitri gained, the less did other princes find in union their personal profit, and profit [[394]]was all that most of them cared for at that time. They had helped to strengthen Moscow, but they had no wish to raise the Moscow prince higher.
Dmitri of Nizni, when he heard of the Tohtamish movement, sent his two sons very promptly to the Horde with gifts, but the Khan was already on the road. By rushing after him quickly, they came up to Tohtamish in Ryazan. Oleg, whose treachery in Mamai’s day had been forgiven by the Grand Prince, now betrayed Moscow a second time. He went out to meet the Khan, gave him many presents, offered to guide him in person, and advised as to how to take the capital.
Surprised now for the first time, Dmitri was discouraged. It was too late to find troops. At first he thought to entrench himself near Kolomna, but, on summoning his voevodas and available warriors, he discovered the astonishing weakness of his army, and, after consulting with his cousin, decided that with such troops he could do nothing effective. Some advised sending gifts, and begging for mercy; others said that the Khan was raging, that the only way was to stand sieges in cities, and wait till men could be assembled from all points. The Grand Prince decided to visit Yaroslavl, Rostoff, Kostroma, and find men there. Vladimir was to hurry to Volok and get warriors in those parts.
Meanwhile the Khan’s troops were rapidly approaching. In his army were Dmitri’s brothers-in-law; Oleg of Ryazan was there also.
In Kostroma the Grand Prince enrolled perhaps ten thousand men. From Novgorod no word had come thus far. The Tver prince, instead of helping Dmitri, sent his son to the Khan with gifts and homage. Many warriors in Dmitri’s regiments deserted; whole companies went home of their own accord. There was a general paralysis. In Moscow, deserted by the army and left without a leader, there was anarchy. All who were able hurried out of the city, and then appeared vagrants and persons who in ordinary times were not visible anywhere. The mob rang the bells and summoned the inhabitants to die in defense of their city. The Grand Princess and her children left Moscow, as did the metropolitan Cyprian. The people wished to keep the metropolitan with them, but, leaving all things and every one, he escaped unobserved and unattended, and fled to the Tver prince. The mob [[395]]was like a sea in a tempest; there was no hope of rescue from any side.