As there was a war between Ulu Mohammed and Kutchuk Mohammed, the Khan, fearing the treason of the murza Tiginya, granted at his request an enlargement of Yuri’s domain by giving [[424]]him Dmitroff, which had belonged to Peter, his brother, but afterward Vassili took this town.
A Horde envoy, named Mansur, returned with Vassili to Moscow, and enthroned him, that is, was present at the ceremony which took place in the Assumption Cathedral. This is the first account of the coronation of a Grand Prince in Moscow.
By confirming direct heirship from father to eldest son, the Khan aided greatly in assuring single rule in Moscow, and prepared for the downfall of Mongol supremacy. But a consistent policy at the Horde was at that time impossible, for each Khan had to fight for his office. A new uprising occurred soon, and this gave Yuri, the uncle, a chance to win the Grand Principality, without reference to the previous Khan’s decision.
Yuri’s chief inciter in this struggle was that same Vsevolojski, who had previously secured triumph to Vassili. This boyar had not toiled without reason. He had received Vassili’s promise to marry his daughter; such a thing being usual in those days. Princes often married daughters of boyars, and gave their own daughters in marriage to boyars. Vsevolojski was of the Smolensk princely house, and his eldest daughter had married a son of Vladimir the Brave. But Vassili’s mother was opposed to this marriage, and brought about his betrothal to Maria, the granddaughter of Vladimir. Vsevolojski was mortally offended, and passed over, or to use the phrase of the period, “went away to take service” with Yuri, and rouse him to seek the headship of Russia.
While Yuri was preparing to move on his nephew, there was a collision in Moscow, which hastened and embittered the beginning of action. Yuri’s sons, Vassili Kosói and Dmitri Shemyaká, were at a wedding in the palace of the Grand Prince. Vassili Kosói was wearing a girdle of gold set with jewels. All at once an old Moscow boyar noted the girdle, and told its whole history to Sophia, the mother of the Grand Prince. The girdle had been received by Dmitri of the Don from the Suzdal prince as a gift with his daughter Yevdokia, but at the time of the wedding Velyaminoff, commander of Moscow, put in the place of this girdle another of less value, and gave this, the real one, to Nikolai, his own son, who was married to another daughter of that same Dmitri, the Suzdal prince. This Nikolai, who later on fell at Kulikovo, gave the girdle as a gift to his daughter when she married [[425]]Vsevolojski, and Vsevolojski gave it with his daughter to Prince Andrei, son of Vladimir. After Andrei’s death, his daughter was betrothed to Vassili Kosói, who received this same precious girdle with his bride.
On learning these details Sophia commanded to strip the famed girdle from Kosói. It is difficult to credit the chronicler that she would insult a guest so rudely, remembering the length of time since the first substitution had taken place. It is likely that there were other reasons of enmity, and the girdle, if the story is true, was only a pretext. In every case Kosói and his brother left the feast, burning with anger and fully determined to make Vassili and his mother pay dearly for the insult.
The Grand Prince, attacked unexpectedly by Yuri, could not collect warriors in sufficient number; he was defeated in battle, and captured. Yuri took Moscow, but in favor of the captive now appeared Yuri’s famed boyar and counselor, Morozoff, who was either bribed by friends of Vassili, or provoked by the triumph of Vsevolojski. He persuaded Yuri to give Vassili the town of Kolomna, as a portion, but barely had Vassili arrived there, when Moscow boyars and nobles rallied round him, and refused to serve Yuri. Thus became evident the devotion of men to that mode of inheritance which secured the possession of rights, lands and property in permanence. Princes from smaller places, on coming to Moscow, brought with them attendants and boyars, who drove out the old servitors. This new turn enraged Yuri’s sons greatly, so they slew Morozoff with their own hands, and escaped from Moscow. Then Yuri, being almost abandoned, retired straightway to Galitch, and Vassili came back to Moscow.
By a new treaty between Yuri and his nephew, Yuri recognized the seniority of the nephew. Vsevolojski, the old boyar, paid dearly for his treason. He was seized and blinded at command of Vassili, and his lands were confiscated. As Kosói and Shemyaká had not joined in the treaty, and had continued their warfare, Yuri himself broke that same treaty soon after it was made. With his sons he drove out Vassili, and in 1434 took the throne a second time, but that same year he died. Kosói, his eldest son, tried to succeed him, but Kosói’s brothers, Dmitri Shemyaká and Dmitri Krasni, refused to accept him as Grand Prince, preferring their [[426]]cousin, Vassili. Kosói, however, did not abandon his claim, and continued the struggle.
In this conflict a great part was taken by the warlike and riotous people of Vyatka, a Novgorod colony bordering on Galitch. The princes of Galitch had completed their regiments with the wild Vyatka warriors, and these added immensely to the fierceness of the struggle. After ruinous attacks on northern districts Kosói met the Grand Prince at Sokrotin, in Rostoff regions. But there he saw the superiority of his enemy and, seeking advantage by perfidy, concluded a truce till the following morning. Vassili, relying on this truce, sent his men for provisions. Kosói then attacked him, but Vassili did not lose his head; he sent messengers quickly to all sides to collect his forces. He seized a trumpet himself, and sounded it. His men rushed in, and won a complete victory. Kosói was taken prisoner, and led to Moscow (1436). Kosói’s Vyatka warriors committed a desperate deed: The Grand Prince’s lieutenant in Pereyaslavl, Prince Bryuhati, was encamped near the junction of the Kotorosl and the Volga. Some tens of those Vyatka men sailed up in the night, and at daybreak, in a fog, crept to Bryuhati’s tent, seized him with his princess, and rushed to the boats with them. An alarm was raised quickly, but the robbers flourished axes over the prisoners, stopped pursuit, and reached the other bank of the river. From there they bargained, and got four hundred rubles as ransom. Then, keeping both captives and money, they hurried off to Vyatka. For such perfidy Kosói suffered heavily. Vassili had his eyes put out. This cruelty called for a similar deed in retaliation, which later on was committed. [[427]]