Tver Uprising of 1327 facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tver Uprising of 1327
Part of the Conflicts in Eastern Europe during Turco-Mongol rule
Miniature depicting the uprising from the Illustrated Chronicle of Ivan the Terrible.
Date 1327 Location Principality of Tver Result Golden Horde victory Aleksandr of Tver stripped of land holdings and later executed
Belligerents
Principality of Tver Grand Duchy of Vladimir	Golden Horde Duchy of Moscow Duchy of Suzdal
Commanders and leaders
Aleksandr of Tver	Fedorchuk Turalyk Ivan I Kalita Alexander of Suzdal [uk; ru]
Strength
People of Tver	At least 50,000 Mongol soldiers in addition to the armies of Moscow and Suzdal

The Tver Uprising of 1327 was a major rebellion by the people of Vladimir against the Golden Horde. The Golden Horde was a powerful Mongol state that ruled over many lands. This uprising was put down very harshly. The Golden Horde worked together with the armies of Muscovy (Moscow) and Suzdal. At this time, Moscow and Vladimir were rivals for power. The defeat of Vladimir in this uprising ended their long struggle for control.

Why the Uprising Happened

In the early 1200s, the Mongol Empire invaded the lands of Kievan Rus'. They took control over many Russian states. One of the most important states was the duchy of Vladimir. It was the strongest Russian principality back then.

The Mongols, especially the Golden Horde, had great power. They could issue a special order called a jarlig. This order allowed Russian princes to rule their lands. But they had to promise loyalty to the Mongol Empire.

Over time, the power of the princes of Vladimir weakened. Different groups in the principality started fighting for control. The region split into several smaller states. These included Tver, Moscow, and others. All these states still recognized the prince of Vladimir as their leader. But his power was not very strong by the 1300s.

In late 1326, Alexander, the prince of Tver, received a jarlig. This order from the Mongol ruler, Öz Beg Khan, let Alexander rule Vladimir.

About a year later, Öz Beg's cousin, Chol-khan, arrived in Tver. He came with many followers. Chol-khan removed Alexander from his palace. He then moved into Alexander's home himself. Chol-khan and his men started to treat the Christians of Tver very badly. Many terrible things happened.

A rumor spread among the people. They heard that the Mongols planned to kill all the Russian princes. This was supposedly going to happen on a special feast day. The rumor also said Chol-khan would become the new ruler of Tver. And that people would be forced to change their religion to Islam. It is not clear if this rumor was true. The people of Tver asked Alexander for help. But he told them to "endure" the hardship.

What Happened During the Uprising

Even with Alexander's advice, a rebellion started on August 15, 1327. It began when Chol-khan's men tried to take a horse from a local church leader named Dudko. The people gathered to protect Dudko. Then, they spread out and began attacking Mongol soldiers all over the city.

Chol-khan tried to hide inside the palace. But the building was set on fire, and he died. Many Mongols in Tver were killed. This included "Bessermen," who were Tatar merchants. Some historians think Alexander started the uprising. But this is unlikely because of the serious problems it caused. However, he did not try to stop the rebellion.

The prince of Moscow, Ivan Kalita, was a long-time rival of Tver's princes. He quickly used the uprising to his advantage. Ivan allied with the Golden Horde. He offered to help the Mongols get back control over Tver. In return, Öz Beg promised to make Ivan the Grand Duke. He also sent 50,000 Mongol soldiers to help Ivan. These soldiers were led by five Mongol generals. The prince of Suzdal also joined this army. This group became known as the "Army of Fedorchuk," named after the Tatar commander Fedorchuk.

As revenge, the combined Russian-Mongol army captured many people. They also burned entire villages to the ground. Alexander fled to Novgorod to escape Ivan. Novgorod turned him away. So he went to Pskov, where he became prince. Novgorod avoided the army's anger by paying the Mongols a lot of silver and giving them many gifts.

Meanwhile, Ivan and his allies demanded that Pskov hand over Alexander. The head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Theognostus, even removed Alexander and all the people of Pskov from the church. To protect Pskov from invasion, Alexander fled again in 1329. He went to Lithuania and stayed there for over a year.

What Happened After

The uprising greatly weakened the Tver Principality. It lost much of its power in the northeastern parts of Russia. In 1328, Öz Beg gave Ivan Kalita control over the duchies of Novgorod and Kostroma. Alexander Vasilyevich, the prince of Suzdal, received Vladimir and other regions. These areas included what is now Nizhny Novgorod and Gorodets.

Öz Beg gave the more important Vladimir to the weaker prince. He did this to follow a rule of "divide and rule." He thought that Moscow's jealousy of Suzdal's lands would stop them from joining forces against the Golden Horde.

Alexander moved to Sweden after his time in Lithuania. Then he returned to Pskov. The church had lifted its punishment on Pskov. Alexander was helped by Gediminas, Grand Duke of Lithuania. In 1335, he received forgiveness from Öz Beg. He was allowed to return to his old position in Tver. However, by then, Tver had lost most of its importance. The Grand Duchy of Muscovy had replaced it as the main power. This return did not last long. Both Alexander and his son Fyodor were taken to Sarai and killed in 1339.

After Alexander Vasilievich was executed in 1331, Ivan received the duchy of Vladimir. He became the sole ruler of northeastern Russia. The Golden Horde favored Moscow. This allowed Moscow to gain power quickly, while Tver lost all its influence. However, a new rivalry started between the princes of Suzdal-Nizhny Novgorod.

Moscow's growing power and strong alliance with the Horde led to a time of peace in Russia. This peace lasted until the rule of Dmitry Donskoy. He was the first prince of Moscow to openly challenge the Golden Horde. He later defeated them at the Battle of Kulikovo in 1380.