Grand Principality of Suzdal-Nizhny Novgorod

The Grand Principality of Nizhny Novgorod-Suzdal is one of the principalities of the North-Eastern Russia, existing in the period 1341-1392, in 1393, 1411-1414, in 1425 and from 1446-1447.

Occupied territory on the river. Irmesu, the middle reaches of the Nerli Klyazminskaya River , the lower reaches of the Klyazma and the Oka , the middle course of the Volga from the lower reaches of the Unzh River to the lower reaches of the Sura River. Its main centers were Suzdal, Yuryevets , Gorodets. The capital is Nizhny Novgorod.

Nizhny Novgorod Principality
Formally, the Nizhny Novgorod Principality arose in the beginning of the XIV century as a result of the transfer of Boris Danilovich his residence from Gorodets to Nizhny Novgorod. After his death in 1320, the principality returned to the Grand Duchy of Vladimir. After Tver uprising in 1327 and the Grand Duchy of Vladimir section 2 of the territory of the Nizhny Novgorod principality became part of the possessions of the Grand Duke Vladimir, Alexander Vasilievich, and after his death, came under the management of Ivan Kalita , who owned it until his death in 1340 ..

The Grand Principality of Nizhny Novgorod-Suzdal
The Principality of Nizhny Novgorod-Suzdal was formed in October 1341, when the Khan of the Golden Horde Uzbek Khan shared the Vladimir Grand Duchy by transferring Nizhny Novgorod and Gorodets to the Suzdal prince Konstantin Vasilievich. However, K.A. Averyanov was of the opinion that the Prince of Suzdal received Nizhny Novgorod and Gorodets as compensation for the unsuccessful marriage of his daughter Antonida with Grand Duke Semyon Gordy.

In the spring of 1343, Semyon Proud tried to seize power in the Nizhny Novgorod principality, enlisting the support of the Nizhny Novgorod and Gorodets boyars, but the Khan's court left the principality under Konstantin Vasilyevich and turned over to him the rebellious boyars who were executed for sale.

The rise of Nizhny Novgorod in the first half of the 14th century led to the transfer in 1350 of the capital of the newly formed principality from Suzdal there. The development of feudal land ownership and trade, especially in the Volga region, the support of the Horde and Novgorod allowed the princes of the Nizhny Novgorod-Suzdal principality Konstantin Vasilyevich and his son Dmitri to fight the Moscow princes for the great reign of Vladimir.

June 22, 1360 Dmitry Konstantinovich took the throne of Vladimir, but in 1363 he was forced to leave it. From 1366 to 1382 he acted as an ally of the Moscow prince. In 1365, Andrei Konstantinovich died, and while Dmitry Konstantinovia waited for a label on the reigns of Khan Azis , his younger brother Boris got himself a shortcut to the reign of another Horde Khan. Intestine wars began. Even Sergius of Radonezh tried to reconcile the brothers, but Boris was adamant. Only when he met the army near the town of Berezhets, did he repent before his brother.

In 1367, the Horde under the leadership of Bulat-Temir invaded the Nizhny Novgorod side-altars. In the Battle of the Sundovik River, they were developed and stolen for Pyanu. In 1370 the Nizhny Novgorod princes helped khan Osan to be relieved from the throne in Bulgar and replaced by Saltan. In the seventies of the fourteenth century, the heyday of the principality took its toll. In 1372 Kurmysh was founded in Sura. In 1376, Nizhny Novgorod, together with the Muscovites, again took the Bulgar and planted their "Dariga" there.

In 1382 the Nizhny Novgorod princes, who were slaves to the Tatars, took part in the attack of Tokhtamysh on Moscow. In 1383, Konstantin Dmitrievich died, and his brother Boris bought the label for the reign.

The existence of allotments in the Nizhny Novgorod-Suzdal principality (the chief of the districts - Gorodetsky) and the pressure of the Horde contributed to the aggravation of feudal contradictions. The orientation of part of the Nizhny Novgorod princes against the Mongol-Tatars contradicted the unifying aspirations of Moscow. In 1392 the Moscow Grand Duke Vasily I Dmitrievich captured Nizhny Novgorod.

In the spring of 1393 Vasily Kirdyapa, together with his brother Simeon, returned Nizhny Novgorod, but soon they were forced to give it back to Moscow. Since then, the Grand Prince of Moscow held the Volga region in their hands, while the princes of the Nizhny Novgorod-Suzdal principality via Tatars sometimes sought the return of Nizhny Novgorod ( 1399 (1395), 1411 - 1414, 1440 th years).

Relations with the Golden Horde After the killing of Khan Janibek in 1357, the Troops began in the Golden Horde, which testified to the beginning of the disintegration of the united state. From 1357 to 1380 more than 25 khans were on the Golden Horde throne.

Some Horde feudal lords strengthened their possessions in territories directly bordering the southeastern borders of the principality. The retaliatory measure was the construction of guard fortresses on the rivers Kisha and Sarah, outposts in the middle reaches of the river Pyan. In 1372 on the eastern border of the principality the town of Kurmysh was founded.

The Nizhny Novgorod-Suzdal squads periodically organized military campaigns on the territory of the Saransk khans. The largest campaign was organized in 1370 on the property of the Bulgarian prince Hassan (Osana).

In 1367 on the river. Piane was defeated by Bulat Temir. By the mid 1370's in the Golden Horde to enhance the influence Temnik Mamaia, which began to send troops on the territory of the Nizhny Novgorod Volga. In 1377, in the battle of the Pyan River, the army of Prince Dmitry Konstantinovich was defeated, and Nizhny Novgorod was burned by troops under the leadership of Arapshi. Then Boris Konstantinovich dealt with the Mordvinian army, committed a predatory raid on the neighborhood of Nizhny.

Medieval sources report the death of 50 Suzdal and 50 Nizhny Novgorod boyars on the Kulikovo field (1380). However, historians have expressed doubts about the participation of the soldiers of the Nizhny Novgorod-Suzdal principality in the Kulikovo battle. In particular, the Russian historian A. A. Gorsky conducted a detailed comparative analysis of the military collection in 1380 with similar charges of 1375 for a campaign on Tver and in 1386 for a campaign on Novgorod [2]. According to his conclusions, the soldiers of the Nizhny Novgorod-Suzdal principality did not participate in the collection in 1380 (although they participated in the gatherings of 1375 and 1386).

Timeline

 * 1341 - Gorodets principality passed to Alexander Vasilyevich's brother, Konstantin Vasilyevich, then to the son of Konstantin Vasilyevich, Andrei Konstantinovich.
 * 1350 - Konstantin Vasilyevich transferred the capital to Nizhny Novgorod.
 * 1356 - Andrei Konstantinovich gave Suzdal as an inheritance to his brother, Dmitry Konstantinovich.
 * 1359 - Dmitry Konstantinovich Suzdal received a shortcut to the administration of the Grand Duchy of Vladimir.
 * 1362 - the Grand Duchy of Vladimir was transferred to Dmitry Donskoi (at that time he was 12 years old).
 * 1363 - Dmitry Suzdal returned to Vladimir, but not for long.
 * 1365 - after the death of Andrew the great prince became Dmitry Konstantinovich.
 * 1366 - the reconciliation of Dmitry Donskoy and Dmitry Suzdalsky, Dmitry Donskoy's marriage to the daughter of Dmitry Suzdal Evdokia.
 * 1376 - a joint campaign with Moscow on the Bulgar under the direction of Dmitry Bobrok.
 * 1377 - Ivan Dmitrievich, the son of Dmitry Suzdal, died in the battle on the river Pyan.
 * 1380 - troops of the Nizhny Novgorod-Suzdal principality took part in the Kulikovo battle on the side of Dmitry Donskoy. Almost all the army of Dmitry Konstantinovich died in the battle (including about 100 boyars ).
 * 1382 - Dmitry Konstantinovich, during the campaign of Tokhtamysh, wishing to secure his principality, sent his sons: Basil and Simeon to the army of the Horde Khan in order to convince the khan of his loyalty and avoid war with him. This goal was achieved, but, being near Moscow , Basil and Simeon, succumbing to deception, convinced the townspeople to open the gates, which allowed Tokhtamysh to capture the city. Subsequently, Tokhtamysh took Basil to the Horde.
 * 1383 - the death of Dmitry Suzdal, the Grand Duke of Nizhny Novgorod-Suzdal, on the label became his brother Boris Konstantinovich.
 * 1387 - Vasily Kirdyapa, son of Dmitry Suzdal, left the Horde with a label to reign.
 * 1392 - Vasily I Dmitrievich, son of Dmitry Donskoy, captured Nizhny Novgorod.
 * 1393 (according to other sources 1395, according to Solovyov 1399) - Simon, the son of Dmitry Suzdal, tried to return Nizhny Novgorod by force. The attempt turned out to be successful, but the prince Eityak, who walked with them as an ally, interrupted the remaining defenders of the city and the attackers. At this time, Moscow's Vasily Dmitrievich bought a label for the reign, and handed Semyon and Vasily Shuya as an inheritance. Vasily Kirdyapa, dissatisfied with this decision, left for the Horde in 1394, but did not achieve success there. Semyon died in Vyatka in 1402, Vasily died in the Gorodets in 1403.
 * 1408 - Yedigei wipes Gorodets from the face of the earth.
 * 1445 - Ulu-Muhammed used Nizhny Novgorod as a stronghold in the war with Basil II Dark.
 * 1446-1447 - Fedor and Vasily, the sons of Yuri Vasilievich Shuisky, the grandsons of Vasili Dmitriyevich Kirdyapa, with the help of Dmitry Shemyaka, regained the Nizhny Novgorod-Suzdal principality, but after the defeat Shemyaki went over to Moscow.