The Story of Mankind [116]
Byzantine monks and as the Byzantine empire (a
relic of the eastern Roman empire) had become very oriental
and had lost many of its European traits, the Russians suffered
in consequence.
Politically speaking these new states of the great Russian
plains did not fare well. It was the Norse habit to divide
every inheritance equally among all the sons. No sooner had
a small state been founded but it was broken up among eight
or nine heirs who in turn left their territory to an ever increasing
number of descendants. It was inevitable that these small
competing states should quarrel among themselves. Anarchy
was the order of the day. And when the red glow of the eastern
horizon told the people of the threatened invasion of a savage
Asiatic tribe, the little states were too weak and too divided
to render any sort of defence against this terrible enemy.
It was in the year 1224 that the first great Tartar invasion
took place and that the hordes of Jenghiz Khan, the conqueror
of China, Bokhara, Tashkent and Turkestan made their first
appearance in the west. The Slavic armies were beaten near
the Kalka river and Russia was at the mercy of the Mongolians.
Just as suddenly as they had come they disappeared.
Thirteen years later, in 1237, however, they returned. In less
than five years they conquered every part of the vast Russian
plains. Until the year 1380 when Dmitry Donskoi, Grand
Duke of Moscow, beat them on the plains of Kulikovo, the
Tartars were the masters of the Russian people.
All in all, it took the Russians two centuries to deliver
themselves from this yoke. For a yoke it was and a most
offensive and objectionable one. It turned the Slavic peasants
into miserable slaves. No Russian could hope to survive un-
less he was willing to creep before a dirty little yellow man who
sat in a tent somewhere in the heart of the steppes of southern
Russia and spat at him. It deprived the mass of the people of
all feeling of honour and independence. It made hunger and
misery and maltreatment and personal abuse the normal state
of human existence. Until at last the average Russian, were he
peasant or nobleman, went about his business like a neglected
dog who has been beaten so often that his spirit has been broken
and he dare not wag his tail without permission.
There was no escape. The horsemen of the Tartar Khan
were fast and merciless. The endless prairie did not give a
man a chance to cross into the safe territory of his neighbour.
He must keep quiet and bear what his yellow master decided
to inflict upon him or run the risk of death. Of course, Europe
might have interfered. But Europe was engaged upon business
of its own, fighting the quarrels between the Pope and
the emperor or suppressing this or that or the other heresy.
And so Europe left the Slav to his fate, and forced him to
work out his own salvation.
The final saviour of Russia was one of the many small states,
founded by the early Norse rulers. It was situated in the heart
of the Russian plain. Its capital, Moscow, was upon a steep
hill on the banks of the Moskwa river. This little principality,
by dint of pleasing the Tartar (when it was necessary to
please), and opposing him (when it was safe to do so), had,
during the middle of the fourteenth century made itself the
leader of a new national life. It must be remembered that the
Tartars were wholly deficient in constructive political ability.
They could only destroy. Their chief aim in conquering new
territories was to obtain revenue. To get this revenue in the
form of taxes, it was necessary to allow certain remnants of
the old political organization to continue. Hence there were
many little towns, surviving by the grace of the Great Khan,
that they might act as tax-gatherers and rob their neighbours
for the benefit of the Tartar treasury.
The state of Moscow, growing fat at the expense of the
surrounding
relic of the eastern Roman empire) had become very oriental
and had lost many of its European traits, the Russians suffered
in consequence.
Politically speaking these new states of the great Russian
plains did not fare well. It was the Norse habit to divide
every inheritance equally among all the sons. No sooner had
a small state been founded but it was broken up among eight
or nine heirs who in turn left their territory to an ever increasing
number of descendants. It was inevitable that these small
competing states should quarrel among themselves. Anarchy
was the order of the day. And when the red glow of the eastern
horizon told the people of the threatened invasion of a savage
Asiatic tribe, the little states were too weak and too divided
to render any sort of defence against this terrible enemy.
It was in the year 1224 that the first great Tartar invasion
took place and that the hordes of Jenghiz Khan, the conqueror
of China, Bokhara, Tashkent and Turkestan made their first
appearance in the west. The Slavic armies were beaten near
the Kalka river and Russia was at the mercy of the Mongolians.
Just as suddenly as they had come they disappeared.
Thirteen years later, in 1237, however, they returned. In less
than five years they conquered every part of the vast Russian
plains. Until the year 1380 when Dmitry Donskoi, Grand
Duke of Moscow, beat them on the plains of Kulikovo, the
Tartars were the masters of the Russian people.
All in all, it took the Russians two centuries to deliver
themselves from this yoke. For a yoke it was and a most
offensive and objectionable one. It turned the Slavic peasants
into miserable slaves. No Russian could hope to survive un-
less he was willing to creep before a dirty little yellow man who
sat in a tent somewhere in the heart of the steppes of southern
Russia and spat at him. It deprived the mass of the people of
all feeling of honour and independence. It made hunger and
misery and maltreatment and personal abuse the normal state
of human existence. Until at last the average Russian, were he
peasant or nobleman, went about his business like a neglected
dog who has been beaten so often that his spirit has been broken
and he dare not wag his tail without permission.
There was no escape. The horsemen of the Tartar Khan
were fast and merciless. The endless prairie did not give a
man a chance to cross into the safe territory of his neighbour.
He must keep quiet and bear what his yellow master decided
to inflict upon him or run the risk of death. Of course, Europe
might have interfered. But Europe was engaged upon business
of its own, fighting the quarrels between the Pope and
the emperor or suppressing this or that or the other heresy.
And so Europe left the Slav to his fate, and forced him to
work out his own salvation.
The final saviour of Russia was one of the many small states,
founded by the early Norse rulers. It was situated in the heart
of the Russian plain. Its capital, Moscow, was upon a steep
hill on the banks of the Moskwa river. This little principality,
by dint of pleasing the Tartar (when it was necessary to
please), and opposing him (when it was safe to do so), had,
during the middle of the fourteenth century made itself the
leader of a new national life. It must be remembered that the
Tartars were wholly deficient in constructive political ability.
They could only destroy. Their chief aim in conquering new
territories was to obtain revenue. To get this revenue in the
form of taxes, it was necessary to allow certain remnants of
the old political organization to continue. Hence there were
many little towns, surviving by the grace of the Great Khan,
that they might act as tax-gatherers and rob their neighbours
for the benefit of the Tartar treasury.
The state of Moscow, growing fat at the expense of the
surrounding