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Sack of Chernigov | |||||||
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Part of the Mongol invasion of Kievan Rus' | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
Mongol Empire | Principality of Chernigov | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Batu Khan | Mstislav III Glebovich | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
Light | Heavy |
The Mongol siege, capture, and sack of Chernigov, the capital of the Chernigov Principality, occurred on October 18, 1239, during the westward expansion of the Mongol Empire. It was part of the 1237–1242 Mongol invasion of Kievan Rus'.
The Principality of Chernigov was one of the largest and most powerful principalities within the Kievan Rus'. The greater part of the principality was situated on the eastern bank of the Dnieper River, encompassing the basins of the Desna and Seym rivers. The populace of the principality consisted mainly of Slavic tribes, namely the Siverians and Dnieper Polans. Over time, the territory of the principality expanded to encompass the lands of the Radimichs, as well as a portion of the lands belonging to the Vyatichs and Drehovichs. The Chernigov Principality was bordered by the Murom-Ryazan Land to the north and the Tmutorokan Principality to the southeast, and it exerted influence on both.
Chernigov was the capital of the principality. Other notable urban centers included Novgorod-Seversky, Starodub-Seversky, Trubchevsk, and Kozelsk. Chernigov's population was estimated at between 25,000 and 30,000 when it was sacked. This made it a major city in a time when Kiev, the capitol of the Kievan Rus', had a population of 50,000. [1]
The Mongol invasion of Kievan Rus' occurred in two phases. During the winter of 1237–38, the Mongol army under Batu Khan conquered the northern Rus' territories (the principalities of Ryazan and Vladimir-Suzdal) with the exception of the Novgorod Republic. In the following spring of 1238, the Mongol Army returned to the Wild Fields. [2] In 1239, the second campaign was aimed at the southern Rus' territories (the principalities of Chernigov and Kiev). [3]
In the autumn of 1239, the Mongol-Tatar horde captured Hlukhiv, Kursk, Rylsk, and Putivl and advanced towards Chernigov. [4] When Prince Mstislav heard that the Tatars were attacking the town, he moved with his troops to confront them. [5] The Tatars used catapults that hurled stones the distance of a bowshot and a half. Mstislav escaped, but many of his men were killed.[ citation needed ]
Following the fall of Chernigov on October 18, 1239, the Tatars pillaged towns in the surrounding countryside. Mstislav fled to Kiev and negotiated his surrender to Batu Khan, although the terms are unclear. [6] The capital city of Kiev fell in the autumn of 1240. Both the Kievan Rus and the Principality of Chernigov were dissolved after the Mongol invasion, and the city of Chernigov entered a long period of relative obscurity. [7]
The Mongol Empire invaded and conquered much of Kievan Rus' in the mid-13th century, sacking numerous cities including the largest: Kiev and Chernigov. The siege of Kiev in 1240 by the Mongols is generally held to mark the end of Kievan Rus', which had already been undergoing fragmentation. Many other principalities and urban centres in the northwest and southwest escaped complete destruction or suffered little to no damage from the Mongol invasion, including Galicia–Volhynia, Novgorod, Pskov, Smolensk, Polotsk, Vitebsk, and probably Rostov and Uglich.
Vladimir-Suzdal, formally known as the Principality of Vladimir-Suzdal or Grand Principality of Vladimir (1157–1331), also as Suzdalia or Vladimir-Suzdalian Rus', was one of the major principalities emerging from Kievan Rus' in the late 12th century, centered in Vladimir-on-Klyazma. With time the principality grew into a grand principality divided into several smaller principalities. After being conquered by the Mongol Empire, the principality became a self-governed state headed by its own nobility. A governorship of the principality, however, was prescribed by a jarlig issued from the Golden Horde to a Rurikid sovereign.
The Principality or, from 1253, Kingdom of Galicia–Volhynia, also known as the Kingdom of Ruthenia, was a medieval state in Eastern Europe which existed from 1199 to 1349. Its territory was predominantly located in modern-day Ukraine, with parts in Belarus, Poland, Moldova, and Lithuania. Along with Novgorod and Vladimir-Suzdal, it was one of the three most important powers to emerge from the collapse of Kievan Rus'.
Mikhail Vsevolodovich, known as Michael or Mikhail of Chernigov, was Grand Prince of Kiev ; he was also Prince of Pereyaslavl (1206), Novgorod-Seversk (1219–1226), Chernigov, Novgorod, and Galicia (1235–1236).
Mstislav Mstislavich the Daring, also called the Able, was a prince of Tmutarakan and Chernigov, one of the princes from Kievan Rus' in the decades preceding the Mongol invasions.
The Principality of Chernigov was one of the largest and most powerful states within Kievan Rus'. For a time the principality was the second most powerful after Kiev. The principality was formed in the 10th century and maintained some of its distinctiveness until the 16th century. The Principality of Chernigov consisted of regions of modern-day Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia.
The Siege of Ryazan happened in Ryazan on December 1237 during the Mongol invasion of Kievan Rus'. Ryazan was capital of the Principality of Ryazan, and was the first Kievan Rus' city to be besieged by the Mongol invaders under Batu Khan.
The Prince of Pereyaslavl was the ruler of the Principality of Pereyaslavl, a lordship based on the city of Pereyaslavl on the Trubizh River, and straddling extensive territory to the east in what are now parts of Ukraine. It was situated on the southern frontier of Kievan Rus' and bordered the steppe.
The Principality of Pereyaslavl was a regional principality of Kievan Rus' from the end of 9th century until 1323, based in the city of Pereyaslavl on the river Trubizh.
Mstislav II Svyatoslavich was a Kievan Rus' prince. His baptismal name was Panteleymon. He was probably prince of Kozelsk (1194–1223), of Novgorod-Seversk (1206–1219), and of Chernigov (1215/1220–1223). He was killed in the Battle of the Kalka River.
The siege of Kiev by the Mongols took place between 28 November and 6 December 1240, and resulted in a Mongol victory. It was a heavy morale and military blow to the Principality of Galicia–Volhynia, which was forced to submit to Mongol suzerainty, and allowed Batu Khan to proceed westward into Central Europe.
In 1240, Batu Khan led a raid into Ruthenia as part of the Mongol invasion of Kievan Rus'. It took place three years after Batu's 1237 conquests of Volga Bulgaria and the Principality of Vladimir-Suzdal.
The siege of Kozelsk was one of the main events of the Western (Kipchak) March of the Mongols (1236–1242) and the Mongol invasion of Kievan Rus' (1237–1240) at the end of the Mongol campaign in northeastern Kievan Rus' (1237–1238). The Mongols laid a siege in the spring of 1238 and eventually conquered and destroyed the town of Kozelsk, one of the subsidiary princely centers of the Principality of Chernigov.
The Siege of Kolomna during December 1237–January 1238 was part of the Mongol invasion of Kievan Rus'. Following the Battle of Voronezh River in December 1237, Yuri II of Vladimir sent both of his sons with "all his men" and Voivode Yeremey to defend the fortress of Kolomna, which was on the border to the Wild Fields.
The siege of Vladimir in February 1238 was part of the Mongol invasion of Kievan Rus'.
The siege of Moscow in January 1238 was part of the Mongol invasion of Kievan Rus'.
The military of Kievan Rus' served as the armed forces of Kievan Rus' between the 9th to 13th century. It was mainly characterised by infantry armies of town militia that were supported by druzhyna cavalry.