2022, vol. 10, no. 2. Vorotyntsev L.V.

2022, vol. 10, no. 2, pp. 284-302

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.22378/2313-6197.2022-10-2.284-302

BATU’S RYAZAN GAMBIT: ON NEW INTERPRETATIONS
OF THE MESSAGES FROM “THE TALE OF THE DESTRUCTION
OF RYAZAN BY BATU” IN MODERN RESEARCH

L.V. Vorotyntsev
Bunin Yelets State University
Yelets, Russian Federation
leonrus1245@mail.ru

Abstract: Research objective: A critical analysis of several positions and theses presented in the article by A.V. Mayorov “Woman, diplomacy and war: Russian princes in negotiations with Batu on the eve of the Mongol invasion”.
Research materials: Russian chronicles, “The Tale of the Destruction of Ryazan by Batu”, “Praise to the Ryazan Princes”, materials of the Discharge department, “Letter about the Image of the life of Tartars” by friar Julian, “Collection of Chronicles” by Rashid al-Din, “History of the Conqueror of the World” by Ata-Melik Juveini, “The Secret History of the Mongols”, “Yuan Shi” (History of the Yuan Dynasty), “History” by George Pachymeres, The Bible. The books of Holy Scripture of the Old and New Testaments.
Results and novelty of the research: On the basis of the analysis of the written sources and information presented in a number of scientific studies, the author concludes that the thesis of A.V. Mayorov on the compliance with historical realities of the information presented in the “Tale of the Destruction of Ryazan by Batu” is insufficiently argumented. The researcher’s hypotheses about the purposeful policy of Batu aimed at the peaceful inclusion of the principalities of Northeastern Russia into the state system of the Mongol Empire, and the simultaneous provocation of the ruling elites of the Ryazan Principality to a military conflict through the murder of prince Fyodor Yuryevich, contain a number of logical contradictions and are not confirmed by information from both Russian chronicles and foreign sources on the Mongol Western Campaign.

Keywords: “The Tale of the destruction of Ryazan by Batu”, Ryazan Principality, Zaraysk, Fyodor Yurievich, Western Campaign, Batu, Mongol diplomacy, “marriage strategy” of the Chingisids

For citation: Vorotyntsev L.V. Batu’s Ryazan Gambit: on new Interpretations of the Messages from “The Tale of the Destruction of Ryazan by Batu” in Modern Research. Zolotoordynskoe obozrenie=Golden Horde Review. 2022, vol. 10, no. 2, pp. 284–302. DOI: 10.22378/2313-6197.2022-10-2.284-302 (In Russian)

REFERENCES

  1. Amelkin A.O. About the time of creation and literary history of the cycle of Stories about Nikola Zarazsky. Zaraisk martyrs – Prince Fyodor, Princess Evpraxia and their son John. Zaraysk, 1998, pp. 73–100. (In Russian)
  2. Aninsky S.A. The news of the Hungarian missionaries of the XIII-XV centuries. about Tatars about Eastern Europe. Historical Archive. Moscow-Leningrad: Publishing House of the USSR Academy of Sciences, 1940. Issue 3, pp. 71–112. (In Russian)
  3. Babintsev R.V. Mordvins in the system of the Golden Horde statehood. News of Saratov University. A new series. History. International relations. 2013. Vol. 13. Issue 2, pp. 85–88. (In Russian)
  4. The Bible. The books of Holy Scripture of the Old and New Testaments (canonical). Minsk: Type. named after F. Skaryna. 1992. 1215 p. (In Belarusian)
  5. Vorotyntsev L.V. Who was the “Saracen” scribe mentioned in the “History of the Mongols” by Plano Carpini (on the issue of conducting the first Horde census in Russia in 1245). Golden Horde civilization. Kazan, 2017, no. 10, pp 135–139. (In Russian)
  6. Vorotyntsev L.V. The “Horde Captivity” of the Ryazan Prince Oleg Ingvarevich Krasny (1238–1258): From Historiographical Myth to Historical Realities. Zolotoordynskoe obozrenie=Golden Horde Review. 2021, vol. 9, no. 4, pp. 733–748. DOI: 10.22378/2313-6197.2021-9-4.733-748 (In Russian)
  7. Godlevsky N.N. Planning and development of the central Russian city of the XVI-XVII centuries (using the examples of Tula, Zaraisk, Kolomna and Mozhaisk). Diss. cand. archit. Moscow, 1967. 278 p. (In Russian)
  8. Georgius Pachymeres. The history of Michael and Andronicus Paleologus. Vol. I. The reign of Michael Palaiologos 1255–1282. St. Petersburg., 1862. 523 p. (In Russian)
  9. Dobrodomov I.G. Toponym Zaraysk. Zaraisk martyrs – Prince Fyodor, Princess Evpraxia and their son John. Zaraysk, 1998, pp. 44–56. (In Russian)
  10. Juveini Ata-Melik. The history of the conqueror of the world. Moscow, 2004. 689 p. (In Russian)
  11. Izbornik (Collection of works of literature of Ancient Russia). Moscow, 1969. 948 p. (In Russian)
  12. Kozin S.A. The secret history. Moscow-Leningrad, 1941. 619 p. (In Russian)
  13. Kloss B.M. Selected works. Vol. 2. Essays on the history of Russian hagiography of the XIV–XVI centuries. Hagiography of Moscow, Tver, Yaroslavl, Suzdal. Tales of miraculous icons. Moscow, 2001. 488 p. (In Russian)
  14. Kloss B.M. The history of the creation of the Story about Nikola Zarazsky. Zaraysk. Vol. 1: Historical realities and legends. Moscow, 2002, pp. 114–177. (In Russian)
  15. Krivosheev Yu.V. Mongols and Russia. A study on the history of North-Eastern Russia of the XIII-XIV centuries. St. Petersburg: Academy of Cultural Studies, 2015. 452 p. (In Russian)
  16. Kuchkin V.A. Early history of the city of Zaraysk and the problem of its sources. Zaraysk. Vol. 1: Historical realities and legends. Moscow, 2002, pp. 40–113. (In Russian)
  17. Kuzmin A.G. Ryazan chronicle. Moscow, 1965. 286 p. (In Russian)
  18. Kuzmin A.G. Chronicle news about the destruction of Ryazan by Batu. Bulletin of the Moscow University. Episode 9. History. 1963, no. 2, pp. 55–70. (In Russian)
  19. Kuzmin A.V. Ryazan, Pronsk and Murom princes in the XIII – middle of the XIV century (historical and genealogical research). Notes of the department of manuscripts of the Russian State Library. Articles and messages. Moscow, 2008. Issue 53, pp. 111–136. (In Russian)
  20. Kychanov E.I. Information from “Yuan shi” about the conquest of Russia by the Mongols. Historiography and source studies of the history of Asia and Africa. Issue 18. 1999, pp. 160–169. (In Russian)
  21. Likhachev D.S. The Stories about Nikola Zarazsky. Zaraisk Martyrs – Prince Fyodor, Princess Evpraxia and their son John. Zaraysk, 1998, pp. 27–35. (In Russian)
  22. Lobakova I.A. Notes on the textual history of “The Stories of Nikola Zarazsky” (Response to the concept of B.M. Kloss). Russian hagiography: Studies. Publications. Polemics. St. Petersburg, Dmitry Bulanin, 2005, pp. 761–784. (In Russian)
  23. Mayorov A.V. Woman, diplomacy and war: Russian princes in negotiations with Batu on the eve of the Mongol invasion. Steps/Steps. Vol. 7, no. 3, pp. 124–199. (In Russian)
  24. Monuments of literature of Ancient Russia: XIII century. Moscow, 1981, pp. 200–203. (In Russian)
  25. The teaching of Vladimir Monomakh. Electronic publications of the Institute of Russian Literature (Pushkin House) of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Available at: http://lib.pushkinskijdom.ru/Default.aspx?tabid=4874 (accessed: 22.11.2021) (In Russian)
  26. Praise to the family of Ryazan princes. Zaraisk martyrs – Prince Fyodor, Princess Evpraxia and their son John. Zaraysk, 1998, pp. 23–24. (In Russian)
  27. The Tale of Peter and Fevronia Muromsky (Writings of Ermolai-Erasmus, RNB, Solovetsky Cathedral, No. 287/307). Electronic publications of the Institute of Russian Literature (Pushkin House) of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Available at: http://lib.pushkinskijdom.ru/Default.aspx?tabid=5116# (accessed: 23.11.2021) (In Russian)
  28. The Tale of the Destruction of Ryazan by Batu (Manuscript of the RSL, Volokolamsk Cathedral, vt. a third of the XVI century., l. 229–258). Electronic publications of the Institute of Russian Literature (Pushkin House) of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Available at: http://lib.pushkinskijdom.ru/Default.aspx?tabid=4956 (accessed: 21.11.2021) (In Russian)
  29. Poppe A. To the initial history of the cult of St. Nikola Zarazsky. Essays in Honor of A.A. Zimin / Ed. by D. Waugh. Columbus, 1985. p. 289–304. (In Russian)
  30. Complete Collection of Russian Chronicles. Vol. II. The Hypathian chronicle. St.Petersburg, 1908. 938 Stb. (In Old Russian)
  31. Complete Collection of Russian Chronicles. Vol. III. Novgorod first chronicle according to the Older and Younger Transcripts. Moscow-Leningrad: Publishing House of the USSR Academy of Sciences. 1950. 656 Stb. (In Old Russian)
  32. Complete Collection of Russian Chronicles. Vol. VI. The Sophia chronicles. St. Petersburg, 1858. 283 p. (In Old Russian)
  33. Complete Collection of Russian Chronicles. Vol. IX, X. The Nikon chronicle. Moscow, 1965. 244 p. (In Old Russian)
  34. Complete Collection of Russian Chronicles. Vol. XX. Russian chronograph; h. I: Chronograph edition 1512 g. St. Petersburg, 1911. 578 p. (In Old Russian)
  35. Complete Collection of Russian Chronicles. Vol. XXIV. Typographic chronicle. Petrograd., 1921. 275 p. (In Old Russian)
  36. Journey to the Eastern countries by Plano Carpini and Guillaume Rubruk. St. Petersburg, 1957. 270 p. (In Russian)
  37. Porsin A.A. Berke. A Muslim on the Mongol throne. Nursultan. 2020. 424 p. (In Russian)
  38. Rashid al-Din. Collection of chronicles. Vol. I. Part 2. Moscow-Leningrad, 1952. 315 p. (In Russian)
  39. Rashid al-Din. Collection of chronicles. Vol. II. Moscow-Leningrad, 1960. 248 p. (In Russian)
  40. Discharge book of 1475–1598. Moscow, 1966. 617 p. (In Russian)
  41. Discharge order, Moscow, inventory no. 10. Columns of the Vladimir table, column. 44. 1637–1641. l. 83. Rossiyskiy gosudarstvennyy arkhiv drevnikh aktov. Foundation No. 210. 10. (In Old Russian)
  42. Hautala R. From “David, King of the Indies” to “the hated plebs of Satan”. An anthology of early Latin information about the Tatar-Mongols. Kazan, 2015. 496 p. (In Russian)
  43. Hautala R. From Batu to Janibek: military conflicts of the Ulus of Jochi with Poland and Hungary. Zolotoordynskoe obozrenie=Golden Horde Review. 2016, vol. 4, no. 2, pp. 272–313. (In Russian)
  44. Yuan Shi (History of the Yuan Dynasty). Shanghai, 1935–1937. 578 p. (In Old Chinese)
  45. Baum W. The Mongols and ds Christianity. In J. Tubach, S. G. Vashalomidze, M. Zimmer. Reichert Verlag. 2012. P. 41. P. 3–52.
  46. Theiner A. Vetera Monumenta Historica Hungariam Sacram Illustrantia. 2. Vols. Romae; Typ. Vaticanis, 1859–1860.

About the author: Leonid V. Vorotyntsev – Cand. Sci. (History), Research Fellow, Bunin Yelets State University (28, Kommunarov Str., Ylets 399770, Russian Federation). E-mail: leonrus1245@mail.ru

Received  March 4, 2022   Accepted for publication  May 12, 2022
Published Online  June 29, 2022