Rus’ in the 13th century: timeline of events

Rus’ in the 13th century

From the Battle of Lipitsa to Batu’s invasion, Alexander Nevsky’s victories in the northwest, the establishment of dependence on the Horde and the emergence of the Principality of Moscow.

17 events · 2 regions · Eastern Europe, Central and Northern Asia

The thread opens with the feuds among the descendants of Vsevolod the Big Nest: at the Battle of Lipitsa in 1216 Russian princes fought one another, and seven years later, on the Kalka, they met the Mongols for the first time. Batu’s invasion of 1237–1240 devastated northeastern and southern Rus’; from 1243 the princes received their power from the hands of the khans, and the census of 1257–1259 fixed a regular tribute to the Horde.

In the same years Novgorod and Pskov fought off the Swedes, the Livonian Order and the Danish knights — hence the Battle of the Neva, the Battle on the Ice and Rakovor (Wesenberg). The fates of the princes show the choice that Rus’ faced: Alexander Nevsky sought an accommodation with the Horde, while Daniel of Galicia looked for allies in the West and a royal crown from the pope.

By the end of the century Moscow had its own princely house — the descendants of Nevsky’s youngest son, Daniel; under them, two centuries later, dependence on the Horde would come to an end. The invasion is shown here through the eyes of Rus’; the Mongols’ whole western campaign appears in the “Mongol conquests” thread.

Events

Battle of Lipitsabetween 21 April and 22 April 1216 · Eastern Europe

Battle of the Kalka River31 May 1223 · Eastern Europe

Siege of Ryazan16–21 December 1237 · Eastern Europe

Siege of Vladimir3 February – between 7 February and 8 February 1238 · Eastern Europe

Battle of the Sit Riverbetween 25 February and 4 March 1238 · Eastern Europe

Siege of KozelskMarch–May 1238 · Eastern Europe

Battle of the Neva15 July 1240 · Eastern Europe

Siege of Kyiv5 September – between 19 November and 6 December 1240 · Eastern Europe

Battle on the Ice5 April 1242 · Eastern Europe

Yaroslav II receives a yarlyk from Batu1243 · Eastern Europe

Death of Yaroslav II in Karakorum30 September 1246 · Central and Northern Asia