14th Century. Ivan Kalita. The Rise of Moscow. Russian History. Historical Project
The Moscow Prince Ivan Kalita would certainly not be lost in the modern world. A more enterprising prince would be hard to find. He never argued with the Khan of the Golden Horde. Orders were given to punish rebels—and so the Moscow Prince took part in a punitive campaign against Tver. Asked to collect arrears, Kalita's voivodes tortured the residents of the Rostov land to extract the necessary funds. As a manager, Ivan Kalita was in no way inferior to modern administrators. The Moscow Prince actively acquired neighboring principalities, as well as lands in other corners of Rus'. If necessary, he resorted to dynastic marriages of convenience, marrying his daughters to princes of his choosing.
In short, Kalita was a multifaceted personality. But where did he get the money? And why couldn't anyone stop him—neither the Khan nor other Russian princes? And why, despite Kalita's cruelty, did his contemporaries value the Moscow Prince? You will find out the answers to these questions by watching this episode.