The Emergence of Moscow: 1304-1359
provides a comprehensive political history of Moscow's rise to dominance over other northeast Russian principalities such as Tver', Suzdal', and Rostov. Focused on the period between 1304 and 1359, the study explores the political dynamics that led to Moscow's eventual supremacy, examining the death of Ivan II in 1359 as a pivotal moment signaling the decline of Tatar-dominated Suzdalian politics and the beginning of Muscovite consolidation. The author emphasizes the importance of primary sources, particularly chronicles, despite their challenges, including the fact that most were written long after the events they describe. By carefully analyzing these sources, the book sheds new light on the political struggles of the time and offers a fresh approach to understanding Moscow's rise.
The book excludes social and economic history due to the lack of relevant sources for the period and instead concentrates on the available political documentation. It explores the ideological biases and the reliability of chronicles, often written with a tendency to idealize the figures they describe. The author refrains from assessing the personalities of key figures like Ivan Kalita and Ivan II, as there are no contemporary accounts offering detailed descriptions of their characters. Instead, the study focuses on political events and the power struggles that shaped Moscow's rise. The book includes genealogical tables, a glossary, and notes on the transliteration of Russian names, reflecting the author's careful attention to historical accuracy and the complexities of source material.
This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1968.