Re: Mongol Invasion/Example
ADVICE FROM THE ARMENIAN COURTIER, HET'UM
MILITARY AND POLITICAL ALLIES OF THE MONGOLS.
The Prerequisites for Starting a Battle
The following four preconditions are required to start a war: first, the
cause must be just; second, the necessities must be on hand for begin-
ning and ending war; third, the enemy's condition and strength must be
understood; fourth, the battle must be commenced at a proper time....
To a prince making war, the enemy's secrets should not be hidden.
Things learned in advance can do no harm, though unforseen matters
sometimes trouble many courageous warriors who, while fighting, have
no time or room to learn of approaching men and dangers. In all other
sorts of endeavors if there is some flaw, a remedy may be found- but not
in warfare. For soon after the pain follows the cost.
Re: Mongol Invasion/Example
Русская википедия:
Большинство исследователей считают, что итогами монголо-татарского ига для русских земель были разрушения и регресс. В настоящее время большинство историков также подчёркивает, что иго отбросило русские княжества назад в своём развитии и стало главной причиной отставания России от стран Запада. Советские историки отмечали, что иго явилось тормозом для роста производительных сил Руси, находившихся на более высоком социально-экономическом уровне по сравнению с производительными силами монголо-татар, законсервировало на долгое время натуральный характер хозяйства.
Исследователи отмечают на Руси в период ига упадок строительства из камня и исчезновение сложных ремесел, таких как производство стеклянных украшений, перегородчатой эмали, черни, зерни, полихромной поливной керамики. «Русь была отброшена назад на несколько столетий, и в те века, когда цеховая промышленность Запада переходила к эпохе первоначального накопления, русская ремесленная промышленность должна была вторично проходить часть того исторического пути, который был проделан до Батыя» (Рыбаков Б. А. «Ремесло Древней Руси», 1948, с.525-533; 780—781).
Однако ещё Карамзин отметил, что татаро-монгольское иго сыграло важнейшую роль в эволюции русской государственности. Помимо этого он также указал на Орду как на очевидную причину возвышения Московского княжества. Вслед за ним Ключевский также полагал, что Орда предотвратила изнурительные, братоубийственные междоусобные войны на Руси. «Монгольское иго при крайней бедственности для русского народа было суровой школой, в которой выковывались Московская государственность и русское самодержавие: школой, в которой русская нация осознавала себя как таковая и приобрела черты характера, облегчавшие ей последующую борьбу за существование». Сторонники идеологии евразийства (Г. В. Вернадский, П. Н. Савицкий и др), не отрицая крайней жестокости монгольского господства, переосмыслили его последствия в позитивном ключе. Они высоко ценили религиозную терпимость монголов, противопоставляя её католической агрессии Запада. Монгольскую империю они рассматривали как геополитическую предшественницу Российской империи. Позднее схожие взгляды, только в более радикальном варианте, развивал Л. Н. Гумилев. По его мнению, упадок Руси начался раньше и был связан с внутренними причинами, а взаимодействие Орды и Руси было выгодным политическим союзом, прежде всего, для Руси. Он считал, что отношения Руси и Орды следует называть «симбиозом».
English wikipedia:
The influence of the Mongol invasion on the territories of Kievan Rus' was uneven. Colin McEvedy (Atlas of World Population History, 1978) estimates the population of Russia-in-Europe dropped from 7.5 million prior to the invasion to 7 million afterwards. Centers such as Kiev never recovered from the devastation of the initial attack. The Novgorod Republic continued to prosper, however, and new entities, the cities of Moscow and Tver, began to flourish under the Mongols. Although Russian forces defeated the Golden Horde at the Battle of Kulikovo in 1380, Mongol domination of parts of Rus territories, with the requisite demands of tribute, continued until the Great standing on the Ugra river in 1480.
Certainly, it can be (and often is) argued that without the Mongol destruction of Kievan Rus' that Moscow, and subsequently the Russian Empire, would not have risen. Trade routes with the East came through the Rus lands, making them a center for trade from both worlds. In short, the Mongol influence, while destructive in the extreme to their enemies, had a significant long term effect on the rise of modern Russia, Ukraine and Belarus.
Historians have debated the long-term influence of Mongol rule on Rus society. The Mongols have been blamed for the destruction of Kievan Rus', the breakup of the ancient Rus nationality into three components, and the introduction of the concept of "oriental despotism" into Russia. But some historians agree that Kievan Rus' was not a homogeneous political, cultural, or ethnic entity and that the Mongols merely accelerated fragmentation that had begun before the invasion. Historians also credit the Mongol regime with an important role in the development of Muscovy as a state. Under Mongol occupation, for example, Muscovy developed its mestnichestvo hierarchy, postal road network, census, fiscal system, and military organization.
A significant number of historians consider the oppression of Rus' by the Mongols to be the major cause of what is sometimes called "the East-West gap" - approximately 200 years delay in introducing major social, political and economical reforms and scientific innovations in Russia comparing to Western Europe. Specifically, the isolation from the West may have caused Russia's later non-involvement in the Renaissance, the Protestant Reformation, and failure to develop a middle class.
The period of Mongol rule over Russia included significant cultural and interpersonal contacts between the Russian and Mongolian ruling classes. By 1450, the Tatar language had become fashionable in the court of the Grand Prince of Moscow, Vasily II, who was accused of excessive love of the Tatars and their speech, and many Russian noblemen adopted Tatar surnames (for example, a member of the Veliamanov family adopted the Turkic name "Aksak" and his descendents were the Aksakovs) Many Russian boyar (noble) families traced their descent from the Mongols or Tatars, including Veliaminov-Zernov, Godunov, Arseniev, Bakhmetev,Bulgakov (descendents of Bulgak) and Chaadaev (descendents of Genghis Khan's son Jagatay). In a survey of Russian noble families of the 17th century, over 15% of the Russian noble families had Tatar or Oriental origins.
In the religious sphere, St. Paphnutius of Borovsk was the grandson of a Mongol baskak, or tax collector, while a nephew of khan Bergai of the Golden Horde converted to Christianity and became known as the monk St. Peter Tsarevich of the Horde
In the judicial sphere, under Mongol influence capital punishment, which during the times of Kievan Rus had only been applied to slaves, became widespread and the use of torture became a regular part of criminal procedure. Specific punishments introduced in Moscow included beheading for alleged traitors, branding of thieves (with execution for a third arrest). Penal law in western Europe in the Middle Ages was even harsher, however, than Mongol and Russian law.
The Russian language adopted numerous words from Mongol and Turkish. Such words include dengi (money), kazna (treasury), tamozhnia (customhouse), barysh (profit), and bashmak (shoe).