Feofil, Archbishop of Moscow, 1471.—Marriage of Ivan of Moscow to Sophia.—Journey of Sophia to Russia.—Trouble with the Roman legate.—Advance of Ivan to Novgorod.—Hospitality of Novgorod people.—Dispute between the Grand Prince and the Novgorod people.—Trouble made by the Kazimir party in Novgorod.—Declaration of war sent to Novgorod by Ivan.—Novgorod begs for peace.—Discussions with peace envoys.—Hunger in Novgorod.—Triumph in Moscow.—Insurrection in Novgorod.—Visit of Ivan to the city.—Siege of Novgorod.—Distribution of the people of Novgorod.—End of semi-separate existence of Novgorod.—Importance of Ivan, even in Europe.—Fear of Ivan causes Kazimir to rouse Ahmed against Moscow.—Friendship of Girei, Khan of the Crimea, and Ivan of Moscow.—Ivan withdraws from the capital.—Dissatisfaction of the people.—Letter of Ivan’s confessor.—Ivan orders his son to Moscow.—Refusal of the son to comply.—Lack of eagerness for battle.—Attack of Girei on Volynia and Kief draws Kazimir’s forces southward.—Command of Ivan for the army to withdraw from the Ugra.—Retreat of the Mongols.—Destruction of the Horde by Mongols without bloodshed in Russia.—Last blow given to the Golden Horde by Girei, Khan of the Crimea.—Destruction of Sarai, and end of the Mongol yoke in Russia 463 THE MONGOLS IN RUSSIA CHAPTER I EARLY HISTORY OF RUSSIA In my history of the Mongols we have seen how Hulagu beguiled the Assassins and slaughtered them. We have seen also how he ended the Kalifat at Bagdad, showing no more regard for the heir of Mohammed than for the chief of those murderers who held that marvelous mountain-land south of the Caspian. The Kalif of Islam was trampled to death under horse-hoofs. The chief of the Assassins was treated with insult, endured for a time, and then slain like a wild beast. We are now to consider an expedition planned at that Kurultai held during Ogotai’s election, and see what was done by its leader, an expedition which ruined large portions of Europe as far as the Adriatic, and made Batu, the nephew of Jinghis Khan, supreme lord of them. The Mongols retreated from all lands west of the Carpathians and confined themselves exclusively to that part of Europe which we know as Russia. The West was too narrow for them, too mountainous, too much diversified, and contained too little pastoral land. It had too much culture, and differed too greatly from that immense open region which stretches from the Dnieper, or more correctly from the Danube, to that vast ocean of water which was later called the Pacific.