Ivan III of Russia, also popularly known as the Grand Prince of Moscow, was a great ruler and a military leader. He put up the foundation for creating a centralized state in Russia and became fairly successful in it. He was the duke of Moscow from 1462 to 1505, and his reign was the longest among all of the Russian leaders.
Background
Ivan Vasilyevich was born on January, 22, 1440, in Moscow. He was the son of the Grand Prince Vasily II of Moscow and his mother was Maria of Borovsk. He was born amid a war between his father’s supporters and his uncles. The Early life of Ivan was chaotic and turbulent. He was just six years of age when in 1446, his father was captivated by his cousin and blinded. During this time Ivan was hidden in a monastery and then moved to a safer place but was soon taken over by his father’s captors.
Education
There is no information on the formal education received by Ivan. At a very young age, he gained experience with fighting wars and the government structures.
Career
Ivan was only twelve years of age when he led an army to abolish his father’s internal enemies. He was eighteen when he was also made to lead a military to fight against Tatars in the southern region. Ivan became fairly successful. After the death of his father Vasily II on 27th of March, 1462, he succeeded the position as the Grand Prince of Moscow.
There was not much activity undertaken by Ivan during the early reign of his life as the Grand Prince of Moscow. He mostly kept himself busy making and leading successful campaigns against the Tatars of Kazan. During Ivan’s reign, many Great Russian lands were still now part of the Moscow. The Polish and Lithuania Union held over the entire Ukraine and the north part of Oka district. Ivan gave himself the task of getting back his forefather’s land of Ukraine from Poland and Lithuania.
On the eastern end, through several crusades, Ivan made the Kazan Horde on the eastern side weak. These crusades were performed between 1467 and 1469. Once this was undertaken, he tried to subdue Novgorod and its vast northern empire. His recurring attack over the region forced Novgorod to give up in the year 1478. Ivan snatched their political freedom, captured its colonies and replaced many of the people from his land to his personal domain. In 1489, when it became intolerable for Novgorod, it had completely surrendered. Other Russian lands including Rostov and Yaroslavl were seized by Ivan through a treaty signed in 1474 and 1463 respectively. Of all the lands, only Ryazan and Pskov was able to maintain their independence.
Ivan’s next task was to make himself comparable to Khan Ahmed of the Golden Horde. He took up the alliance with Khan Mengli Girei of Crimea to stand against Khan Ahmed and his kin Poland and Lithuania. After a victorious war with Khan Ahmed in 1480, Ivan was able to take over his land and its dominion from Ahmed. He remained good in relationship with Khan Mengli Girei of Crimea which helped him remain secure and this also kept him away from the threat of Kazan. In the same year, Ivan had to put up a battle with his brothers Boris and Andrey.
Ivan soon had to make a decision on who would become his heir; his eldest son’s son Dmitry or the eldest son born to him by Sofia Vasily. After seven years of time, in 1497, Ivan designated Dmitry to be his successor. Covered by hatred and vengeance, Sofia planned a deadly plot against her husband but was soon uncovered. Ivan discredited Sofia and Dmitry was made the Grand Prince by Ivan in 1498. In 1500, the eldest son of Sofia revolved again. This was a time when the war with Lithuania was very important. Ivan couldn’t afford to estrange his wife and his son during this time and was forced to give the title to Vasily. Yelena and her son Dmitry were put into prison. Ivan wanted to keep the administration centralized which meant he had to take over the lands and control from young princes. Boyars, who were next in class to the Prince, were made weak by taking over all their authority and power and those suspected of disloyalty were executed.
Last few years of Ivan’s reign did not go well. His war with Lithuania was not working as expected and a large part of Ukraine was still with them. His plans of freeing the church lands were dismissed during a council in 1503 and the Khanate of Kazan was able to free itself from Moscow. Ivan died in 1505 in Moscow. His death was not mourned much after. He was 65 years of age at the time of his death.
Ivan III was the most successful of all the successors of Rurik who had founded Russia. He was the only one who tried to gather the lands together and create a powerful administration. Ivan was partly successful in creating a solid groundwork for a federal state. He was not only recognized by other rulers but he was also the one who initiated the conquest to acquire Ukraine back from Poland and Lithuania. He was a good diplomat and was excelled with army tactics.
Religion
Ivan III belonged to the Eastern Orthodox Church. There is very limited information on the beliefs he kept on the religious front.
Politics
Ivan III was a great ruler and he was one of the few leaders who put in efforts to create a federal and centralized state in Russia. He was efficient and a complete diplomat. His sole goal during his reign as a grand prince was to take back control of the lands his forefathers once owned. He became partly successful in it. He also believed in creating a central administration for the entire state.
Personality
Ivan III was a great ruler and a better diplomat. Trained very early in handling army and military strategies, he proved himself to be a successful leader. He was aggressive by nature and it is stated that his gaze was so frightening that women would get unconscious in his presence. He was efficient and dedicated himself to the state in between the royal family conflicts he had to endure with.
Physical Characteristics:
He was tall and had a slight crouch. It is stated that women used to get fainted in his attendance due to his fearsome look.
Connections
Ivan had a childhood marriage born out of political factors with the daughter of the Grand Prince of Tver, Maria Borisovna of Tver. They had one son together. After the death of his wife in 1467, Ivan decided to remarry to protect the throne and his son who was now a threat to his cousins as the successor of Ivan. In 1472, he married the niece of the last emperor of Byzantium Zoë Palaeologus. She was an unattractive woman who changed her name to Sofia after the marriage. She bore him four children.
Father:
Vasily Vasiliyevich
He was the Grand Prince of Moscow whose long reign (1425-1462) was plagued by the greatest civil war of Old Russian history.
Mother:
Maria Yaroslavna of Borovsk
She was a Grand Princess consort of Muscovy.
Spouse:
Maria Borisovna of Tver
Spouse:
Sophia Palaiologina
She was a Byzantine princess, member of the Imperial Palaiologos family by marriage, Grand Princess of Moscow as the second wife of Grand Prince Ivan III.
Son:
Dmitry Ivanovich
Son:
Simeon Ivanovich
Daughter:
Feodosia Ivanovna
Daughter:
Eudokia Ivanovna
Son:
Ivan the Young
Son:
Vasili III Ivanovich
He was the Grand Prince of Moscow from 1505 to 1533.
Son:
Yury Ivanovich
Son:
Andrey of Staritsa
Daughter:
Helena of Moscow
She was daughter of Ivan III the Great, Grand Prince of Moscow, and an uncrowned Grand Duchess of Lithuania and Queen of Poland as she would not convert from Eastern Orthodoxy to Catholicism.
