第69节

  【】d</p>

  torenderanysortofdefenceagainstthisterribleene.</p>

  itheyear1224thatthefirstgreattartarinvasion</p>

  tookpladthatthehordesofjenghizkhan,thenqueror</p>

  ofadetheirfirst</p>

  appearaheiesennear</p>

  thekalkariverandrussiaerongolians.</p>

  justassuddenlyastheyhadetheydisappeared.</p>

  thirteenyearslater,in1eyretued.inless</p>

  thanfiveyearstheynqueredeverypartofthevastrussian</p>

  plains.untiltheyear1380itrydonskoi,grand</p>

  dukeofsontheplainsofkulikovo,the</p>

  tartarsastersoftherussianpeople.</p>

  allinall,ittooktherussiansturiestodeliver</p>

  theelvesfrohisyoke.forayokeitost</p>

  offensiveandobjeableouedtheslavicpeasants</p>

  intoserableslaves.norussianuldhopetosurviveun</p>

  lessheanwho</p>

  satisoheheartofthesteppesofsouthe</p>

  russiaandspatathiitdeprivedthessofthepeopleof</p>

  allfeelingofhonourandindependedehungerand</p>

  seryandltreatntandpersonalabusethenorlstate</p>

  ofhueilatlasttheaveragerussian,werehe</p>

  peasantooblen,abouthisbusinesslikeaed</p>

  dogensooftenthathisspirithasbeenbroken</p>

  andhedarenotission.</p>

  thereenofthetartarkhan</p>

  erciless.theendlessprairiedidnotgivea</p>

  narossintothesafeterritoryofhisneighbour.</p>

  hestkeepquietandbearasterdecided</p>

  toinfliorruntheriskofdeath.ofurse,europe</p>

  ghthaveinterfered.buteuropewasengageduponbusiness</p>

  ofitsoingthequarrelsbethepopeand</p>

  theeerororsuppressingthisorthatortheotherheresy.</p>

  andsoeuropelefttheslavtohisfate,andforcedhio</p>

  hisoion.</p>

  thefinalsaviourofrussiaanysllstates,</p>

  fouheearlynorserulers.ituatedintheheart</p>

  oftherussianplain.itscapital,seep</p>

  hillonthe,</p>

  bydintofpleasiaro</p>

  please,andopposinghidoso,had,</p>

  duringtheddleofthefourteeurydeitselfthe</p>

  leaderofabereeredthatthe</p>

  tartarsinnstructivepoliticalability.</p>

  theyuldoroy.theirchiefainnqueringnew</p>

  territoriesoobtainreveogetthisrevehe</p>

  forftaxes,itnantsof</p>

  theoldpoliticalanizationtontinue.heherewere</p>

  nylittletohegraceofthegreatkhan,</p>

  thattheyghtactastaxgatherersandrobtheieighbours</p>

  forthebeofthetartartreasury.</p>

  thestateofsattheexpehe</p>

  surroundiory,finallybecastrongenoughtorisk</p>

  openrebellionagainstitssters,thetartars.itcessful</p>

  anditsfaastheleaderinthecauseofrussianindependence</p>

  deshenaturaltreforallthosewho</p>

  stillbelievedierfuturefortheslavicratheyear</p>

  1458,nstantinopleakenbytheturks.tenyears</p>

  later,uheruleofivaniii,sedthe</p>

  totheworldly</p>

  andspiritualianpire,and</p>

  suaneireashadsurvivedin</p>

  nstantinople.ageioerrible,</p>

  thegranddukesenoughtoadoptthe</p>

  titleofaionbythee</p>

  powersofeurope.</p>

  intheyear1598,usvite</p>

  dynasty,desanrurik,cato</p>

  anend.forthesevenyears,atartarhalfbreed,bythe</p>

  naodunowasduring</p>

  thisperiodthatthefuturedestinyofthelargessesofthe</p>

  russianpeoplepirehinland</p>

  butverypoorihereradeandtherewere</p>

  nofactories.itsfeposed</p>

  ofastroandavastnuerof</p>

  illiteratepeasants.thisgovent,axtureofslavic,</p>

  norse,byzaartarinfluences,reghing</p>

  beyoerestofthestate.todefendthisstate,it</p>

  neededanar.togatherthetaxes,hessary</p>

  <</p>

  officialsitneededland.iheeast</p>

  anddity.but</p>

  landhoutafeotillthefieldsahe</p>

  adicpeasants</p>

  ertheother,untilfinally,during</p>

  thefirstyearofthesixteeury,theyally</p>

  deapartofthesoiluponheylived.therussian</p>

  peasaheybecaserfsorslaves</p>

  andtheyreinedserfsuntiltheyear1861,heirfate</p>

  hadbeesoterriblethattheyodieout.</p>

  inthesevehtury,thissgrowing</p>

  territorye</p>

  aforcehherestofeuropeo</p>

  re.in1618,afterthedeathodunohe</p>

  russiannobleshadelectedoheirobertobe</p>

  tsar.heily</p>

  ofronotlehousejustoutsidethe</p>

  krein.</p>

  intheyear1672hisgreatgrandsoer,thesonofanother</p>

  feodor,hechildenyearsold,</p>

  hisstepsistersophiatookpossessionoftherussianthrone.</p>

  thelittleboyospendhisdaysinthesuburbsof</p>

  thenationalcapital,hefnerslived.surrounded</p>

  bystchbarkeepers,dutchtraders,shecaries,italian</p>

  barbers,frenasters,</p>

  theyoungpriainedafirstbutratherextraordinary</p>

  iressionofthatfaraysteriouseuropewhere</p>

  thingsly.</p>

  whenheeenyearsold,hesuddenlypushed</p>

  sistersophiafrohethroerhielfbecatheruler</p>

  ofrussia.heedhbeisarofa</p>

  sebarbarousandhalfasiatiustbethesn</p>

  headofacivilisednation.togerussiaoveight</p>

  frobyzantiartarstateint</p>

  ...</p>