Russian-Golden Horde Borderl and on the Oka-Don Plain

Abstract

The paper presents an overview of the results of studies of written and archaeological sources related to a section of the border territory between the Ryazan Principality and the Golden Horde in the 13th–15th centuries. Based on the sources, it is concluded that there is a particular buffer zone territory in the southern part of the Oka-Don Plain, which was named “Chervlyony Yar”. It was identified as a rather vast (from the Khopyor to the Don) territory with an ethnically diverse population (Orthodox Russians, Tatars, Cumans, possibly Mordovians) living according to the customs of free feudal independent communities with elements of self-government in relative dependence on the Golden Horde. Its economic foundation was the mutually beneficial cooperation of semi-nomadic cattle farmers who roamed the steppe interfluves, and the population living in the riverine forest belts, whose economy made up for the underdeveloped sectors of the nomadic cattle farmers, in particular, haymaking and certain types of crafts. Over seventy archaeological sites of various types have presently been discovered in the area.

Keywords

• archaeology
• history of the 13th–15th centuries
• oka-don plain
• chervlyony yar
• ryazan principality
• ancient russia
• golden horde
• buffer zone
• russian-golden horde borderlands