The Grand Prince of Moscow versus the appanage princes. A Contribution to the Formation of the Moscow Autocracy

The present master's thesis examines the ways in which transformations in the relationships between the Grand Princes of Moscow and the appanage princes were manifested in diplomatic sources during the period spanning the accession of Vasily II in 1425 and the death of Ivan IV in 1584. Particular attention is paid to spiritual charters, princely treaties, and acts relating to property rights. The aim of the thesis is to trace the evolution of the political and legal mechanisms through which Muscovite rulers gradually consolidated their authority, curtailed the autonomy of collateral dynastic branches, and established a centralised model of governance that came to form the basis of Muscovite autocracy. The methodological foundation of the study lies in the analysis of an extensive corpus of documentary material preserved from the fourteenth to the sixteenth centuries. The thesis offers a detailed discussion of the individual categories of written sources employed, elucidating their evidentiary value, limitations, and interpretative potential in relation to the subject under consideration. The research focuses on questions of succession to the Muscovite grand-princely throne, loyalty, military obligations, foreign policy, and the administration of appanage territories, tracing their development over...