Overview

Overview

For years, Moscow princes had collected taxes for their Mongol rulers. Grand Prince Ivan III's refusal to pay taxes to the Mongol Golden Horde in 1480 and Russian attacks on Mongols contributed to the decline of Mongol rule in Russia. By the late 1400's, Moscow had become the most powerful Russian city.

After the rise of Moscow, its grand prince came to be called czar. Czar comes from Caesar, the name used by Roman emperors. In 1547, Ivan IV, also known as Ivan the Terrible, became the first ruler to be crowned czar. Ivan made the power of the czar over all Russia complete.