Daniel Aleksandrovich

Russian prince

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

July 23, 2026

Quick Summary

Daniel Aleksandrovich was a Russian prince and the youngest son of Alexander Nevsky, a prince of the Rurik dynasty. He established the Grand Principality of Moscow in the late 13th century. This small settlement grew into a dominant political force in northeastern Russia due to its strategic location for trade and protection from invasion.1

Daniel's son, Yury, and grandson, Ivan I (known as Ivan Kalita, or \"Moneybag\"), further expanded Moscow's influence. Ivan I's policies made Moscow the wealthiest principality in the region. He also strengthened Moscow's position by cooperating with the Tatar overlords and making Moscow the permanent residence of the Russian Orthodox Church's metropolitan in 1326. Ivan II, Ivan I's son, continued these policies, and his son, Dmitry Donskoy, increased Moscow's holdings through conquest and a significant victory over the Tatars.123

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

3 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

Russia
The northeast
Daniel, Nevsky’s son and the progenitor of all the later Rurikid princes of Moscow, had a long and successful reign (1276–1303), but at his death the principality still embraced little more than the territory of the present Moscow province (an area of 140 miles [225…
Read More
Daniel, Nevsky’s son and the progenitor of all the later Rurikid princes of Moscow, had a long and successful reign (1276–1303), but at his death the principality still embraced little more than the territory of the present Moscow province (an area of 140 miles [225…
Read More