appanage period

The appanage period in Russian history refers to a time when principalities were treated as private, hereditary property by ruling princes. This practice, contrary to custom, led to the division of lands among heirs, causing fragmentation.

During the 12th to 14th centuries, the principality of Suzdal, a successor to Kiev, gained prominence. Princes like Andrey Bogolyubsky and Vsevolod III established strong monarchies and encouraged development. However, their practice of dividing territories led to the disintegration of the Suzdal-Vladimir principality into smaller entities. These smaller principalities eventually fell under the control of the Golden Horde after the Tatar invasion in the 1340s. The title of grand prince eventually reverted to the princes of Moscow, who annexed the Suzdal-Nizhny Novgorod region in 1392.123