How Did Russia Develop From Western Civilization

Throughout history, Russia has developed differently from the “western” civilization. Russia started off as being similar to the “western” culture, but overtime developed into one that the west never saw. Russia was influenced in it’s development from the conquest of the Mongols to Peter I. Russia also had unique features that were a first for societies in Europe and the rest of the world. Russia throughout history has been conquered by many different groups of people, from the Mongols to Peter I, and has many unique features including how it’s society was influenced and how it can be compared to “western” civilization.

Russia started out like many other “western” societies with a single prince and single dynasty. During the 11th century, Russia converted eastern Slavs to Christianity and had loose but real political unification of the eastern Slavic territories. There was a typical feudal division of the land based on the peasantry and the nobility. Russia can be considered not “western”, especially between 1250 and 1700. Russia was conquered and subjugated by a foreign invader which created a rule basically unknown in the West. By the 1700’s absolute monarchy ruled by Peter the Great was very different from France and Prussia, making
The Mongols were so cruel in how they conquered countries and territories that John of Plan Carpin wrote about how he saw bones and dead bodies all over after the Mongols took over Russia. For more than 200 years, the Mongols ruled the eastern Slavs and built the capital of Saray on the lower Volga, forcing all bickering Slavic princes to obey the rules of the Mongols. If the princes did not they would be punished with death and destruction. Although the Mongols overtook Russia, they still used local princes as tax collectors and servants and took the prince who collected the most money and was the most loyal to be “great