Daniil Galitckiy Prince of the Galician-Volyn lands, politician, diplomat and commander, son of Prince Roman Mstislavich, from the Galician branch of the Rurikovich family Date of Birth: 01.01.1201 Country: Russia

Biography of Daniil Galitsky

Daniil (Danilo) Romanovich Galitsky (1201-1264) was a prince of the Galicia-Volhynia lands, a political figure, diplomat, and military commander. He was the son of Prince Roman Mstislavich, from the Galician branch of the Rurik Dynasty. In 1211, Daniil was appointed as a prince in Galich but was later expelled in 1212. In 1221, he became the ruler of Volhynia and completed the unification of the Volhynian lands by 1229. He participated in the Battle of the Kalka River against the Mongol-Tatars in 1223 and fought against the Teutonic Order in 1237. In 1238, Daniil conquered Galich and handed Volhynia to his brother Vasilko Romanovich before occupying Kiev.

Daniil Galitsky faced internal conflicts among the nobility and the dominance of the boyars and feudal clergy. However, he relied on the support of his loyal servants and the urban population. He promoted the development of cities by attracting craftsmen and merchants. During his rule, cities such as Holm, Lvov, Ugrovesk, Danilov were built, and Dorogichin was renovated. Daniil Galitsky moved the capital of the Galicia-Volhynia principality from Galich to Holm.

After the invasion of the Mongol-Tatars in South-Western Rus (1240) and the establishment of dependence on the Tatars, Daniil took vigorous measures to prevent further invasions and to resist the increasing aggression of Hungarian and Polish feudal lords. In 1245, Daniil's forces defeated the armies of Hungarian, Polish feudal lords, and Galician boyars in the Battle of Yaroslavl, which marked the end of a 40-year struggle to restore the unity of Galicia-Volhynia Rus. Daniil Galitsky became involved in the war for the Austrian ducal throne and in the early 1250s, secured the recognition of his son Roman's rights to the throne. Hoping for Western allies to resist the Horde, he accepted the royal title from the Papal Curia in 1254.

Daniil Galitsky's reign marked a period of economic, cultural, and political development for Galicia-Volhynia Rus. Despite his achievements, the death of his father, Prince Galitsky and Volhynian Roman in 1205, left Daniil and his brother Vasilko with little chance of retaining power. Due to the disorder caused by the Galician nobility, Daniil had to reside first at the Hungarian court and then with his mother and brother Vasilko in small Volhynian possessions. Various claimants, including the descendants of Yaroslav Osmomysl, Mstislav Udaloy, other relatives of Roman, Roman's son-in-law Mikhail Chernigovsky, and his son Rostislav, asserted their dynastic rights to Galich. Related dynasties, such as the Arpads in Hungary and the Piasts in Poland, also laid claim to Galician lands. In 1214, with the consent of Pope Innocent III, a new dynasty was established in Galich, with the Hungarian prince Koloman and the Polish princess Salomea seated on the throne. Galicia was ceded to Hungary while the Romanovichi retained control over Volhynia.

Daniil inherited the city of Vladimir-Volynsky, where he initially established his power. When Mstislav Udaloy, the Prince of Toropets, captured Galich, he allied with Daniil and gave his daughter Anna in marriage to him. However, a conflict arose between Daniil and Leszek the White, the Grand Duke of Krakow, who expelled Mstislav and installed the Hungarian prince in Galich in 1220. Mstislav returned to Galich with Daniil's help and expelled the Hungarians in 1221. Along with other Russian princes, Daniil participated in the Battle of the Kalka River in 1223, where he was wounded in the chest. After the battle's unsuccessful outcome, Daniil found refuge in flight. Soon, a conflict arose between Daniil and his father-in-law because the latter controlled Galich, which Daniil considered his inheritance. Their distant cousin, Alexander Vsevolodovich Belzsky, further exacerbated their dispute. Alexander attempted to seize Volhynia during the turbulent period but was unsuccessful. In 1225, he armed Mstislav against Daniil, who fought against Galich in alliance with the Polish king Leszek. However, Mstislav reconciled with Daniil, and the following year, both of them fought against the Hungarian king. In the same year, Galician boyars, particularly Sudislav, persuaded the dying Mstislav to pass Galich not to Daniil, as desired by the population but to his Hungarian son-in-law, Prince Andrew.

Ultimately, Daniil, after a persistent struggle with neighboring princes and Galician boyars, unified Volhynia (1227). In 1229, the loyal Galicians invited him to the throne of Galich. Daniil besieged the city and, despite the burning of the bridge across the Dniester, captured it. Released from captivity as a gesture of goodwill, the Hungarian prince, on the instigation of Daniil's enemy Sudislav, led a campaign against Galich. The Hungarian king, who accompanied him, retreated due to illness. However, even after capturing Galich, Daniil faced difficulties. The boyars, conspiring with Alexander Belzsky, planned to kill him, but his brother Vasilko accidentally uncovered the plot. Daniil generously forgave the conspirators and sent Vasilko to deal with Alexander before going himself. Alexander fled to Hungary and instigated another rebellion. The Galician boyars surrendered to the Hungarians. The prince went to war against Daniil, and although he won, he suffered significant losses, forcing him to return to Galich.

In 1232, Daniil, allied with the Prince of Kiev Vladimir and the Polovtsy, launched an unsuccessful campaign against the Hungarians. However, he managed to win over the boyars, and the remaining princes were forced to lift the siege. Daniil, with the help of the Polish prince, marched on Kiev. Due to this turn of events, the allies hastened to reconcile with him.

Daniil's interference in the conflict between the southern Russian princes led to Mikhail Chernigovsky capturing Galich in 1233. However, when Mikhail was recalled to Kiev due to events there, leaving his son Rostislav in Galich, Daniil besieged the city and appealed to its residents. The boyars had to submit to the common will and surrendered the city in 1238. Daniil spared them. The Mongol invasion and coronation Daniil successfully repelled the German knights' attack on the northwestern and western Russian lands and defeated the invaders near Dorogichin in 1238. He also had a strong influence on the Turov-Pinsk Principality.

In 1239, Daniil Galitsky occupied Kiev, which was already under his influence, and appointed Dmitry Eykovich as governor, who led the city's defense against the army of Batu Khan in December 1240. The city was captured, and the Tatars proceeded to Volhynia and Galich. At that time, Daniil was in Hungary. His land was devastated, but to save anything possible, Dmitry persuaded Batu to attack Hungary. Encountering resistance in Silesia and Moldavia, Batu had to retreat. During the Mongol devastation, Daniil was not in his territory; he traveled to Hungary with his son Lev to seek a marriage alliance with the Hungarian royal family. After receiving a refusal, he traveled to Poland, where he stayed until the Tatars withdrew.

Upon returning home, Daniil found the country devastated. Taking advantage of the prince's absence, the boyars acted independently in Galicia. As soon as Daniil dealt with the boyar unrest, his old enemy Rostislav Mikhailovich, the son of Mikhail Chernigovsky, launched several attacks on Galician territory between 1241 and 1245. In 1245, Daniil and his brother Vasilko finally defeated Rostislav near Yaroslavl on the San River. From then on, Daniil had undisputed control over the Galician principality. He resided in the newly established Holm, where he was very invested in its beautification.

Although Daniil had to submit to the Tatars, who had their representatives (basqaqs) in his region, he was burdened by the necessity of subordination. He conducted campaigns against the borderlands along the Sluch and Horyn rivers against the so-called "Tatar people," built fortifications, and sought alliances with the West. He leaned towards the proposals that came from Rome, from Pope Innocent IV, who tried to expand Catholic influence in the East Slavic lands and bring Galicia-Volhynia into union with the Catholic Church. The famous Plano-Carpini, on his way to the Horde, had a conversation with Vasilko about the Church's union (1246). However, Daniil hesitated, but under the influence of his Western allies, he agreed to accept the royal crown and was crowned in Drohiczyn in December 1253 (January 1254).

As King Daniil, the Pope declared a crusade against the Tatars. When no one responded to his calls, Daniil, while retaining the royal title, ended his relationship with the Pope and began preparing to resist independently. He fortified his cities and formed an alliance with the Lithuanian prince Mindovg. The timing was favorable as there was turmoil in the Horde after the death of Batu. Kuramsa, a weak leader, governed the southern part of Rus.

In 1254-1255, Daniil's army liberated the lands along the Southern Bug, Sluch, and Teteriv rivers from Kuramsa's troops and captured Vozvyagel (now Novograd-Volynskyi). Daniil managed to defend against Kuramsa near Bakota in Podolia and retake the Volhynian cities occupied by the Tatars. He managed to repel Kuramsa from Lutsk (1259). However, Kublai Khan consolidated power in the Horde, and the enterprising Burundai was appointed to the southern Rus. Burundai stirred up conflict between Daniil and Mindovg and even managed to involve Galician troops in his campaign against Lithuania, despite Daniil's son Roman being married to Mindovg's daughter. Daniil lacked allies, as Bela was weakened by defeat from the Czechs in his attempts to claim the Austrian inheritance. When Burundai demanded that Daniil come to him, he sent his son Lev instead and went to Poland himself. The Tatars demanded the destruction of all urban fortifications, and Daniil had to comply, managing to save only Holm. Subsequently, the Tatars compelled Galician troops to participate in their campaign against Poland. The campaign against Lithuania led to an attack by the Lithuanians on Galician lands and the assassination of Roman Danilovich. It was only after defeating them that Vasilko succeeded in persuading Mindovg to make peace (1262).

Of all Daniil's external actions, his campaign against the Jatvingians, whom he managed to defeat and force to pay tribute, was the most successful. In 1264, Daniil Galitsky passed away. The chronicler, mourning his death, called him "second to Solomon."

Internal Politics
Daniil fought against feudal strife caused by the Galician boyar elite's desire, as well as the Chernihiv-Seversk and Kiev princes, to prevent the consolidation of power by Daniil and his brother Vasilko Romanovich in the Galicia-Volhynia principality. He relied on the support of the lesser and middle-ranking feudal servants and townspeople interested in strengthening princely power.

An exceptionally capable ruler, Daniil Galitsky temporarily united the Western Ukrainian lands. He reformed the army, creating heavily armed infantry from peasants, and tamed the boyars. Daniil Galitsky pursued an active western policy. Under his rule, Western cultural influences spread, Western state and administrative forms were introduced, particularly in the life of cities. He built several new cities such as Holm, Lvov, and relocated the capital of the Galicia-Volhynia principality from Galich, a city of boyar rebellions, to Holm, where he was buried after his death in 1264.

However, the consolidation of princely power in the Volhynia-Galicia principality under Daniil was temporary. During the rule of his successors, tendencies towards feudal fragmentation re-emerged, fueled by the boyar elite.