eased by him by the towns of Pereiaslaf,
Zabiesski and Kolomna. Daniel died in 1303, and was buried in the
church of St. Michael the Archangel, which remained the burial place
of the Muscovite princes until the time of Peter the Great.

The next grand duke was Daniel's son George, whose first act was (p. 083)
to capture the Duke of Smolensk from whom he took the town of Mojaisk.
In 1304 the Grand Duke of Souzdal died. Michael of Tver claimed the
succession as the eldest of the family, but George of Moscow contested
it. Michael was supported by the boyards of Vladimir and the people of
Novgorod; the khan at Sarai also declared in his favor, and Michael
was installed. George, however, was not satisfied and began a war; he
was defeated in battle, and twice besieged in Moscow. Suddenly he
heard that the khan was dead; he hastened to Sarai, and there made
friends with the new Khan Uzbeck, who gave him his sister Kontchaka in
marriage, and ordered that George should have possession of Souzdal.
He returned to Moscow with a Tartar army and Michael, considering the
odds, proposed to cede Vladimir on condition that his own patrimony of
Tver should remain intact. George refused, and the war broke out anew.
Michael defeated him and captured Kontchaka and the Tartar general,
but he released his prisoners, and the dispute was again brought
before the khan. George took good care to be at Sarai, and having
ample means at his disposal from his poll-tax collecting, distributed
bribes right and left. Michael, confident in the justice of his cause,
committed the mistake of sending his twelve-year-old son in charge of
high boyards, to represent him; but when he was informed of George's
methods, he, too, proceeded to Sarai, after making his will. Upon his
arrival, he was accused of having drawn his sword upon the Khan's
envoy, and of having poisoned Kontchaka. Uzbeck would not even listen
to such absurd complaints, but George invented other falsehoods, (p. 084)
and at last Michael was arrested. The khan went on a hunting trip in
the Caucasus, and the wretched Duke of Tver was dragged after him in
chains. One day he was put in the pillory in the market of a populous
town, where the people crowded around him to look at the man who, a
short time before, was a powerful prince in his own country. Michael's
boyards urged him to escape, but he dreaded the khan's vengeance upon
his family and people. George increased his bribes, and thus secured