The historical context for understanding and interpreting the historical records on the Mongol-Tatar invasion and yoke

The contemporaries evaluated the Mongol-Tatar Invasion and Yoke within the framework of providentialism. They represented the Tatars either as an instrument of divine retribution or as an army of the devil, especially in the context of eschatological expectations. The works of medieval Russian scribes and chroniclers characterized the Tatars according to these two evaluation categories. People’s behavior depended on the assessment of the source of disasters: they chose either humble acceptance or active resistance. Medieval authors have expressed a theological evaluation of the events described that is not evident to the modern reader. The author suggests a scheme for understanding the theological semantics of narrative sources. The scheme finds parallels with the plots of the Bible, their source is available; includes the attitude of the attacking army to the churches and priests; encouraging victims of aggression by their actions to sinful behavior; implies falsity and flatter in the aggressors as features peculiar to the devil.