84 HISTORY AND ETHNOLOGY. 



lifter gave her hand to Prince Jagello, and the crown remained in his line 

 until 1572. 



In Hungary the Anjou-lN"eapolitan line obtained the throne in 1308. 

 The Arpad dynasty had expired in 1301. Charles Eobert (1308-42), the first 

 king of the new dynastj^, received the crown by right of his mother. 

 Under the brilliant reign of Louis the Great, mentioned as king of Poland 

 (1342-82), Hungary was remarkable for her power and civilization. At 

 his death his daughter Mary, wife of Sigismund, succeeded to the throne, 

 while, as before remarked, her sister Hedwig became queen of Poland. 



During the fifteenth century the Turks frequently caused great trouble 

 to Hungary ; and at Yarna, 1444, the Christian army met a most terrible 

 defeat. King Yladislaus fell on that bloody field. The Hungarians now 

 called Matthias Corvinus, son of John Hunyades, to the throne, 1458. His 

 arms were victorious. He not only routed the Turks, but increased the 

 domain of the empire by the conquest of Vienna, Carinthia, Styria, Silesia, 

 L^kraine, and Moravia. His reign was noted also for great advances in 

 knowledge and art. He died in 1490 A.D. 



Russia was divided into more than fifty districts. It fell an easy prey to 

 the rapacity of the Mongols. Among the conquered princes Alexander 

 i^ewski, of J^ovogorod, was distinguished. He died in 1263. In spite of his 

 dependence, he vanished near the l^eva, in 1240, the Swedes, Lithu- 

 anians, and the Brethren of the Sword, who, since 1237, had united their 

 order to that of the German Knights. Sartak elevated Alexander, in 1252, 

 to the princedom of Yladimir, and his son obtained l^ovogorod. 



Internal divisions at length weakened the Mongol power in Russia. Iwan L 

 made Moscow his residence, united several leading principalities, and, with 

 the consent of the Mongolian Khan, his sons took the title of Grand Dukes 

 of all the Russias. By enlarging the limits of the confederacy, sufiicient 

 force was at length secured to throw ofi" the foreign yoke. This was efiected 

 under Iwan III., son of Wasili III. Dimtrii (Donskoi) had previously 

 made a similar attempt, and had been fortunate in gaining great victories over 

 the Tartars at the Don, 1380. Owing to the breaking up of the Mongol 

 khanate of Kaptshak into the principalities Crimea, Kasan, Astrachan, and 

 Turan (Siberia), and the consequent division of strength, Iwan's success 

 was greatly facilitated. The khan of Kasan was compelled to implore 

 peace in 1469. Henceforth Iwan appointed the khans, and took the title of 

 Czar, and placed upon his escutcheon the double eagle. I^ovogorod suc- 

 cumbed to the Muscovite dynasty, and Khan Achmet fell, 1480. 



The government of the Greeks came to a final close in the fourteenth 

 century. They had to yield to the victorious Turks the provinces of Asia 

 Minor. The latter, under their commander Orchan, secured a residence 

 at Prusa, in Bithynia, 1327. In the year 1357, Soliman and Murat, sons 

 of Orchan, crossed the Hellespont, and capturing Gallipole, obtained a 

 footing in Europe, conquering Thrace, Thessalia, Macedonia, and Bulgaria, 

 and in 1362 they established themselves in Adrianople. 



John lY. only retained the capital of Thessalonica and a few districts of 

 the Morea, with some of the Archipelagan islands. Bajazet, son of Amurath, 

 256 



