“Neither Khan nor Basileus”: Returning to the Question of the Relationship between Political Theory and Practice in Medieval Rus

Abstract

For many decades, the features of the formation and subsequent evolution of the early medieval Russian state have been among the most discussed in the historical community. Among other issues that are the subject of discussion among researchers, the question of the essence of medieval Russian political culture and tradition stands out. And when it comes to what factors influenced the process of formation of the political culture inherent in medieval Rus, the problem of the impact produced by the Byzantine and Horde political cultures inevitably comes up. The opinions of historians and lawyers on this matter are divided. Some believe that the Byzantine influence was decisive, others ascribe this influence to the Horde. But is it possible to reveal the roots of the medieval Russian tradition based on the dilemma of "khan or basileus"? The authors of the article suggest going beyond the traditional Byzantine-Horde discourse and looking at this problem from a different angle. Having separated political theory and practice, they come to the conclusion that political culture in pre-Mongol Rus was formed as original in its foundation. Byzantine influence could not have a significant impact on this process due to the lack of necessary political, social and cultural prerequisites, and even more so the Horde political culture, alien to Rus, could not do this – by the time the Horde yoke was established, the Russian political tradition had already formed and acquired stable forms. The authors conclude that the Russian prince was neither like a basileus, nor like a khan.