Ivan IV Vasilyevich (August 25, 1530 – March 28, 1584), also known as Ivan IV or Ivan the Terrible (January 16, 1547 – March 28, 1584), was the son of Grand Duke Vasily III of Moscow and his second wife Yelena Greenskaya. He is the Grand Duke of Moscow.
In 1533, Ivan IV ascended the throne and his mother temporarily acted as regent, but suffered from the tyranny of the aristocracy. In 1547, he was crowned as the Tsar. From 1549 to 1560, reforms were carried out in the administrative, legal, financial, military, religious, and other aspects of the central and local governments. On March 28, 1584, Ivan IV passed away due to a stroke at the age of 54.

Ascend to the throne in childhood
In 1533, Vasily III passed away, and his will was to appoint Yelena and seven other nobles as regents to act as regents before Ivan IV reached adulthood. But Yelena soon became at odds with many great nobles. She abolished the Regency Council, monopolized power, and forced the deaths of Vasily III's two younger brothers.
In 1538, Yelena passed away suddenly, reportedly poisoned by a political enemy. That year, Ivan IV was just 8 years old. The state is governed by the Lord Duma, and the lords often engage in conspiracies and collusive behavior, with frequent internal rhetoric and frequent belittling and insulting of Ivan the Younger. Ivan IV showed a bloodthirsty side from a young age, enjoying torturing small animals and watching them die cruelly. In 1543, his protector Shuiski was bitten to death by a dog. After Yelena's death, her brother Grinsky defeated his political enemies and continued to control the government.
In 1547, Ivan IV was crowned Tsar. In the same year, Grinsky was killed in a civil uprising caused by a major fire, and Ivan IV officially stepped onto the stage. After he began to govern, he established the Council of Ministers in 1549 and compiled a new legal code. Ivan grew up to become a neurotic and suspicious person. He is accustomed to thinking that he is surrounded by opponents and should fight for his rights. [7]
From 1549 to 1560, reforms were carried out in the administrative, legal, financial, military, religious, and other aspects of the central and local governments. The government of Ivan IV made every effort to consolidate the authoritarian regime and strengthen the centralization of power in the country. The basic content of its military reform is to improve the military command system, restrict the system of selecting officers according to rank, establish a standing army, rectify the service of local Russian troops, and adjust the Russian border defense and garrison service. This reform laid the foundation for the Russian regular army. During the period of governance, the first military regulations were formulated - the "Resolution of the Council of Lords on Garrison and Garrison Services". Ivan IV's reforms, especially military reforms, led Russia towards strength.

Starting from 1547, Ivan IV implemented a dictatorship.
Main entry: Battle of Kazan
The conquest of the Kazan Khanate during the expedition from 1547 to 1552 was a significant turning point in Russian history, marking the beginning of Russia's strength surpassing that of the Tatars and paving the way for Russia to cross the Ural Mountains and annex the vast territory of Siberia.
In 1556, the Astrakhan Khanate was also annexed by Russia, followed by the Great Nogai Khanate and Bashkirya, which led to the submission of many ethnic groups in the North Caucasus to Russia. During the reign of Ivan IV, Russia began to become a multi-ethnic country. In the same year, the Tsar summoned the Stroganov family, which was adjacent to the Siberian Khanate, to inquire about the border situation and authorized them to resist the Siberian Khanate. They were ordered to build fortifications near the Siberian Khanate, recruit troops and horses, and seize the opportunity to invade the Siberian Khanate. By 1557, the Siberian Khanate also submitted to Ivan.
In 1558, the Livonian War was launched in an attempt to expand into the Baltic Sea. Due to the intervention of neighboring countries such as the Polish Lithuanian Commonwealth, Denmark, and Sweden, as well as opposition from the nobility, the war was prolonged and lasted for 25 years. Although it did not achieve the expected goal, it demonstrated Russia's national strength to Europe.
Leaving Moscow
Before 1560, the rule of Ivan IV operated on a stable and effective track. With the assistance of Adashev and Silvestre, he promulgated new laws, reorganized administrative institutions, reformed the military system, strengthened military power, attacked and destroyed the Kazan Khanate and Astrakhan Khanate in the east, and forced the Siberian Khanate to submit. But after the death of his first wife Anastasia in 1560, his consciousness became increasingly abnormal. Most historians believe that he had syphilis, and when syphilis entered its late stages, it would cause neurological disorders in patients.
In the winter of 1564, Ivan IV suddenly left Moscow with his family and came to the village of Alexandrov near the capital. He had someone deliver a letter saying, "Because I cannot tolerate the betrayal around me, I will no longer govern this country, but follow the path guided by God." His actions caused panic in Moscow, and after receiving a promise from the Archbishop that he had the "right to execute any traitor who wanted to be executed," he returned to Moscow.

Subsequently, he implemented his original "special jurisdiction" in the country, dividing the national territory into two parts. One was the special jurisdiction, mainly composed of the territories in the heartland of Russia, ruled by the special jurisdiction army appointed by the Tsar; One is the ordinary area, mainly remote and backward areas, managed by noble lords. Many large nobles were driven from the special jurisdiction to the ordinary area, greatly weakening their power. Emperor Ivan the Terrible also formed a special army that was absolutely loyal to the Tsar and ruthless and tyrannical towards his subjects.
Subsequently, a series of massacres began, with the peak during the period of special jurisdiction from 1565 to 1572. The main targets of the massacre were feudal nobles and aristocrats who had the strength to resist the Tsar. Over the course of 7 years, more than 4000 high-ranking nobles were killed. Ivan IV not only eradicated the aristocracy, but also supported the power of the aristocracy and citizens. The positive effect of special jurisdiction was to eliminate the hidden dangers of local lords' separatism and strengthen centralization.
But other tyrannies of Emperor Ivan the Terrible can only be explained by the tyranny of authoritarian monarchs. His army plundered Novgorod, which had always had an independent and republican tendency, with an estimated tens of thousands of people suffering, as well as massacring the people of Kazan during the annexation of the Kazan Khanate. Only nine of the ancient lord families survived, and most of their land was confiscated; Moscow Bishop Philip was strangled to death for condemning Ivan IV's cruel rule.
In 1572, his army dealt a heavy blow to the Crimean Khanate regime known as the "Whip of the Ottoman Empire" in the Battle of Moloti. At that time, the Ottoman Empire was in its heyday, with the shadow of advancing aggression looming over the entire Eastern and Southeastern Europe. The crushing of the Crimean Khanate dealt a heavy blow to the Ottoman Empire, thwarting its attempts to rule Russia and even the entire Eastern Europe.
In 1574, Ivan IV issued another order allowing the Stroganov family to build cities and recruit soldiers on the eastern side of the Urals, including the Ob River and its tributaries such as the Tula River, Tobol River, and Irtysh River. As a result, Russia directly expanded its influence into the territory of the Siberian Khanate. The Strogano family, following the will of the Tsar, repeatedly invaded the Siberian Khanate and engaged in fierce conflicts with its people.
In 1578, the Russian army suffered a devastating defeat in the Battle of Wenden during the Livonian War.

In 1579, the Stroganov family sent people to contact the Cossack leader Yermak, who had been severely punished by the Tsar, urging him to join and conquer the Siberian Khanate, contributing greatly to the expansion of the Tsar's territory.
In 1581, after long-term planning and preparation, Yermak led a team of 840 people to conquer Siberia. The Tsarist Russian army advanced along the waterway, passing through the Chusovaya River, crossing the Ural Mountains, crossing the Shelebryanka River, Tagil River, Tula River, Tobor River, and finally invading the Irtysh River. On October 26th, Kashrek, the capital of the Siberian Khanate, was captured. Yermak and his group made great contributions to the expansion of Russia. The Tsarist government decided to pardon Yermak and others, commend their actions, and issue a large amount of salaries. The Stroganov family also received rewards from two cities. The aggression and atrocities of the Tsarist Russian army aroused great indignation among the people of the Siberian Khanate, who fought fiercely against the Russian aggressors and persisted in the struggle for more than 20 years. In the same year, Ivan IV accidentally killed his heir, Prince Ivan Ivanovich, in a fit of rage.
Passed away suddenly
At 3am on March 28, 1584 (Russian calendar March 18), Emperor Ivan ordered his attendants to prepare bath water for him. He then took a bath in the bathroom and wrote his will, which took him about two hours. He took a bath until 7am. He stayed in the bathroom for about 4 hours.

His attendant lifted him out of the bathroom and placed him on the bed, saying he wanted to play chess. Playing chess was a fashionable entertainment activity at that time, and he also particularly enjoyed playing chess. Ivan the Terrible ordered the skilled chess player and nobleman Rodion Birkin to be summoned to play chess with him. After a while, several people including Birkin arrived at Ivan the Terrible's bedroom. Ivan the Terrible began to play chess, but only placed the position of the king. His hands seemed to be out of control, and he seemed to have no strength to hold the pieces. Then he fell backwards. Ivan the Terrible died of a stroke at the age of 54.
Two months after the death of Emperor Ivan the Terrible, his son Fyodor I Ivanovich succeeded to the throne and was crowned, solemnly declaring, "According to God's will, our father, the great Tsar who has passed away, the Grand Duke of All Russia, the ruler Ivan Vasilyevich, left behind the kingdom on earth and received the holy image of an angel to ascend to heaven; and he also blessed his son in the name of his rule over the kings of All Russia

Politics
Coronation as Tsar
In 1547, Ivan began to govern himself. At that time, within the feudal ruling class, except for the lord class, small and medium-sized feudal lords hoped to strengthen their royal power in order to end the long-standing chaotic situation of power struggle among lords and nobles. In order to strengthen his position and break free from the control of the aristocracy, on January 16, 1547, 17-year-old Ivan solemnly ascended to the throne in Moscow, which was unprecedented in Russian history. He was officially crowned as the Tsar by Moscow Archbishop Makari.
The renaming of Ivan IV as Tsar has significant political implications. He became a practitioner of the theory of 'Moscow as the Third Rome', transforming the Grand Duke of Moscow into a Tsar (previously only held by Byzantine emperors). In this way, by the end of the 15th century, Moscow Rus became a unified centralized state, establishing Russia's leadership position in the Eastern Orthodox world and thus enhancing Russia's international status.
In February 1549, the so-called "Mediation Conference" was held in Moscow, which was actually the first gentry conference in Russia. In addition to members of the Lord's Duma and church leaders, participants also include leaders and small landlords. On the one hand, the Tsar united the power of the ruling class, and on the other hand, he "appeased" the industrial and commercial citizens and farmers. Subsequently, meetings of the gentry were held one after another. The convening of the gentry meeting and the participation of personnel were decided by Ivan IV. The gentry council was not a permanent institution, nor did it have judicial or administrative power. At that time, it was just a tool used by Ivan IV to achieve his centralized rule.
In 1551, the "Hundred Chapters Conference" was held with representatives from religious circles and secular feudal lords, and a new legal code compiled by Sylvester in 1550 was passed. The legal code restricts the power of lords and local officials, making the trial and governance more centralized in the central government. Reforms were also carried out in the central organs, abolishing the hereditary territorial organs of the past and establishing yamen offices based on the departments under their jurisdiction. The establishment of yamen began during the reign of Ivan III, but at that time, yamen were mostly based on geography, with overlapping institutions, complex affairs, and low efficiency. The yamen established by Ivan IV became a national system, and the responsibilities of each yamen were clearly defined. Its emergence dealt a blow to the feudal separatist forces.

Ivan IV vigorously restricted the power of the church. Russian monks are not like the 'living dead' who are detached from the world. They extensively occupy farmland and engage in commerce and high profit exploitation. Ivan advocated for the confiscation of church land and its distribution to serving nobles, but was strongly opposed by the church forces led by Archbishop Makali. As a result, the government's plan was only partially implemented. In May 1551, Ivan IV issued a decree to confiscate all territories and lands that had been granted to bishops and monasteries by the Lord Duma since the death of Vasily III. The law strictly prohibits churches from obtaining new land without government approval. Without permission, the prince shall not sell or gift his territory to the church. Any land transferred to the church without approval shall be confiscated and used as military territory for redistribution. [3]
Promote the 'special jurisdiction system'
In 1564, Ivan IV implemented a unique "special jurisdiction system" throughout the country, dividing the national territory into two parts: a special jurisdiction, which was directly managed by the Tsar, and an ordinary jurisdiction, mainly consisting of remote and backward areas, which were managed by noble lords. Many large nobles were forced from the special jurisdiction to the ordinary jurisdiction, greatly weakening their power. Ivan IV also formed a special army that was absolutely loyal to the Tsar and ruthless and tyrannical towards his subjects. Subsequently, a series of massacres began, with the peak during the period of special jurisdiction from 1565 to 1572. The main targets of the massacre were feudal nobles and aristocrats who had the strength to resist the Tsar. Over the course of 7 years, more than 4000 high-ranking nobles were killed. Ivan IV not only eradicated the aristocracy, but also supported the power of the aristocracy and citizens. The positive effect of special jurisdiction was to eliminate the hidden dangers of local lords' separatism and strengthen centralization. In addition to eradicating the aristocracy, supporting the middle and small aristocracy, and strengthening centralization, another important point is to reiterate Ivan III's rule that farmers must leave the landlords on Yuri's Day and enrich some provisions. Russia has once again fallen into the quagmire of serfdom. During the reign of Ivan IV, 'Tsar' became the official title for Russian monarchs (a title derived from the Russian way of addressing Byzantine monarchs, which Ivan III had already used but had not yet established).

Economics
In October 1550, Ivan IV ordered the implementation of a new land law, which slightly increased the total area of the territory by confiscating the hereditary territories of the church and some princes. However, the fixed land assets of the church have not yet been touched. Although the church successfully maintained its possession of fixed land, it had to relinquish most of its tax privileges as a "dalhan" (a Tatar term for landowners who enjoyed tax exemptions or benefits). Since the era of self proclaimed separatism, people with the title of "Darhan" (nobles and church princes) are exempt from paying their land taxes to the national treasury. After Ivan IV carried out reforms, he immediately restricted the influence of 'Darhan'. The Tsarist Code explicitly states: "No one shall be granted the title of 'Darhan' in the future, and all certificates of 'Darhan' previously issued shall be revoked." In this way, the privileged Church and Boyar both experienced the power of the new law. Ivan IV also ordered the distribution of high-quality land in Moscow and neighboring counties to over 1000 small nobles who had no territory near Moscow, in order to enhance their political and economic status.
In terms of taxation, the policy of paying taxes based on land area was implemented, and the basic source of income for feudal countries was land tax. The government abolished the privilege of churches and monasteries not paying taxes, registered and measured the land area, established a unified tax standard, and announced the implementation of the "Great Soha" (originally meaning the Russian plow, a land tax unit in 16th and 17th centuries Russia, with size varying according to class) as a tax unit. Taxable farmers (referring to national farmers who cultivate state-owned land and pay taxes to the treasury) generally pay 500 chetviqis (a land area unit in ancient Russia, where all chetviqis are equal to half an Russian acre) as one suha, church land is paid 600 chetviqis as one suha, and serving nobles are paid 800 chetviqis as one suha. Although there is a significant difference in calculation, taxation based on land area is also a powerful restrictive measure for the church and Boyar. The Tsarist government gave special treatment to the small nobles, and the state's tax rate on them was much lower than that of farmers and monks. This shows that Soha's reforms also met the interests of the small nobles.
In order to increase national income, Ivan IV stipulated that the taxes levied by local officials must not be withheld and must be turned over to the national treasury in full. Their Dai wealth was uniformly distributed by the Tsarist government according to regulations to prevent the Boyars from accumulating wealth without any restrictions and expanding their economic strength. Ivan IV also gradually unified the measurement system throughout Russia to make the Boyars obey the leadership of the central government and reduce their political and economic privileges. Anyone who violated this rule was fined and directly deposited into the national treasury. In addition, the station tax and city tax were retained, and a new tax on firearms (used for shooting military pay) and ransom for prisoners of war were added.