Daniel of Galicia
Daniel Romanovich (Ukrainian Данило Галицький / Danylo Halytzkyj; * 1201, † 1264 in Chelm ) was next to Alexander Nevsky the most important ruler of the Rus during the early era of Mongol rule. He ruled the Principality of Halych - Volodymyr and at times the Principality of Kiev, whereupon he rose unsuccessful claims to the grand ducal dignity of the Rus. Unlike Alexander Nevsky, who fought despite the Mongol invasion against the invading German Teutonic Knights, Daniel assumed the papal protection against the Mongols, which to date has cultural and religious consequences in Galicia.
Life
Daniel was the son of Prince Roman of Halych - Volodymyr. 1223 he participated in the Battle of the Kalka against the Mongols and escaped when the battle was lost. After the campaign of Batu Khan's 1240/41 and the destruction of Kiev Daniel tried to rebuild his country and the protection of their government claims against its neighbors and the boyars. He placed himself in 1246 as all the princes of Rus and the Mongols survived the trip to the farm.
He brought with Eastern Slavs, Germans, Jews and Armenians foreign settlers and merchants into the country and founded and promoted cities like Lviv and Chelm and road construction. The prince tried to make for his protection a far-reaching network of alliances. An important point was the marriage of his son Švarno with Mindaugas ' daughter, but also reconciliation with Poland and the support of the rebellious Grand Duke Andrei, another son- served this goal.
After years of negotiations Daniel Union in 1253 received from the pope and the king's crown. Due to the conversion to Catholicism, Daniel hoped one promised by the Pope campaign against the Tatars, but this was never realized. The coronation had no immediate political or religious consequences, but is today an often quoted symbolic act of belonging to Latin Europe dar.
Finally, Daniel and his son Lev beat after a dispute over the tax collection two Tatar pillaging back, namely the commander of the western bank of the Dnieper, the Prince Kuremsa ( 1254/55 ). He would then shake off the foreign rule, but 1258/59 ended in a fiasco. In these two years, a large Mongol army retreated under Burundai and Prince Noqai by Daniels principality, first on to Lithuania and then to Poland. In both cases, the nobility, under the leadership of Daniel's brother ( Vasilko ) and his son was forced to military service, including the attack on the own cities. The cities had to grind their city walls, the country was again devastated. Daniel himself apparently had to flee.
For the year 1263 Daniel (including Vasilko brother and son Lev) is again mentioned as a visitor of the Tatar army camp Burundais.
In Daniel followed his (fifth ) son Švarno ( 1264-70 ), the second son Lev ( 1270-1301 ), both of which could get a certain independence of the country. His line died out in 1323 and finally 1340.