But in process of time feeble grand princes reigned at Kief.  The vassal princes, strengthening themselves in alliances with one another, or seeking aid from foreign semi-civilized nations, such as the Poles, the Danes, the Hungarians, often imposed laws upon their nominal sovereign, and not unfrequently drove him from the throne, and placed upon it a monarch of their own choice.  Sviatopolk II. was driven to the humiliation of appearing to defend himself from accusation before the tribunal of his vassal princes.  Monomaque and Mstislaf I., with imperial energy, brought all the vassal princes in subjection to their scepter, and reigned as monarchs.  But their successors, not possessing like qualities, were unable to maintain the regal dignity; and gradually Kief sank into a provincial town, and the scepter was transferred to the principality of Souzdal.

Andre, of Souzdal, abolished the system of appanages, as it was called, in which the principalities were in entire subjection to the princes who reigned over them, these princes only rendering vassal service to the sovereign.  He, in their stead, appointed governors over the distant provinces, who were his agents to execute his commands.  This measure gave new energy and consolidation to the monarchy, and added incalculable strength to the regal arm.  But the grand princes, who immediately succeeded Andre, had not efficiency to maintain this system, and the princes again regained their position of comparative independence.  Indeed, they were undisputed sovereigns of their principalities, bound only to recognize the superior rank of the grand prince, and to aid him, when called upon, as allies.

In process of time the princes of the five great principalities, Pereiaslavle, Tchernigof, Kief, Novgorod and Smolensk, were subdivided, through the energies of warlike nobles, into minor appanages, or independent provinces, independent in every thing save feudal service, a service often feebly recognized and dimly defined.  The sovereigns of the great provinces assumed the title of Grand Princes.  The smaller sovereigns were simply called Princes.  Under these princes were the petty lords or nobles.  The spirit of all evil could not have devised a system better calculated to keep a nation incessantly embroiled in war.  The princes of Novgorod claimed the right of choosing their grand prince.  In all the other provinces the scepter was nominally hereditary.  In point of fact, it was only hereditary when the one who ascended the throne had sufficient vigor of arm to beat back his assailing foes.  For two hundred years, during nearly all of the eleventh and twelfth centuries, it is with difficulty we can discern any traces of the monarchy.  The history of Russia during this period is but a history of interminable battles between the grand princes, and petty, yet most cruel and bloody, conflicts between the minor princes.