When Usbeck heard of this event, he was, at first, stupefied by the audacity of the deed.  He imagined that all Russia was in the conspiracy, and that there was to be a general rising to throw off the Tartar yoke.  Still Usbeck, with his characteristic sagacity, decided to employ the Russians to subdue the Russians.  He at once deposed and outlawed Alexander, and declared Jean Danielovitch, of Moscow, to be grand prince, who promised the most obsequious obedience to his wishes.  At the same time he sent an army of fifty-thousand Tartars to cooeperate with the Russian army, which Jean Danielovitch was commanded to put in motion for the invasion of the principality of Tver.  It was in vain to think of resistance, and Alexander fled.  The invading army, with awful devastation, ravaged the principality.  Multitudes were slain.  Others were dragged into captivity.  The smoking ruins of the cities and villages of Tver became the monument of the wrath of the khan.  Alexander, pursued by the implacable wrath of Usbeck, was finally taken and beheaded.

But few particulars are known respecting the condition of southern Russia at this time.  The principalities were under the government of princes who were all tributary to the Tartars, and yet these princes were incessantly quarreling with one another, and the whole country was the scene of violence and blood.

The energies of the Tartar horde were now engrossed by internal dissensions and oriental wars, and for many years, the conquerors still drawing their annual tribute from the country, but in no other way interfering with its concerns, devoted all their energies to conspiracies and bloody battles among themselves.  Moscow now became the capital of the country, and under the peaceful reign of Jean, increased rapidly in wealth and splendor.  Jean, acting professedly as the agent of Usbeck, extorted from many of the principalities double tribute, one half of which he furtively appropriated to the increase of the wealth, splendor and power of his own dominions.  His reign was on the whole one of the most prosperous Russia had enjoyed for ages.  Agriculture and commerce flourished.  The Volga was covered with boats, conveying to the Caspian the furs and manufactures of the North, and laden, on their return, with the spices and fabrics of the Indies.  On the 31st of March, 1340, Jean died.  As he felt the approach of death his spirit was overawed by the realities of the eternal world.  Laying aside his regal robes he assumed the dress of a monk, and entering a monastery, devoted his last days zealously to prayer.  His end was peace.

Immediately after his death there were several princes who were ambitious of grasping the scepter which he had dropped, and, as Usbeck alone could settle that question, there was a general rush to the horde.  Simeon, the eldest son of Jean, and his brothers, were among the foremost who presented themselves in the tent of the all-powerful khan.  Simeon eloquently urged the fidelity with which his father had always served the Mogol prince, and he promised, in his turn, to do every thing in his power to merit the favor of the khan.  So successfully did he prosecute his suit that the khan declared him to be grand prince, and commanded all his rivals to obey him as their chief.