the order that Michael should be put to death.

One of Michael's pages came to the tent occupied by him, and told him
that George and a Tartar general were approaching. "I know what their
object is," said the unfortunate duke. He at once sent his young son
to one of the khan's wives, who had promised to protect the child. The
two men came to the tent and ordered the Tver boyards to leave. Hired
assassins were called in, and a Russian ruffian named Romanetz stabbed
the unfortunate duke. When George and the Tartar entered, they saw the
nude corpse; it had been despoiled. The Tartar was shocked. "What!" he
cried, "Will you allow the body of your uncle to be outraged!" George
only smiled; but one of his attendants threw a cloak over the murdered
man.

When Michael's children grew up, one of his sons, Dmitri of the
Terrible Eyes, secured some friends at the khan's court. He obtained
the title of grand duke, and a baskak received orders to install him.
When George heard this, he hurried to Sarai; there the two men met, and
Dmitri, drawing his sword, killed his father's murderer (1325). (p. 085)
Dmitri was arrested and put to death by order of the khan, but his
brother Alexander was permitted to succeed him at Tver.

This duke was in sympathy with the people. Suffering under the
oppression of the Tartar tax collectors, the people revolted under the
leadership of Alexander. The palace of the baskak was attacked, and he
and his attendants were killed. Uzbeck, incited by Ivan Kalita,
George's brother and successor at Moscow, prepared to take revenge,
when Ivan volunteered to punish Tver, as well as Riazan and Novgorod
which had given evidence of sympathy. The offer was accepted, and Ivan
at the head of a Muscovite army reenforced by 50,000 Tartars marched
upon the doomed city. Alexander and his brothers fled. Tver and two
other cities were sacked, the Duke of Riazan was put to death, and
Novgorod had to pay a heavy fine. Ivan thought that his services would
procure him Tver and Riazan, but Uzbeck did not intend to extend the
power of the treacherous family, and Constantine, another son of
Michael, was made Duke of Tver. He and Ivan went to Sarai, where the
latter was ordered to bring Alexander before the khan. The prince had
found an asylum in Pskof, where Ivan's messengers appeared to demand
his surrender. The envoys urged him to give himself up under the plea
"not to expose a Christian people to the wrath of the infidels.