Tsar Ivan 4 The Cruel - From Terrified To Terrible

Ivan 4 popularly know as Ivan The Terrible was one of the most bloodthirsty tyrants in History. A monster that he was and everything went dreadfully wrong in Russia because of Him.

Ivan was born on 25 - August - 1530, Kolomenskoye, Moscow. who was also called Ivan the Fearsome, Ivan The Formidable. A misfortune when Ivan was just three years old he ascended the throne post his father's death in 1533 it caused a three-way power struggle between Ivan's forceful mother and other two leading families of the noblemen, the Belskys and the Shuiskys. 

Ivan's mother was poisoned by the noblemen when he was just Eight and his mother's Lover Obolensky was walled up in a dungeon and was left to starve to death. Obolensky's sister was Ivan's nurse and Ivan loved her dearly. Litle Ivan had to be prised and weeping when the soldiers came to take away his dear nurse. His childhood was horrible and was treated very bad by the Boyars (Family of Noblemen). 

Ivan was treated like foreigners and beggars and also lacked food and clothing, he was ignored and wasn't brought up as a child should be. Ivan was treated ill by the persons who were supposed to be his subjects. One historian also mentioned that long before Ivan Became the Terrible, he was "Ivan the Terrified".

Mercilessness Was Key to Survival - Well, the little Ivan when he witnessed as a boy it taught him that mercilessness was the key to survival. At the age of ten, he began to teach himself the rudiment of cruelty. He started torturing Birds, Cats and dogs, hurl them from up and walk down to see their death, yes at the age of Ten. This isn't a movie story but a reality. 

During his teenage Ivan became fascinated by pain, he and his and used to terrorise the peasants in the countryside, by the age of thirteen Ivan was a "Practised" Thug and a Rapist. Well, the new Terrible era began where a terrified Child transformed into a Terrible Teen.

Ivan was ready now to challenge the Boyars, and he was successful in 1547 Ivan Crowned himself. and insisted on the title "Tsar" (A contraction of the Latin title Caesar). From here the Seed of Terror Begun.

What Made Ivan The Terrible?

Tsarevich Ivan Ivanovich of Russia - Son of Ivan The Terrible.

Ivan 4 Killed his Son Ivan Ivanovich for a petty issue.

Ivan Ivanovich was the second son of Ivan The Terrible from his second wife Anastasia Romanova, Ivanovich accompanied his father in major wars one such is the Massacre of Novgorod he was just 15.

Ivan Ivanovich faced a tragic death for a petty reason - Ivanovich had three wives married at 12, 17 and last at 27. Ivan the terrible wanted a legal Heir from his Daughter in law but the first two wives of Ivanovich failed to reproduce this irked Ivan the Terrible so one by one he banished them to Convent.

Lastly, Yelena Sheremeteva was married and was pregnant in October 1581, but fate had decided something else for the Trio - Ivan Ivanovich - Yelena Sheremeteva - Ivan the Terrible.

On November 1581 Ivan The Terrible physically assaulted Yelena Sheremeteva because the dress she wore was inappropriate or according to Ivan the Terrible it was wrong. After hearing loud screams Ivanovich rushed to check and saw his wife bleeding and yes the child in her womb died due to Ivan the Terrible’s attack. It was a Miscarriage.

When Ivanovich defended his wife accusing his father of ruing his marriage life as he sent his 2 wives to the convent and now tried to kill the third one. When Ivanovich remonstrated, Ivan The Terrible lost all his Cool and bashed his son with an Iron Stiffed Staff which Ivan the Terrible always carried. Just one blow which was so hard that one blow made a deep hole in Ivanovich’s Temple and succumbed to the Injury.

He was killed just because he defended his wife and Ivan assaulted his daughter in law because her clothing was Unconventional.

The Name Terrible suites Ivan The best, his character was as complex as it was cruel. Ivan the Terrible was deeply religious, but he never thought anything when he butchered Priests who disobeyed or who displeased him or when ransacking the church for their Gold. To our surprise, Ivan the Terrible was perhaps the most erudite and intelligent man in Russia, but this is nothing as his personal and political life made him “Man Of Flaws”.

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