How did dependence on the Horde affect the political development of Russia?

It was the dependence on the Horde that made the Russian princes think about strengthening their principalities. And for this, they not only began to increase the land, which later became the basis of the territories of future Russia, but also went to unification. After all, they understood that alone they could not withstand the Horde, much less get rid of its dominion. They also had to go to the strengthening of the role of Orthodoxy, which helped to unite not only the princes, but also the peoples under their control, giving them such an important sense of self-identification.