David and Mark

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David and Marc were two Eastern Christians who were sent as ambassadors to the French king Louis IX by the Mongols in 1248. David is also known by his Arab name Saif al-Din Muzaffar Dawaud. David and Marc were first met by André de Longjumeau in 1245 in Tabriz, during his mission to the Mongol realm.[1]

Contents

[edit] Embassy to Saint-Louis

In 1248, the two envoys were sent by the Mongol general Eljigidei for the Khan Guyuk, to meet with Louis IX as he was arriving in the island of Cyprus for preparations for his Crusade. Louis arrived in the island on November 17th 1248, and the two envoys met with him on December 20th.[2] It is thought that they had been informed of Louis’s departure beforehand, as he left from Aigues-Mortes on August 25, 1248. They claimed they had got the information from the sultan of Mossoul. The envoys also met with the Papal legate Eudes de Chateauroux.

The two envoys were bringing to Louis a missive from the Khan Guyuk. The letter constrasted with earlier Mongol letters which were filled with contempt and demands for submission. The letter called Louis “the great king” (“maximus rex”), and wished him the best for his battles against the Muslims. Guyuk also asked Louis to respect all the Christians faiths present in the Orient:

”The king of the world demands (...) that there should not be, by the grace of God, any segregation between the Latins, the Greeks, the Armenians, the Nestorians, the Jacobites, and all those who honour the cross; all of them are one and the same to our eyes. Therefore we also ask to the magnificent king that he make no difference between them as well.”

– Letter from Guyuk to Saint Louis, 1248.[3]

David and Marc also claimed that Guyuk (1246-1248) has been converted to Christianity with 18 other princes by “Bishop Malassias” (an apparent deformation of the word “Marhasia”, meaning “True Saint”[4] and "Bishop" in Eastern Christianity[5]) and that Eljigedei had already been Christian for a long time.

The embassy decided Louis IX to send an envoy to the Mongols in the person of André de Longjumeau. After celebrating Christmas together, David and Marc had a final interview with the king on January 25, 1249. They left on the 26th, together with the 7 French envoys led by Andre de Longjumeau (besides Andre himself were the two Dominicans Jean de Carcassonne and Andre’s brother Guillaume de Longjumeau, two clercs Jehanz Godriche and Robert de Poissy, two officers Gilbert de Sens and Herberz le Sommelierz. A more or less independent clerc named Theodule d’Acre would also join the group, and later visit Karakorum).[6]. They were equipped with rich presents from the king of France to the Mongol ruler: a scarlet tent-chapel with embroidered scene of the life of Christ, and precious parcells of the cross of Jesus Christ.　From Antioch or Saint-Jean d'Acre to Central Asia, the group is known to have travelled under a Mongol guard using the “admirably organized” Mongol imperial post.[7]

[edit] See also

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Roux, “Les explorateurs”, p.106
  2. ^ Roux, “Les explorateurs”, p.106
  3. ^ Quoted in Roux, “Les explorateurs”, p.107
  4. ^ Roux, “Les explorateurs”, p.107
  5. ^ The Empire of the Steppes. A History of Central Asia by René Grousset, p.686
  6. ^ Roux, “Les explorateurs”, p.109
  7. ^ "On allait grand train, utilisant la poste imperiale admirablement organisee" (Roux, « Les explorateurs au Moyen-Age », p.110).

[edit] References

Roux, Jean-Paul, « Les explorateurs au Moyen-Age », Fayard, 1985, ISBN 2012793398