David and Marc were two
Eastern Christians
Eastern Christianity comprises Christian traditions and church families that originally developed during classical and late antiquity in Eastern Europe, Southeastern Europe, Asia Minor, the Caucasus, Northeast Africa, the Fertile Crescent and ...
who were sent as ambassadors to the French king
Louis IX
Louis IX (25 April 1214 – 25 August 1270), commonly known as Saint Louis or Louis the Saint, was King of France from 1226 to 1270, and the most illustrious of the Direct Capetians. He was crowned in Reims at the age of 12, following the d ...
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
André de Longjumeau (also known as Andrew of Longjumeau in English) was a 13th-century Dominican missionary and diplomat and one of the most active Occidental diplomats in the East in the 13th century. He led two embassies to the Mongols: the fi ...
in 1245 in
Tabriz
Tabriz ( fa, تبریز ; ) is a city in northwestern Iran, serving as the capital of East Azerbaijan Province. It is the List of largest cities of Iran, sixth-most-populous city in Iran. In the Quri Chay, Quru River valley in Iran's historic Aze ...
, during his mission to the Mongol realm.
[Roux, “Les explorateurs”, p.106]
Embassy to King Louis
Little is known about the envoys except for their mission. In 1248, the two men were sent by the Mongol general
Eljigidei
Eljigidei Noyan (, d. 1251) was a Mongol commander in Persia.
Career
He was a commander of the kheshig during reign of Ögedei. Following the election of Güyük in 1246, he replaced Baiju, Batu's protégé. He departed from Mongolia in Sept ...
, acting on behalf of the Khan
Güyük, to meet with Louis IX on
Cyprus
Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is geo ...
. King Louis had arrived on the island on November 17, 1248, making preparation for his Crusade. The two envoys met with him on December 20.
The speed of their arrival is perhaps because they had been informed of Louis’ journey beforehand, as he had left from
Aigues-Mortes
Aigues-Mortes (; oc, Aigas Mòrtas) is a commune in the Gard department in the Occitania region of southern France. The medieval city walls surrounding the city are well preserved. Situated on the junction of the Canal du Rhône à Sète a ...
on August 25, 1248. They claimed they had received the information from the sultan of
Mossoul. The envoys also met with the Papal legate
Eudes de Chateauroux.
The two envoys brought with them a missive to Louis from Khan Güyük . This letter contrasted with earlier Mongol letters, which had been filled with contempt and demands for submission. However, Güyük's letter called Louis "the great king" ("maximus rex"), and wished him the best for his battles against the Muslims. Güyük also asked Louis to respect all the Christian faiths present in the Orient:
David and Marc claimed that Güyük had been converted to Christianity with 18 other princes by "Bishop Malassias" and that Eljigedei had already been Christian for a long time.
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 seven French envoys led by King Louis' envoy,
André de Longjumeau
André de Longjumeau (also known as Andrew of Longjumeau in English) was a 13th-century Dominican missionary and diplomat and one of the most active Occidental diplomats in the East in the 13th century. He led two embassies to the Mongols: the fi ...
. The group included two other Dominican friars, Jean de Carcassonne and Andre’s brother Guillaume de Longjumeau; two clerks Jehanz Godriche and Robert de Poissy; and two officers Gilbert de Sens and Herberz le Sommelierz. A more or less independent clerk named Theodule d’Acre would also join the group, and later visit Karakorum. They carried rich presents from the king of France to the Mongol ruler: a scarlet tent-chapel with an embroidered scene of the life of Christ, and precious parcels of the cross of Jesus Christ.
From
Antioch
Antioch on the Orontes (; grc-gre, Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπὶ Ὀρόντου, ''Antiókheia hē epì Oróntou'', Learned ; also Syrian Antioch) grc-koi, Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπὶ Ὀρόντου; or Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπ ...
or
Saint-Jean d'Acre
Acre ( ), known locally as Akko ( he, עַכּוֹ, ''ʻAkō'') or Akka ( ar, عكّا, ''ʻAkkā''), is a city in the coastal plain region of the Northern District of Israel.
The city occupies an important location, sitting in a natural harb ...
to
Central Asia
Central Asia, also known as Middle Asia, is a subregion, region of Asia that stretches from the Caspian Sea in the west to western China and Mongolia in the east, and from Afghanistan and Iran in the south to Russia in the north. It includes t ...
, the group is known to have travelled under a Mongol guard using the "admirably organized" Mongol imperial post.
["On allait grand train, utilisant la poste imperiale admirablement organisee" (Roux, ''Les explorateurs au Moyen-Age'', p.110).]
See also
*
Christianity among the Mongols
In modern times the Mongols are primarily Tibetan Buddhism, Tibetan Buddhists, but in previous eras, especially during the time of the Mongol empire (13th–14th centuries), they were primarily shamanist, and had a substantial minority of Chri ...
Notes
References
* Roux, Jean-Paul, ''Les explorateurs au Moyen-Age'', Fayard, 1985,
{{DEFAULTSORT:David And Mark
Christians of the Crusades
Mongol Empire Christians
13th-century diplomats
Ambassadors to the Mongol Empire