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Rabban Sauma's Eastern Journey
In the late 1270s, Nestorian monk Rabban Sauma traveled west from the Yuan capital Dadu on Ilkhan Abaqa's orders, pilgrimaged to Jerusalem, then visi…
Timeline
- 1278–1280Yuan dynasty to Ilkhanate · PersiaRabban Sauma and his companion Markos set out from the Great Khan's domain, crossed Central Asia into the Ilkhanate, and completed pilgrimage preparations in Persia, demonstrating how the Mongol Empire's postal relay system supported long-distance religious diplomacy.
- 1280–1281Jerusalem · JerusalemSauma reached the Holy Land and completed his pilgrimage; during this time Markos was elected Nestorian bishop of the East, while Sauma himself continued Ilkhanate diplomatic missions, paving the way for his later visit to Europe.
- 1287–1288Byzantium and Western Europe · FranceAfter Arghun's accession, he dispatched Sauma to visit European courts to discuss a joint campaign against the Mamluks of Egypt; though no substantive military alliance resulted, Sauma left a detailed itinerary record in Syriac.
Sources
- The History of Yaballaha III and Rabban Sauma
- The Mongols and the West, 1221-1410 — Peter Jackson (2005)