Reflection of one episode of Georgian history in the 14th century Syrian chronicle – „History of Mar Yahbalaha and Bar Sauma“

Abstract

The Catholic Western world exhibited a heightened interest in establishing contact with unfamiliar populations following the
emergence of the Mongols on the global stage. The Papal authority entertained aspirations of effecting the conversion of the Tatars to Catholic Christianity through the deployment of missionary endeavors. The Catholic Church embarked on a vigorous proselytization campaign within the Mongolian uluses. In pursuit of this objective, Georgia, distinguished by its amenable disposition toward Franciscan and Dominican missionaries, emerged as a strategically valuable foothold for this mission. Conversely, the Mongols made efforts to persuade the Papal authority of their earnestness, with the intention of forming an anti-Egyptian coalition. Following this goal, they dispatched envoys to Western regions, often including Christians, to engage in negotiations; among these envoys were the Nestorians, who had established themselves within the Tatar domain long before and
propagated the heretical beliefs censured in Western Europe. Rabban Sauma, a notable itinerant clergyman, was among those who embarked on a journey to the Western world in the years 1287-88. He attained such a distinguished accolade not solely due to his proficient mastery of the Latin language, but also by virtue of his sanctified actions. These included a life of asceticism, enduring numerous trials, and an ardent yearning to undertake a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Together with Rabban Sauma, his disciple, the future patriarch Yahbalaha III, also embarked on the most difficult path with the desire of repentance in about 1275-77. It was within the course of this expedition that the monks arrived in Georgia, where they were informed that, notwithstanding the benevolence of the Ilkhan Khan-Abaqa, they would encounter impediments preventing them from advancing further on their journey. A chronicle attributed to an anonymous author from the first half of the 14th century documents that the monks’ travel to Jerusalem was thwarted due to the presence of marauders and malefactors within the territory of Georgia. The apostasy of Samtskhe from the the Ilkhan rulers must have been a contributing factor in the situation. The resistance of Georgians must have been caused by the earthquake that happened on April 10, 1275. The latter, along with the rest of Georgia, especially affected Samtskhe. The substantial loss of life, widespread damage to infrastructure and edifices, coupled with the imposition of Mongol levies and military obligations, likely contributed analogous transformations within Georgia.
This information brought into the scientific area and its analysis is of paramount importance, because the chronicler, in his accounts,
primarily addresses the political ramifications of the earthquake and notes the departure of father and son-Sargis and Beka, from allegiance to the Ilkhan rulers. The excerpt from Syrian anonymous author’s chronicle, as sited in the article, serves to complement the chronicler’s narrative by shedding light on the pertinent social aspects of the earthquake consequences.