|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
CHAPTER XIII.
PILLAGE AND MURDER IN MARAGHAH 227 on which the prayer beginning] "Tau naudhe waneshabbah" (i.e. "come ye, let us praise and glory") [is said]. And when the story went forth that this impudent fellow had done this without any royal command, and had acted solely because of the evil of his disposition, and the intensity of is wickedness, the Amirs and the governors who were in MARAGHAH gathered together, and took counsel, and decided to perform judgement on a following Sunday and to restore to the Cell the various valuable objects which those impudent men had carried off from it. Now these objects were of very great price, among them being the gold seal which the King of Kings MANGU KHAN [the eldest son of TULUI KHAN and grandson of GENGHIS KHAN] (see Plate XIX)--May our Lord give rest to his soul, and make his portion to be with the saints!--had given to the Patriarchal Cell, and that crown which Mar Papa (the Pope) had given to the Cell, (see p. 196), and another seal, made of silver, which the deceased King Arghon had given to Catholicus (see p. 155) (118). And then [on the following Sunday] the people of the Arabs were assembled before the Amirs and Judges, and the rods for the punishment of the evil doers had been brought [and they began] to beat [them], straightway with one voice they all uttered loud cries [of protest]. 228 THE MONKS OF KUBLAI KHAN And they took stones in their hands, and, shut their ears, and chased the Amirs and the governor every man to his house. And every Christian who fell into their hands they smote and belaboured pitilessly. In the impetuosity of their attack they came to the Cell, and they pulled down all the buildings as far as the beams of the of the roof. And they smashed in with stones the heads of the monks who were in the Cell, and of the young men who had gone up to the roof to hide themselves. When one of the disciples saw these things taking place, he hurled [the stones] back on the Arabs and wounded some of them. Thereupon the Arabs became more infuriated and one of them went up behind that disciple and smote him with [his] sword and cut off his head, and threw it down to the ground. Then the monks who were there cast themselves down [from the roof], and there were some of them whose bones were broken. And one of the Christians (119), seeing that the monks had cast themselves down in order to save their lives, stretched out his hand for the knife, and smote that monk and killed him. Certain believing men grasped the other monks and dragged them into [their] houses. And the treasury of the holy church of MAR GEORGE, which RABBAN SAWMA had built, was broken open and everything that was in the Cell, the vessels of PILLAGE AND MURDER IN MARAGHAH 229 copper and iron, the carpets, and the chests of stores, which had escaped a previous looting, were all taken and carried off at the same time. But by the looting of those things the church itself was saved and delivered from pulling down and destruction. Those impudent men had fully intended to destroy the church, but God in His mercy on that church prevented them from doing this by means of the objects which they looted. And to speak briefly this last looting was so much worse than the first looting which took place at the beginning [of the persecution], that neither the tongue is capable of describing it, nor the pen of the skilled scribe able to write any account of it]. If God had not shown mercy (120) and the believing woman QUEEN BURGESIN ARGI (?) had not hidden the Catholicus and the holy men in her house, and, with the help of God which supported [her], protected them, all that was left for the Church to do was to bow her head, and veil her face, for those turbulent men were determined to make a massacre. After five days (121) they departed to a place which is called SHAKATO, and thence they removed themselves to the mountain which is called SIYA KUH, until the king returned from BAGHDAD TO HAMADAN. And in the neighborhood of this city the Catholicus went to 230 THE MONKS OF KUBLAI KHAN him, and when the king saw him he was sorry for him, and for his broken condition. And he issued a Pukdana (Edict) and sent a messenger and gave orders that all the people of the city of Maraghah should be seized, and bound with fetters, and beaten with stripes until they gave up what they had robbed from the Cell, and also that they should rebuild the churches and restore them to their former condition, And after great toil, and the beatings and tortures which they were made to suffer, they had produced a very small part of what they had stolen. and the rest remained [with them].
CHAPTER XIV. REBELLIONS AND FIGHTINGS IN THE FORTRESS OF ARBIL.
232 THE MONKS OF KuBLAI KHAN kingdom and to seize it for himself. And he stationed allies in every place, and men who belonged to his party in every district, until God revealed his plans and laid bare his crafty designs. And whilst the Arabs were pressing in on (i.e. beleaguering) that Fortress, the brother of that impudent man, and his wives and children were captured, and the victorious King KAZAN--may his life be preserved!--put them to death on the Sunday [of the prayer] "Ainau asya" (i.e. "what physician"), during the Redeeming Fast (i.e. Lent) of the yea of the Greeks one thousand six hundred and eight (A.D. 1297). And, straightway, rebellion arose afresh. The highways and roads were cut (i.e. blocked) by the keepers of the guard who were stationed upon them, for that son of perdition' NAWRUZ, had escaped, and the troops of the king went forth to search for him; and were longing to catch him. And whilst they were in pursuit of him, the Christians in the Fortress of ARBIL were to being pushed (i.e. attacked) by those who were outsiders; they cast up embankments and set up battering rams (123), and fixed machines for castings (maghenas), and they made fierce war against the Fortress. And the Metropolitan of ARBIL, whose name was MAR ABRAHAM, and who was an old and feeble man, was captured, together with many priests who ministered in the church, and the REBELLIONS IN FORTRESS OF ARBIL 233 clerics and believing men; and some of them were killed and some of them were sold [as slaves] for very high prices. And the Fortress remained in the possession of the soldiers, some of them being Mongols in the service of that Amir who had brought this result about, and others, men belonging to various tribes of the KARTEWAYE (i.e. Kurds). To state the matter briefly, men came from every country to plunder the Christians; and for this reason many murders took place, and carryings off of men and women into captivity which cannot be described. And even among the Arabs many died by the mouth (i.e. edge) of the sword. And matters continued to be thus from the second day of the week (Monday) of the Prayer of the Ninevites until the Feast of My Lord the Adorable Cross, of the year which has been mentioned (A.D. 1297). Thus were these things. Now the soldiers of the victorious King KAZAN, and a great Amir, (124) who was with him, at length confined that son of perdition [NAWRUZ, the accursed], in one of the fortresses of KHORASAN, and the men of the fortress acted treacherously in respect of him, and put him in fetters and delivered him, bound, to those soldiers. And then and there they cut off his head and sent it to the victorious king. And the messenger who brought the head arrived and came to the victorious king on the twenty-fifth day of Abh (August) of this year, when he 234 THE MONKS OF KUBLAI KHAN was in a place which is called SHAREKHANAH (or SHARAPKHANAH), and is in the neighbourhood of ALA TAK. And the king had rest from the waves of his (i.e. NAWRUZ'S) wickedness and from the storm of his cunning desires and crafty deceits. May his portion be with Satana, his counsellor and fellow-servant! Now the accusations (or complaints) against the Fortress of Arbil and the believers who were therein increased steadily, and the tumult because of them waxed strong in the Great Camp. It was said:--"These men have killed a large number of Arabs. They have revolted against the Government. Every Ishmaelite (i.e.Hagaraya or Muhammadan) they meet they kill without pity. Enmity increased, threats were multiplied (125), until at length they succeeded in making the reports enter the ears of the victorious king, and they were repeated before his throne. Now as we have said before [in writing of] these [Mongol] kings, God gave the Christians favour in the eyes of the king, and he knew that they were cruelly oppressed. But although he had turned aside from the way of his fathers, and had inclined to dogma [which maketh] bitter the soul, he had not changed his good disposition in respect of them. As his answer to those men who had made him hear the accusations against the Fortress when Mar Catholicus set out with a following for the (Royal] Camp at ALA TAK, through the REBELLIONS IN FORTRESS OF ARBIL 235 force of the circumstances which lay upon him, for there remained not to him one place in which to lay his head, the victorious king sent to him two of the nobles who [stood] before him. One of these was called KHWAJA RASHID AD DIN, and with him was TARMADADH, an Amir. And they said unto him, "The king commandeth; let Mar Catholicus hear his command!" And Mar Catholicus replied, "Most certainly, who is there that would not receive the command of the king--may he live for ever!" And the nobles said, "The king (126) commandeth, saying "If the king were to make the Christians evacuate that Fortress, and give them land, and water, and houses, and protect them from everyone who attempted to injure them, and bring them here, and release them from every burden of tax and duty, how would [this] plan work out, and how doth it appear in thy opinion? For the enmity between these two religions of the ARABS and the SYRIANS hath increased. If the matter be left in the state in which it now is, very grievous injuries will overtake the kingdom through it; if these men are left as they are, many other revolts will spring into existence. What now doth the Catholicus say to the matter, and the manner in which it is to be carried out?" And the Catholicus made answer to them. When he heard this his eyes became filled with and his mouth showed forth his suffering, 236 THE MONKS OF KUBLAI KHAN and with a bitter choking of his voice he said, "I have heard the command of my lord, the king, and there is no one who can evade it or change the character thereof. If only I could remember what hath happened to me, and show it forth the heavens and the earth would be forced to weep. If it pleaseth you (127), since ye demand of me an answer to declare to the victorious king, I will speak. I had a Cell in BAGHDAD, and a church and endowments which were settled upon me; they have been taken [from me]. The church and the Cell that were in MARAGHAH have been torn up by their roots and cast down, and everything which was in them hath been plundered, as ye are well aware. I have escaped being murdered, and my state is manifest. As for the church and the Cell which were in TABHRIZ, there remaineth only a flat plot of ground with no building upon it, and everything that was in them hath been plundered. The places whereon the Cell and the church stood in the city of Hamadhan it is wholly impossible to point out. There remain now the Cell and the church in the Fortress of Arbil and one hundred souls, and do ye wish to scatter them also and to plunder them? What is the good of life to me? Let my lord the king command either that I return to the East, whence I came, or that I go to the country of the PEROGAYA (Franks) and bring my life to an end there." REBELLIONS IN FORTRESS OF ARBIL 237 (128) When the envoys heard this they were sorrowful, and their eyes also were filled with tears. And they rose up straightway and went in haste to the victorious king, and placed before him these answers, word for word. And forthwith the king--may he live for ever!--gave the command, "The Christians shall not be ejected from the Fortress, and if they are in want of food let it be given to them at the expense of the Diwan until the soldiers can come down on the approach of winter." And a certain Amir, who was a hateful man, prevented [this order being carried out] for he wrote and acted in another manner. The matter, however, which was most necessary, was the rescue of the oppressed men and prisoners, who were shut up in the Fortress. And after much labour and constant going to and fro an Edict appeared; and envoys were permitted to go to Arbil and release the men in the Fortress And the Catholicus sent with them to the Fortress a certain holy man (a bishop?) that perhaps through his intervention [the envoys] would be able to open the gates of the Fortress [more easily], and that the people would devote themselves to concluding an arrangement for peace. And the Catholicus said farewell to (129) the envoys and the holy men (bishops?) who were with them, and they arrived at Arbil on the 238 THE MONKS OF KUBLAI KHAN 14th day of the month of 'Ilul (September of the year already mentioned [A.D. 1297]. They tied together the [parts of the] bridge of the Fortress, and they went in and released the men in the Fortress, and after much labour and tribulation of spirit, and suffering of the heart, they made them to be friends with the Arabs. And the expense incurred by the Catholicus and the Christians who were there was not small, for it was about ten thousand dinars ( £5,000) in addition to what was given from the Cell to the Amir who effected this with them, and this amounted to about fifteen hundred dinars more. The chief of the Arabs confirmed (i.e. signed or sealed) the agreement on the oars of the Arabs to keep the peace, and the Metropolitan of the Christians confirmed (i.e. signed or sealed their agreement with the Arabs to keep the peace; and one of the Amirs carried away both documents and exhibited them before the victorious king. And another Edict was promulgated ordering that the Fortress should belong to the Christians who were empowered to demand the restoration of everything which had gone from them. Thus wickedness ceased, and peace (or goodwill) increased (130) by the help of God and the outpouring of His mercies upon His creatures. But in spite of all this the Arabs did not cease from evil, and they found means of attacking and doing harm to the Christians as they have REBELLIONS IN FORTRESS OF ARBIL 239 240 THE MONKS OF KUBLAI KHAN CHAPTER XV. MAR YAHBH-ALLAHA FLOURISHETH AND FINISHES BUILDING THE MONASTERY OF MARAGHAH
And the Catholicus passed the winter of the year of the Greeks, one thousand six hundred and ten [A.D. 1299] in the Fortress of ARBIL, for from the year which we have mentioned that is, one thousand six hundred and five, he YAHBH-ALLAHA FINISHES MONASTERY 241 had not seen the people thereof. He rejoiced at the sigh! of them, and passed the winter happily among them. The joy of the father in his children increased, and also that of the children in their father, for they were emerging from labours, that is to say, trials, and were freeing themselves from a great disaster and from stark suffering. And when the winter had passed, the Catholicus set out in the month of Nisan (April) for the Royal Camp, and he went to MUGHAN where the kings passed the summer. And [the king] rejoiced in him greatly and paid him honour, and commanded that whatever happened, he should enter MARAGHAH again. And in accordance with the [king's] command he went to the city [and arrived there] on the Sunday [of the prayer] "haw dabhithutheh" (i.e. "He who in His being"). And he passed that summer in [his]Cell, with great content, in MARAGHAH (133). And in the month of the [first] Teshri, (October) of the year of the Greeks, one thousand six hundred and eleven [A.D. 1299], he went down again with the victorious King Kazan to the countries of Arbil and MAWSIL (Mosul). Now the object of the victorious king was to conquer the countries of PALESTINE and SYRIA. And the Catholicus wintered in the Fortress of ARBIL, and during the whole of that winter, he devoted himself to getting ready the money for [the building 242 THE MONKS OF KUBLAI KHAN of the monastery of which he was laying the foundations. And when the victorious king returned from PALESTINE [and SYRIA], having conquered and broken their armies, and plundered them, and scattered, and slain and carried of the inhabitants into captivity--for he hd actually carried out what he had determined to do(1)--the Catholicus went up again with him to ADHORBIJAN. And he began to build the monastery, and he devoted his whole care and energy to the work until he completed it. And in the month of 'Ilul (September) of the year [A.D. 1300], KAZAN, the victorious king came to Mar Catholicus at Maraghah, and he remained with him for three days. And the joy of the Christians waxed great, and the kin (134) showed great love towards them, for he knew well that they were simple and guileless, and innocent of wickedness. And he departed with a joyful heart from the Catholicus, who had ministered unto him exceedingly well. And the king turned and went down again to the countries of ARBIL and MAWSIL in the winter of the year of the Greeks, one thousand six hundred and thirteen [read 1612--A.D. 1300-01]. And the Catholicus also went down with him and accompanied him to a place which was nigh unto the region of SHIGHAR (SINJAR). Then he
YAHBH-ALLAHA FINISHES MONASTERY 243 went back and passed the winter in the citadel of ARBIL,until the victorious king returned, when he again went up with him. And during the going up the KARTEWAYA (KURDS) made an ambush for Mar Catholicus, and as he was passing on the road, they sent arrows at him, and an arrow hit one of his fingers and wounded him slightly. The victorious king was enraged at this and he swore the full Mongol oath, saying, " I will take vengeance of those Kurds" (135). And when the Catholicus arrived at MARAGHAH he went up to the monastery of MAR JOHN THE BAPTIST, which he had founded, and he took with him the monks whom he had gathered together. His intention was to finish that building, and he said:, "If God hath mercy upon me, and I am able to finish it and to consecrate it, this would be a great act of grace on His part towards me." And God--may His honour be adored!--helped him, and, his object, according as he wished, was accomplished. And that building was finished with everything that was beautiful, and the ornamentations thereof were such that words cannot describe their great excellence. The buildings were handsome, the doors were things to be admired, and its superstructure was raised above on worked slabs (or pillars ?), and its foundations of dressed stones were truly laid. Thus it was, he made its doors of dressed slabs, ornamented. with designs, and its stairways 244 THE MONKS OF KUBLAI KHAN were also of dressed stone. What wards can describe its majesty [adequately]? And the site on which the edifice was built possesseth great consolation [i.e. charm], and is full of splendour. The veils [i.e. curtains] that are before the door of the altar, and in front of the tombs and the sacristy, are most wonderful and marvellous. They are made of a woven fabric (136), with designs in hollow work, and have threads of fine gold running through them. Its wall is so high [that its height] preventeth the attainment of the scaling of it. As for the water suppIy of the monastery, water flowed through all the cells of the monks, and carried outside it by means of channels (or drains) every impurity. Recently a cell for the Patriarch has been built in the monastery, and the Throne is therein to-day, for the Patriarch doth not go out therefrom. And the greater number of the layings on of hands [i.e. ordinations] take place therein, and the decrees, that is to say, ecclesiastical cannons are confirmed therein. There too are fixed [i.e. deposited] the relics of the saints, whose names we will mention presently and healings descend upon all those who take refuge in them. And although, strictly speaking the monastery was built [in the name of] MAR JOHN, the Baptist, there have, nevertheless been gathered together therein the relics of [many other] saints, with a care and diligence which surpasses YAHBH-ALLAHA FINISHES MONASTERY 245 And these have been laid up there for the help of believers, and as a refuge for the afflicted, and the relief of those oppressed with pain, and the consolation of those who are troubled. The holy shrine, containing relics (137) are arranged in order and are placed near each other. The length of the temples (i.e. the two naves and aisles of the monastery, together with the altar is, according to those who have measured them say, sixty cubits (about 100 feet), and the width of the middle nave is twelve cubits [about 20 feet]. The altar, and the chamber of the holy of holies, and the treasury are very spacious. The whole of the outside of the dome of the altar is inlaid with green glazed (kashani) tiles, and on the top of it is placed a cross. The names of the saints' relics and portions of whose bodies are preserved in it are: Of the blessed Mother, my LADY MARY, a small piece of her head-cloth which the deceased RABBAN SAWMA had brought from the countries of the PEROGAYE, Franks); MAR JOHN the BAPTIST; the holy Apostles PETER and PAUL--may their prayers be with the community!; MAR THOMAS the Apostle; and MAR GEORGE; MAR ADDAI and MAR MARI, the Apostles, and preachers of the Gospel in the regions of the East; MAR STEPHEN the Protomartyr; MAR CYRIHACUS, the martyr who was martyred at TARSUS, A.D. 301], and the Forty Martyrs [who were slain by SAPOR II, 246 THE MONKS OF KUBLAI KHAN A.D.356] ; MAR SIMON BAR-SABBA'E, martyred by Sapor II at Ledan]; (138) MAR JOHN of DAILEM; MAR SERGIUS and MAR BACHUS, [martyred by Maximian]; MAR SHALITA, (see p. 305); MAR SABHA the martyr; MAR HANAN 'ISHO; MAR SAMUEL; MAR JAMES, who was cut in pieces; MAR SELIBHA, MAR IISHO'-SABHRAN, MAR ELISHA, the tried martyr; the holy daughter of MA'YO (MANYO); and SHAMONI and her sons [who were slain by ANTIOCHUS EPIPHANES]. May their prayers help the world, and may it preserve the inhabited portion of it from every harm! [And the Catholicus] consecrated the church and set the stone of its altar in its place on the day of the holy festival of Mar (i.e. my.Lord) the Adorable Cross on the 13th day of 'Ilul (September) in the year of the Greeks one thousand six hundred and twelve (A.D. 1301). And on the day of its consecration there were gathered together all blessed believers of Adhorbijan, and they flocked thither bearing votive offerings and tithes, each one according to his ability, and every man according to his position and rank. And they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. And Mar Catholicus made a great feast, and he gathered together to it men of every shade of religious belief and opinion. And he took (139) the cup and presented it to all of them, and made them to enjoy the feast. And YAHBH-ALLAHA FINISHES MONASTERY 247 blessed them even as did SOLOMON the king when he had completed that great house of God (2 Chron. vi.) and blessed the people of the Lord. And the amount of money which the Catholicus spent on the monastery before he finished it was four hundred and twenty thousand zuze [i.e. between £40,000 and £50,000]. And he gave apparel to the holy men (bishops?) and monks, and architects, that is to say, the carpenters and the handicraftsmen, and every one had toiled on the building, to each according to his rank, and according to the service he had rendered. Behold, services of prayer, and celebrations of the Eucharist take place therein continually; it is a spectacle (or public show) for all the Orientals, and a refuge which dispenseth help. The Catholicus gave to this holy monastery a village called DHABHI, which lay in the eastern parts of MARAGHAH, and which he had bought for eleven thousand dinars. He made the village "Wakf," that is to say, he settled it as a permanent endowment for the monastery. And he settled other properties upon it, such as gardens, vineyards, plantations, fields,and other things, so that (140), the income from them, that is to say, from [the sale of] the crops which they produced, would sustain the life of the monks and provide food for them, and for lamps and candles, and defray the cost of the 248 THE MONKS OF KUBLAI KHAN repairs and the upkeep of that holy place. And he called that holy monastery, "Malka dhe `Umre," i.e. the "King of Monasteries. May he receive [from] our Lord his reward and may He grant him the wages of his weary toil, namely, the happiness which is in the kingdom of heaven, and a sojourning with the saints, the lovers of our Lord Jesus Christ; and may our Lord place on his right hand every one who hath laboured with Mar Catholicus and been associated with him in this work! Amen.
CHAPTER XVI THE LOVE OF KING KAZAN FOR MAR YAHBH-ALLAHA,
And at the return of the year [in 1302?], when the king came back from MUGHAN, the Catholicus again went to see him, and to pronounce blessings 250 THE MONKS OF KUBLAI KHAN upon him ; now this meeting was exceptionally joyful [to each], and the sight [of each other was most grateful to them. The king set apart for him a seat of honour on his right hand, and gave him many gifts, that is to say a Paiza (see p. 62) and costly royal apparel, and he manifested towards the Catholicus the sincere love which cometh from a very pure heart. And Mar Catholicus thanked him (142), and then returned to ARBIL in the year of the Greeks, one thousand six hundred and fourteen [A.D. 1302], that he might go from there to BAGHDAD. Now it was a long time, in fact a nine years since he had been to that Great Throne, and the chief reason for his journey thither was the determination of the victorious king to go there. He set out from ARBIL on the day of the Friday after the Festival of the Nativity of that year (A.D. 1303], arid he entered BAGHDAD on the night of the holy Epiphany. And he made a festival in DARATH RHOMAYE, and all the congregation rejoiced in him, and his own gladness was exceedingly great. And after twenty days he departed from BAGHDAD, and went to the city of HILLAH (which lieth by the side of Babil (Babylon), which NEBUCHADNEZZAR, the Chaldean king, built), that he might see King KAZAN. When the Catholicus arrived there he went to the king on the day of the "White Festival" [i.e. the Festival of the New Year when men and women KAZAN'S CAMPAIGN IN PALESTINE 251 alike wore white apparel], which (143) the Mongols were celebrating. And the victorious king welcomed him more gladly than words can say, and he asked him questions and why he had taken the trouble to visit him; and Mar Catholicus replied to him in appropriate words. Now the king had determined to go to Palestine [and Syria] a second time, and to subdue and conquer those countries a second time. And when after some days Mar Catholicus [went to] see the king, so that he might [obtain permission] to return to BAGHDAD, the king gave him five splendid vestments of great price, which were [usually] worn by kings, and he concluded all the matters of business which the Catholicus had to do with him according to his request. Then the king went to those countries [of Palestine and Syria], and the Catholicus went to BAGHDAD, and lodged in Darath Rhomaye. And he dwelt there for the whole of that winter, and hoped that at the end of the Lenten Fast he might go up again to ADHORBIJAN, and take up his abode in the monastery which he had built. And on the 10th day of the month of Nisan (April) of that year [A.D. 1303] he departed from Baghdad., the City of the Throne, and on the 13th day of the month of 'Iyar (May) (144) he arrived at the city of Maraghah, and he rested in peace in the monastery which he had founded. Later, on the 10th day of the month of Haziran 252 THE MONKS OF Krt1BLAI KHAN (June), the victorious king himself came to this monastery, and Mar Catholicus met him and welcomed him with pomp and ceremony. And as was befitting, he made a great feast for him and the kings, and the Amirs, and the nobles of his kingdom. And the king paid him very great honour, and he made his rank to be higher, than that of everyone else ; and he made him great and excellent promises, and taking off the cloak of his body, he arrayed him therein, and all the believers rejoiced with an exceeding great joy. And the king passed the night in the monastery. And that night, whilst he was sleeping, he saw in his dream three angels standing above him, the apparel of one of them was red, and the two others were clad in shining green garments. And they spake words of consolation to him, and gave him reason to hope that the disease in his toes would be healed. And on the following morning, the king brought out a splendid cross made of fine gold, wherein (145) rare stones of very great price were set, and in it was a fragment of the adorable wood of the Cross of our Vivifier which had been sent to the king as a mark of honour by MAR PAPA of the Romans, and he gave it as a gift to Mar Catholicus. And the king related his dream before all those who were seated there, and confessed (or declared), saying "Through the blessings of this holy hothouse I have got healing." And he remained there all KAZAN'S GIFTS TO THE CATHOLICUS 253 that day praising and magnifying Mar Catholicus. Then he set out for that place wherein he used to pass the summer, that is to say 0ghan. And on the 20th day of Haziran (June) of this year the king--may he live with victory!--sent to Mar Catholicus, by his own courier, a famous horse, on which he himself rode, and a rich and splendid robe, with salutations to Mar Catholicus, and promises of future favours of all kinds. Later in this year, in the month of Abh, the victorious king sent to Mar Catholicus vases of crystal, and vases of glazed porcelain (kashani, in Persian djini) with (146) designs on them in gold. [The king] had brought handicraftsmen from the city of DARMASUK (DAMASCUS) and from KASHAN [on the Tehran road]. By the dispatch of these vessels [the king] showed great love for [MAR CATHOLICUS.]. Any whilst the king remained in the city of TABHRIZ, Mar Catholicus went down to pass the winter, according to his wont, in the Fortress of ABRIL. In the month of the latter Teshri (November), in the year of the Greeks, one thousand six hundred and fifteen [A.D. 1303], all the Fathers and the Christian nobles who were there gathered together to him, and after the great festival of the Resurrection of our Lord [A. D. 1304], the great Amir, to whom was entrusted the direction of the affairs of the Government of DIARBAKR, came to visit Mar Catholicus, who 254 THE MONKS OF KUBLAI KHAN went up with him quietly (or slowly) in great state to the monastery which he had built. And he arrived there on the night of the Feast of Pentecost. Five days later there came to him the bitter, horrible and truly evil report of the death of the victorious King KAZAN. He died on the Sunday (147) of Pentecost, at the turn of the day (i.e. towards the evening) on the border of the city of SAHAND [in ADHORBIJAN]. And all the inhabitants of the countries of his great dominions mourned for him. His coffin was brought to the city of TABHRIZ, on the Sunday [of the prayer] " Kul medem sa`ar," i.e. "He doeth everything," and was placed in the great vault which the deceased king himself had built.
CHAPTER XVII KING ULJAITO AND MAR YAHBH-ALLAHA.
256 THE MONKS OF Kf1BLAI KHAN congregation more than his father and his brother when he hath seen and learned the honour in which they held it, and their love towards it." And he did not perceive that voluntary motions vanquish and overcome those which are habitual and natural, especially when they take root and flourish. Now the king had become a Hagaraya (i.e. Muhammadan) in those regions and he had acquired another kind of instruction (or education?) which had made him to forget all the things that appertained to the first (149). And through the numerous discussions which he had heard there, was found in him a kind of hatred of the Christians. And when Mar Catholicus went to him--now he met him on two occasions--the king paid him due honour, though not heartily; but he received him with a little courtesy, which was due to his venerable position. He gave a mighty hand and a strong arm to the Muhammadans in everything--in gifts, and Pukdane (Edicts), and honours, and [permission] to build mosques--and because of this they treated the churchmen with contempt. And forthwith their wickedness grew strong, and they came at length to sow (i.e. whisper) in the ears of King ULJAITO that they should take the monastery which Mar Catholicus had built, and make the church of the town of TABHRIZ into a mosque, and that its wakf. that is to say the endowments KING ULJAITO AND YAHBH-ALLAHA 257 should become the property of the mosque. And this proposal was all but carried into effect, and the evil would certainly have been committed, if God's help and God's grace had not stirred up the excellent Amir IRINJIN--may [his] life be preserved! --the uncle of the king, who restrained their audacity and curtailed their impudence. [IRINJIN was the son of Prince Saruji, and the nephew of Dokuz Khatun; he gave his daughter, Kutluk-shah to Oljaito in marriage.] Also they wanted to take possession of the monastery which the Catholicus had built. An d the winter of the year of the Greeks, one thousand six hundred and sixteen (150 (A. D. 1304-05) ) Mar Catholicus passed in the town of Eshnok [in ADHORBIJAN]. And when.there he escaped with the greatest difficulty from the hands of the rebels, and came to the monastery which he had built. And he set out from there for the Royal Camp at 0ghan, and went with the king to TABHRIZ, and he struggled to make prosperous the affairs of the Church, and received [from the king] a Pukdana (Edict), and returned to the monastery. From there he set out to pass the winter in the Fortress of ABRIL and as soon as he arrived there, at the beginning of the year of the Greeks, one thousand six hundred and seventeen [October, A.D. 1305), he laid the foundation of a great Cell in the Fortress, and he built it of limestone and mortar, 258 THE MONKS OF KUBLAI KHAN and he finished it and furnished it with every kind of beautiful thing. And at the beginning of the month of 'Iyar of that same year [A.D. 1396], he went up to the monastery which he had built and passed the summer there. When heard that the king had begun to levy the poll-tax on the Christians, he went again to Oghan, and he met the king, but gained no advantage therefrom. And the king began to build a city in the neighbourhood (151) of the borders of KAZWAN (KAZWIN), and he finished it and called it "SULTANIYAH." And he collected there handi-craftsmen from all the countries of his kingdom, and he adorned it with splendid buildings, and in a manner which it is impossible to describe. And since Mar Catholicus was without an income from any source whatsoever, and his expenses were very great, he went again to the Cell which he had built in the Fortress of ABRIL, and he passed there the winter of the year of the Greeks one thousand six hundred and eighteen [A. D. 1306-07], and the summer also, and the winter of the year of the Greeks, one thousand six hundred and nineteen [A.D. 1308]. At the beginning of the month of 'Iyar he went up to Adhorbijan and visited the king in the city of UGHAN. And the king paid him the honour which was usually paid to him. And the king rode forth to the chase, and he came to the holy monastery which Mar Catholicus KING ULJAITO AND YAHBH-ALLAHA 259 had built. And the monks went out to meet him, and they brought him in with pomp and ceremony. And when he went in to the cell of the director of the monastery, that director (152) found mercy in his eyes, and he asked him questions about the Mysteries of the Christians. And the director replied to the king in noble words and most eloquently, and the king was well pleased with the same. Then he went into the Cell of the Catholicus, and sat upon the patriarchal Throne, and he made the monks to come there, and he rejoiced with them, and gave them five pieces of beautiful and valuable cloth. Thereupon the director of the monastery mentioned the poll-tax, and the king promised that he would not again levy it. And he laid no burden of any kind on the monastery (i.e. his visit cost the monks nothing]. And when the king had departed on the following day, the Catholicus having heard [of his visit] came to the monastery, and he grieved greatly that he had not been present in the monastery. And he followed the king, and overtook him by the waters of the river which is called GAKTO in Mongolian and WAKYAROD in Persian, and the holy men (bishops?) and the director of the monastery were with him, And the king paid Mar Catholicus very great honour, and permitted to be written for him, and for the Christians, the great Pukdana of the Pukdane [an Edict conferring very great privileges on the holders] 260 THE MONKS OF KUBLAI KHAN ordering (153) that throughout the whole dominion of his kingdom no man should demand the poll-tax from the holy men, and the monks, and the elders, and the deacons. And when he returned to the monastery, he sent after him (the Catholicus) to TABHRIZ, and he gave him one of his riding mules and a rich robe of honour. From the time when the king entered the monastery the fetter which bound his heart was loosed, and God threw mercy into his heart. And he commander, Catholicus to pass the winter in his monastery, and he himself went into winter quarters at Ughan; now the Mongols call the place "Mughan." And the Catholicus passed both the winter and the summer of the year of the Greeks, one thousand six hundred and twenty [A.D. 1308-09] in the monastery. And the king showed great mercy in the favourable Edicts which he issued and he allotted to the Catholicus the whole of the poll-tax of ARBIL, and commanded the poll-tax should never again be levied on the Christians. And immediately the Catholicus went to the Fortress of ARBIL in the month of the latter Teshri (November) of the year of the Greeks, one thousand six hundred and twenty-one [A.D. 1309] (154), he fell sick on the road of a deadly, disease, but our Lord healed him, and he went to the Fortress of ABRIL in great state and all the people of the city came out before him and brought him in with great honour. |
|||||
 |
|||||
|
email: info@nestorian.org |
|||||