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[previous] [home] [next-bibliography] CHAPTER XVIII. THE MASSACRE OF THE CHRISTIANS AT ARBIL.
262 THE MONKS OF KUBLAI KHAN scribes and lawyers, governors and councilors made a plan secretly to take the Fortress of ARBIL from the Christians, and to destroy, its inhabitants. It is meet, however, to state the truth, namely that the hearts of the inhabitants of the Fortress, and of those who were with them, had become hard. They had forsaken the way of Christianity; they had treated wholly with contempt the divine laws, and scoffed at recluses, and the priests, and robbed each other, and they had broken through the fences of the laws of our Lord; (156) neither to admonition nor instruction did there remain a place with them. Hatred had waxed great among them, envy had seized their hearts, they brought accusations against each other, and they oppressed and smote, and persecuted, and defrauded, and plundered. And they formed themselves into companies and invaded the houses of their chiefs and to speak briefly, they gave themselves place [i.e. took the opportunity] to perform wickedness of every kind. And no one let the matter enter his mind, and no one feared the fierce anger and the punishment [which was to come. Although actions such as these are divine, it is Providence that, seizing upon the causes, maketh them complete. As, for example, the cause of the death which God decreed for Adam was the transgression of a command; it was because He had hardened the heart of Pharaoh that He could MASSACRE OF CHRISTIANS AT ARBIL 263 bring punishment, and others like unto them are mentioned as figures. But the object of Providence [was obvious], from that [which was said to Pharaoh, "I established thee for this purpose, that I might show forth my power on thee, and that my Name might be proclaimed in all the earth"; (157) and in another passage [it is said], "The Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh, that he might not know Him, so that He might show forth His great works and mighty deeds upon the earth" (Exod. xx.I; iv.17). These things happened in the hearts of the dwellers in the mountain who are called KAYADJAYE. The dwellers in the Fortress of Arbil hardened [their hearts], and were [therefore] forsaken by divine help, so that the mighty deeds of Providence might be made known, and a hidden things of its glorious nature might be learned. Now although God--may His honour be adored!--knew before He brought man into being, to what object his nature would incline, in establishing him He admonished him, according to what His foreknowledge knew and provided. Now this man NASIR, whom we have mentioned above, as soon as he had gone into the Fortress, took up his abode in a tower close to the gate, and never went forth from it. He caused to be brought up there, secretly, weapons and munitions of war and soldiers, and he sent a message to the Camp saying, " These men are Yaghaye, 264 THE MONKS OF KUBLAI KHAN that is to say, enemies of the king, because their Amir is shut up in prison" (158). And the more he did this the more the inhabitants of the Fortress were making manifest [their] wickedness. But as for him there was no way in which anyone could do him an injury, for, with the exception of a very few, he had all the people on his side, and the gold of all the Mashlemanutha (i.e.,} Ishmaelites, or Islam). As for them, there was no opportunity (?) for one of them to help his fellow, even with a shamuna (farthing). NASIR possessed the Ahitophelian counsels (see I Chron. xxvii.33) of all the scribes and of all the chiefs, whilst they (i.e. the people of Arbil) had no man [to give them counsel], because they were drunk with wine and had passed beyond [the limits of] their minds [i.e. had gone mad], either because of the absolute abandonment of them by God, or because of the evil works which they performed. And they did not fear the just and righteous judgements of the Lord. And what happened through this? The envoys of the king were coming and going, [and they said], "Rise up, and get ye down from the Fortress, 0 Christians." But they had made up their minds absolutely, to refuse to obey, and to rebel. And in proportion as they acted in this manner, the people (159) of the Arabs rejoiced and were glad, for they knew well that their object would be fulfilled and make itself plain." PLATE XV
Portrait of a Mongol prince who has been made prisoner and is bound with fetters. MASSACRE OF CHRISTIANS AT ARBIL 265 And when the condition of things grew worse, there went forth a royal Edict addressed to the Amir, a man who was called SUTI, who was at that time in the regions about DIYAR BAKR, and [to] another man who was called HAJJI DALKANDI, who was a brother of the above-mentioned Nasir, who had taken up his abode in the Fortress. [And the Edict ordered] that, "If the KAYADJAYE are not going down from the Fortress, and if [they will not go], let it be assaulted and reduced by force, and let the troops of the king be gathered together to fight a pitched battle." Now the Catholicus, because of his love for the kingdom (or Government), did not believe that this would be done in the Fortress whilst he was dwelling in it, and he did not think that the Christians would be treated in this way as long as he was with them. And all [the Christians] neglected to do what they ought to have done, and they were too careless to make a journey to Royal Camp, and show [the king] what had happened to them. And they continued in the sleep of negligence until there overtook them (160) certain events which they never thought could possibly take place. On the 9th, the fourth day of the week (Wednesday) in the month of Adhar (March) of that year [A.D. 1310], during the Lenten Fast, the son of the Amir whom we have mentioned, 266 THE MONKS OF KUBLAI KHAN and three Amirs of thousands (Chiliarchs) went up to the Catholicus to bring him down, and it was ordered that if he would not come down with them he was to be put in prison. On the following day he came down, being forced to do so, and from the that moment fear and weeping fell on the Fortress; and evil signs made themselves manifest. And they brought the Catholicus to the monastery of MAR MICHAEL of TARIL. And the Amir SUTI came to him, and the soldiers who were with him were from the Amirs of thousands, and others, and he showed him great affection. In times past he had often visited the cell, and was a first favorite with Mar Catholicus, and had been held in high honour by him in the time of the deceased KAZAN. And he said to the Catholicus, "The Edict [of the king] orders that the Mountaineers (KAYADJAYE) shall come down from the Fortress, and that the others shall remain [there]. These (161) will not go forth except at thy bidding, therefore thou shalt send one of thine own men to [make] them go down." On the morning of the following day, which was the Eve (i.e. Friday), the Patriarch brought oxen, and lambs, and wine to the house of the Amir mentioned above, [and he made a feast], and placed the wine-cup in his hands, according to the custom of the Mongols, and he mounted him on a good horse in order to confuse his senses. [In other words the Catholicus bribed the Amir.) MASSACRE OF CHRISTIANS AT ARBIL 267 And the Arabs who were there, HAJJI DALKANDI, an the old man (Shekh) Muhammad, who ruled in ARBIL, and his brother who was called AHMAD, were complaining bitterly against the Christians, and also against the Catholicus, and saying, "Besides thyself there is no one who can bring those men down from the Fortress. "But the emir, thinking only of the bribe which had been given to him by the Catholicus, paid no heed to them. Then they agreed to send messengers [to the Mountaineers] to advise them to come down. The Catholicus sent one of the holy men who were with him, and who was called MAR `ABHD ISHO` (162) Bishop of HANITHA, and the Amir sent one of the Amirs of thousands, who was called SATI BAG, to talk to them and bid them come down. And when they went and talked to them in very gentle words, which were coupled with promises of benefits, the Mountaineers would neither receive them nor hearken to them; so the envoys turned back and arrived from them on the Sabbath (Saturday), the 14th day of the month of Adhar. And immediately the Amir SUTI heard this, he came to the Catholicus, and held converse with him, saying, "These are YAJAYE, that is to say, enemies [of the government]; thou must send a messenger to them O Catholicus, a second time." And Mar Catholicus himself wrote an exhortation to those men to go down, and he sent it by the hands 268 THE MONKS OF KUBLAI KHAN of the bishops, MAR ISHO'-SABHRAN, the Metropolitan, and the aforementioned Mar Abhd-Isho', and the monks RABBAN DAWID, the anchorite, and RABBAN DENHA, the director of the monastery of MAR MICHAEL of TARIL. And they departed on the night of the Sunday of the prayer "Enhu dhe-te'ol" (i..e. "If Thou wilt enter"), and when the day dawned they went into the Fortress and held converse with the dwellers therein, and they submitted and undertook to go down. And when NASIR heard this, (163) he straightway hoisted the signal which had been agreed upon between himself and the inhabitants of the city, namely, that when he hoisted the signal on the roof of the tower in which he dwelt, they were to rush up to him and set the battle in array. Now when these wretched men who had been counselled to go down into the church they saw the swords which flashed and the sharp arrows that were falling down [upon them], they made haste to leave [the church] and went with the greatest difficulty to the door of the Fortress, and they too made war from the fourth hour of the day until the evening, and the whole night long. Three of the Arabs were killed, and twelve Christians, and if they (i.e. the Christians) had not hurled fire under the tower all night long, they would all have been slain to a man. And when the Amir SUTI and the soldiers that were with him heard [of this] they made
MASSACRE OF CHRISTIANS AT ARBIL 269 haste and went and surrounded the Fortress, and they carried the Catholicus, who wept, along with them by force. That same day they went below the Fortress, saying to him as they went, "Do-not allow them to take part in the fight." On the night of the (164) second (?) day of the week (Monday) certain men went down from the Fortress, and God delivered them; but they and the Catholicus, and the clergy who were with him, [were cast into] prison. And from daybreak or, the second day of the week (Monday), the Amir SUTI, and those who were with him, urged MAR Catholicus to send an envoy to them [telling them to let NASIR go down with everything that he had; and he sent the bishop ISHO`-SABHRAN and RABBAN DAWID, the anchorite. And when the Arabs saw them, they killed RABBAN DAWID the anchorite without mercy, and they smote ISHO'-SABHRAN with swords and staves, but God rescued him from their hands, and he fled and came [back]. And the evil condition of things became worse, because punishment had arrived, and the Arabs and the Mongol troops began to throw up mounds and to construct machines of various kinds and to wage war systematically. From the moment when NASIR hoisted that evil signal, the Christians who were in the city were slain in the streets (or bazars), and in the market-places of the city. Many of them fled and went into the houses of 270 THE MONKS OF KUBLAI KHAN the Muslims, but even these were dragged out from them through informers; and on the second day of the week (165) (Monday), they died cruel deaths, no mercy [being shown to them]. The people who belonged to them who were in the prison of the Kadhi, were brought out and beaten cruelly until they received death. The young women were stripped of their apparel, and were made to walk about naked through the streets of the city. And also the women who were with child were ripped open, and [the soldiers] slew the unborn children, and cast their bodies before the gate of the Fortress. And men were in the habit of going to the Amir SUTI, and saying, " O Amir, send a messenger, and see how [the Christians] are killing the Muslims, and casting [their bodies] at the of the Fortress" And he, in his simplicity believed them, and he gave the order, and the four churches, which were on the plain were pillaged (or destroyed). Two of these, that which was the name of ISHO`-SABHRAN, the glorious martyr, and that which was built in the name of MAN'O, belonged to us. The church of the JACOBITES, which was built in the name of my LADY MARY, and the church of the Armenians, were razed to the ground, and also all the houses and buildings of the Christians, and the Cell (166) of the Metropolitan Throne. MASSACRE OF CHRISTIANS AT ARBIL 271 And the Amir sent through all the country, and collected men to fight, and he brought down the KARTEWAYE (KURDS) from the mountains. And the Christians from all the villages, because they were unable to go to the city, gave no small amount of money for weapons of iron and food for the soldiers. And the war waxed strong against the Fortress, which was attacked on all four of its sides by night and by day. And many were killed, both those who were below (i.e. the attackers) and those who were above (i.e.the defenders), and many of the KURDS and ARABS; but few of the Mongols were slain, because they did not come near the Fortress, but were content to shoot arrows from a distance. And the roads were cut to the Christians in that country and everywhere else, and wherever the people saw them they killed them without pity, and said, "Ye are from the Fortress," or "These men are fugitives." And the stupefaction of death seized every man. As for the Catholicus, no helper remained to him against those who had seized upon him as far as deeds were concerned, and very few even in the matter of words. In the night season they watched him from near, and in the daytime (167) from afar; and he did not know what was going to happen to him. His thoughts were in a tumult, both through fear for himself and fear for the Fortress. And only with the 272 THE MONKS OF KUBLAI KHAN greatest difficulty did he find an opportunity to write a letter to the Metropolitan of ARBIL who, was a fugitive in the village of BETH SAYYADHE. This man who because he was wroth with the people of the Fortress, for they had not hearkened unto him, had betaken himself to BETH SAYYADHE, together with everything else that he had and settled himself down in that place. [The Catholicus wrote to him], saying, "What will thy escape profit thee if thou dost not go to the [Royal] Camp? " And two days later the Amir SUTI sent guards with the Catholicus, and they brought him to BETH SAYYADHE. [Thereupon] the Metropolitan set out on the night on which the letter reached him, and in four days he arrived in BAGHDAD, together with the young men who were with him. And he went to the [Royal] Camp, and made known there what had happened to the Catholicus and the Christians. Now the Amirs who were in the Camp had already heard of (168) everything that had happened in full detail, because the Amir SUTI had sent messengers there to report what was being done by him. And the Catholicus also wrote a letter [and sent it] by a messenger to one of the servants of the Cell [saying] what had happened to him; and that servant went and made it known to the Amirs and the councillors, and explained the case to them, and also informed them about the massacre which had taken MASSACRE OF CHRISTIANS AT ARBIL 273 And the hearts of the Amirs who had no knowledge whatsoever of this event were utterly stupefied, for those who had committed this deed had held their peace. Following on this also quickly came the Metropolitan, and he repeated the story before all the Amirs. And a royal Edict was written and sent by a messenger to the Amir SUTI, saying, "Thou hast explained to us the matter in this wise, but the Catholicus in other wise; which of you are we to believe and hold as true?" Thus the [course of the] evil was restrained somewhat. When the Amir SUTI heard of this thing, he was exceedingly grieved (169) and became furiously angry. And he sent for the Catholicus and had him brought to him, [and he said to him], "Hast thou written thus and thus? "And all the people of the Arabs were shouting abuse at the Catholicus, and each man was crying out what he wanted [to do] with him. And the Catholicus said, "I have written nothing, but a certain Metropolitan belonging to the district went and spake on behalf of his house and his flock" And they (the Amirs) said, '"Now make these rebels to come down, according to
the royal Edict, and if thou wilt not do that, write thy declaration that they are Yaghaye (i.e. enemies)" Then the Catholicus sent to the Metropolitan of MAWSIL (MOSUL), and some of the young men of the Cell, and exhorted 274 THE MONKS OF KUBLAI KHAN them [to come down], but they were afraid do so. Now there were among them certain men who were really rebels, and they, fearing to be massacred, were strengthening the others in their rebellion so that they might not go down, Thereupon the Amir SUTI and those of his party gained an advantage over the Catholicus, and they pressed him saying, " Thou must give us thy writing (i.e. certificate) that those men are YAGHAYE (i.e. enemies), that we may send a messenger to inform the king."And they seized upon and carried off everything (179) that he had with him. Some of those men who had come down with him they killed, some they sold as slaves. And by force they obtained a certificate from the Catholicus, and the holy men who were with him, which was worded as they wished. On that day the Amir sent HAJJI DALKANDI [to the king]. Now he was a kinsman of the king and on his arrival he exhibited the matter [i.e. the certificate of the Catholicus]. And one of the Amirs, who was called ASAN KUTLOK, rebuked him severely, and reproved his impudence because he knew the truth, and perceived that the certificate had been obtained by force; and he wished to smite HAJJI DALKANDI, who removed himself. And the aforementioned Amir, and all the councillors, went to the king and explained MASSACRE OF CHRISTIANS AT ARBIL 275 the matter. And the king issued an Edict ordering that the men in the Fortress and the Arabs should make peace, and that on neither side should reprisals be made, and that no man should fight again. This Edict was promulgated only after many exertions, and troubles and anxieties on the part of the Metropolitan and his companions, and it was committed to the care of certain of the sons of the kingdom (princes?) that they might carry it to ABRIL (171). And HAJJI DALKANDI went back in disgrace, and his face was covered with shame. With the Edict there came two of the disciples of the Cell, and they arrived at ABRIL on the day of the Eve of the Confessors (i.e. the Friday after Easter). And straightway they tied (i.e. rejoined) the bridge which had been burnt, and they made peace, and many came down from the Fortress to the plain. Now, as has been already said, the Muhammadans gave to NASIR, and to his brother, as much gold as they wished to expend in bribes, and thus
they were able to satisfy the cupidity of the messengers who had brought the Edict; and they suggested to them to go up into the Fortress. And when they had gone up no man spread a cushion for them to sit upon, and they were not offered food, not even a crust of bread, and no man gave them any money, not even a shamuna (i.e. farthing). Then those messengers repented 276 THE MONKS OF KUBLAI KHAN concerning the peace, forsooth! which they had made, and they reverted to their evil and bitter disposition. And they wished to inflict some injury on the young men of the Cell who were with them, but one of them fled from the them secretly by the door of the Fortress to the village of BATH (172) and they pursued him but he was not to be found. Then they seized his companion and put him under restraint. And the messengers [of the king] pursued [the other] and came to the village of BETH SAYYADHE, and they brought back the Catholicus, and repeated the words, "These men will not come down except at thy word; come, hearken to the Edict." And when he (the Catholicus) arrived at ARBIL, all the people gathered together to SUTI, and began to use violent language towards the Catholicus; but he, because of the great reliance which he placed in the Government, made answer to them in bold words. Then the Catholicus sent a message by the Amir SUTI, and ordered the men in the Fortress a second time to come down. And they were to swear by the Gospel that they would do no harm to NASIR, and he also was to swear [to do no harm] to them, and thus there would be peace [between them]. And many came down and swore that they would do him no harm, and that they would be subservient to him according as he wished MASSACRE OF CHRISTIANS AT ARBIL 277 And it being ascertained that of a surety he had gone up with three hundred men, the gate [of the Fortress] was shut, because their hearts were full of guile. When SUTI saw that it was thus, he seized those who had come down and slew them. And the companion of the young man of the Cell who had fled (173) was questioned closely about his fellow-disciple, and beaten severely; only with the greatest difficulty did the Catholicus save his life. Then they seized the horses and mules of the Cell, and everything which the young men and the holy men had who came with the Catholicus, and they carried off even their clothes. And after this they said with deceit to the Catholicus, "We will take thee up to the street (or market) below the Fortress, and bring the chief men of the city to thee there, so that no man may quarrel again or be stirred up to make war until we can inform the victorious king."
The Catholicus in his simplicity agreed, and went up into the Fortress, but he did not know of the trap which the Muslims had made (i.e. laid) to kill him. On that same day there came to the Amir SUTI a messenger from his houses (i.e. home), who said, "The soldiers of the PALESTINIANS have invaded [thy] domains, and if thou dost delay in coming peradventure even thy house (i.e. wife and family will be carried off into captivity." And 278 THE MONKS OF KUBLAI KHAN forthwith [he and] all the soldiers who were with him set out, although he was very ill and suffering from a serious sickness. And at the foot of the Fortress there remained only the KURDS and the natives of the city. On the following day war broke out (174) again, and on both sides massacres took place. The roads were cut, and there was none who went out or went in, and no one who carried out or took in news. Famine waxed strong in the Fortress. And every one who went out either to flee or to fetch in food for his house, was killed without mercy. Catholicus, and the three clerics who were with him, and the young men who remained with him, were imprisoned in the Fortress without a covering, without a cushion to lie on, without sustenance and without food. And the punishment became more severe, ruin increased terror waxed strong, and there remained neither a helper, nor a place of refuge, nor any one who was able to utter a word which would help [them]. As for those messengers, they returned to Camp with HAJJI DALKANDl, and they explained to the king that [the people in the Fortress] were enemies, that the Catholicus stirred them to revolt, that he had given a bribe and gone up into the Fortress, and had opened the places of treasure, and distributed gold, and had produced for them stores of wheat, and weapons of war MASSACRE OF CHRISTIANS AT ARBIL 279 and ropes and machines for fighting, and had strengthened their intention to carry on the war (175). Thereupon evil ruled supreme in the hearts of the king and his nobles, and again Edicts were promulgated, thirteen in number, and addressed to all the Amirs, by name, to each of the Amirs of the KURDS by name, to each of the four Amirs of the King of the Mongols by name, and one to the whole country of ARBIL. [In these it was ordered] that if any man sendeth up food to the Fortress, or giveth it to the men there, his village shall be looted and [his people] slain, and any estate belonging to.him in the district shall be taken from him, and shall become the property of the king absolutely ; and it was ordered that [the Amirs] were to prosecute the war with the armour of strength, and to bring it to a triumphant end for the sake of the Ishrnaelite Faith. And [the king] sent a separate Edict addressed to the Catholicus by name, in which it was set forth the following: "We and our fathers have paid thee honour so that thou shouldst pray for us, and give us thy blessing: but now that thou hast acted otherwise, know thou that that which is coming upon thee is due to thyself and not to us." And they handed the Edicts over to one of the men who were at the Door of the Kingdom (i.e. the palace or Camp), who was called 280 THE MONKS OF KUBLAI KHAN Now the Metropolitan of ARBIL remained in the Camp for three days after those messengers had been sent, with the two young men of the Cell, to make peace. And he pondered, saying, "If the natives of the Fortress and the Arabs make peace, there is nothing to be gained staying in the Camp, but if they go on fighting, it is impossible for me to speak without the advice of the Catholicus." And straightway he rose up and came in haste to the village BETH SAYYADHE, but on his arrival he found that the Catholicus had been carried off that very day, together with the holy men who were with him, even as has been shown above, and had been imprisoned in the Fortress. And all the Christians, were in a state of acute suffering, and they grieved sorely, their grief being from the heart, and not on the eyebrows and eyelids as is the case with certain people. And it dissolved the flesh and rent asunder (177) the bones, because they did not know what was going to happen to them at the hands of the Arabs, and whether they would be delivered from this persecution or not. And they were like those who have suffered shipwreck, and are being buffeted by waves and tempests, for they were afraid of sinking through the destruction of the persecution. MASSACRE OF CHRISTIANS AT ARBIL 281 Now the aforementioned Metropolitan was not able to endure [this uncertainty]. He thought that he would go back to the Camp, but was in doubt about it, because for one thing the roads were cut, and he had no companions of any kind with him, and there would remain no opportunity of taking counsel with the Catholicus. On the other hand, if he dwelt in the Cell, whilst the Catholicus and the holy men were suffering affliction and tribulation, and the Christians being put to the torture, he would be condemned by the canon of truth and the law of Christ, which saith, "Whether it be shepherd or whether it be friend, it is meet for him to lay down his life, and to give himself to death, and to think scorn of his life, and to bear tortures of all kinds for the love of Christ." (Cf. I John iii.16.) And he became emboldened, and took with him the young men of the Cell (178), who had fled and were in hiding, and they went forth from the village of BETH SAYYADHE in the evening of the sixth day of the month 'IYAR (May) of that year [A.D. 1310]. And they marched all night and all day long, over mountains, and across plains, and hills, and barren rocks, being in fear and terror of ambushes by the enemy, without any place in which to shelter, and with not enough food to satisfy [them]. And by the help of God they arrived in the city of HALMADHAN in ten days, for they had heard that the king was there. 282 THE MONKS OF KUBLAI KHAN And when they had gone into the city [they found that] the victorious king had departed that day, and had gone to the royal city of the Mongols. On the following day the Metropolitan and the young men departed, and went to Sultaniyah and they heard [there] that those Edicts had been given to the two men who have been mentioned above, namely TOGHAN and HAJJI DALKANDI, and that they were preparing to set out and go to ARBIL. On hearing [this] their hands dropped helplessly, their knees tottered, and their eyes dripped with tears over the breaking (179 up of the Church, and what had happened to her children. And they took counsel with certain men who were friends of the Catholicus, and certain churchmen, as to what they should do And answer was made to them, saying, " If ye hesitate to spend your own moneys, and those of the Cell, the Catholicus will perish and ye yourselves also, and the churches will be pillaged, and also the Wakf (i.e. endowments) of the Christians will disappear because of the Catholicus." Then straightway the Metropolitan took with him a certain sum of money, and he went to one of the Amirs, who was a near kinsman of the king. And they took him into the presence of the Amir, who treated him with honour, and listened to his speech about the Catholicus and also about the Christians. And the Amir MASSACRE OF CHRISTIANS AT ARBIL 283 took from him a copy, written by the hand of the Metropolitan, of everything that he had said, and showed it to the [other] Amirs and to the king, victorious in God!, as will be shown afterwards. And the Amir delivered him over to three men who were close friends of his, so that they might take him to each one of the Amirs and Wazirs, who [stand] before the king, that he might say with his mouth (180) what he had written. And those men brought him to an Amir who was called ASAN (HASAN (?)) KUTLOK, and to Khawaja SAID AD-DIN, the chief of the scribes, and to the Wazir Khwaja RASCHID AD-DIN. And the Metropolitan spake boldly the following address: "Mar Catholicus saluteth you, saying. Ye know, O Amirs, that it is this day five and thirty years since I came from the East; and that I have been made to sit on this Throne of the East by the Will of God; and that I have served and blessed seven kings in all long suffering, and in the fear of God, and especially the father of the present victorious king, the deceased ARGHON, and his mother the believing Queen URGHO (sic) KHATON. I have deceived no man. I have coveted none of the property of the Government, and if certain gifts have been bestowed upon me by them (i,e. the kings), I have spent them again on their behalf (181). Although I was a young man once, I am now an old man; and I have no wife, no children, 284 THE MONKS OF KUBLAI KHAN no relatives, and no kinsfolk. Am I likely to rebel against the king for the sake of the love of the world? Or shall I think of snatching away from him anything that is his? Why then should the words which mine enemies [speak] against me be believed ? Moreover, I have never experienced any evil thing from the present victorious king in God, and God forbid [that I should]! But even supposing that it could happen and that he wrought evil upon me--which God forbid! I am commanded by the Holy Gospel, the Book which I confess, to return good for evil, for it saith, `Pray for your enemies, and bless him that curseth you, and do what is good to him that hateth you,' (Matt. v. 44). And it is impossible for me to abandon that which I have been commanded by God, through Christ, for transgression of the command maketh a man, whoever he may be, a stranger to Him that laid down the command. I beseech you. If the king is convinced in his heart that I have committed evil, let him bring me (182) to the Door of the Kingdom and inform me accurately what I have done; and then, supposing I deserve death, he will be guiltless of my blood. But let him not leave me in the hands of my enemies." This was the speech of the Catholicus. [And the Metropolitan spake saying]: "All Christians who are in the Fortress say, `We are not rebels against the victorious king. But MASSACRE OF CHRISTIANS AT ARBIL 285 are terribly afraid of our enemies the KURDS and the ARABS, who kill us unsparingly; and we have no one who will have pity upon us, and will make known to the king the state of affliction in which we live. We are the servants of the king and subject unto him, and at all times we pay the tribute and taxes at which we are assessed. Now if the king commandeth us to bring down these KAYADJAYE, on whom the king's heart rests, have we strength enough? But if he commandeth us ourselves to come down from the Fortress, let him send to us one who will deliver us from the hands of these tyrants, and let him [then] command us to go whithersoever he wisheth. We do not dwell here because of the pleasantness of the place but because of our great fear (183) of the PALESTINIANS and the KURDS. Behold, our sons and our daughters have been carried off into captivity, and the greater number of [our] men have been slain. And, O Amirs, all of you are well acquainted with these [facts], and I, the Metropolitan, your servant, pledge myself by what I have said in the document which I have written and given [to you]." Then the Amirs accepted the statement, and showed it to the victorious and merciful king. And the king commanded that the Amir of the Amirs DJOPAN should know the matter, and should bring the Metropolitan to him that he might hold converse with him. And when they 286 THE MONKS OF KUBLAI KHAN had brought him he spake all the things which have been recounted [above] and added, "It is through thee that all these things have been done to us." Now some bond existed between him and the Amir of the KAYADJAE-, who was called BALU. And he received the statement unhesitatingly, and stopped the journey of HAJJI DALKANDI to Arbil, and made promises of good things (184) to come. And he selected men to go as envoys besides those who had been first [chosen]. Notwithstanding these things, and not to make [our] narrative too long, HAJJI DALKANDI neither slumbered nor slept, and he gave no sleep to his eyes, and all the people of the Arabs were with him. And they gave huge bribes to the Amirs, and the nobles, and the small men, and the soldiers, and that proverb which says, "The bribe blindeth the eyes of the wise in judgement " (Eccles. xx.1) was fulfilled, and they went back on the agreement and conditions arranged. The Metropolitan was seized secretly and was handed over to TOGHAN, so that he might go and bring down the Catholicus and the Christians from the Fortress, and if he did not he was to be slain without pity. And they brought him by night outside the city to a mountain which was close by, and no man whatsoever had any knowledge of him. The suffering of all the Christians, of every sect, who were gathered together there in the MASSACRE OF CHRISTIANS AT ARBIL 287 city, waxed sore, and all the young men of the Cell fled and were scattered. And there remained none, (185) to help them or to care for them except the adorable mercy of God, who worketh according to His grace, and provideth according to his mercy. Now the Metropolitan had a younger brother, and. he fled and went to the Amir DJOPAN--may his life be preserved!-and he showed him what had been done, saying, "The servant of the Amir of the Amirs, the Metropolitan, who came to him yesterday on account of the Fortress of ARBIL, hath by guile and force been carried off to ARBIL."And the Amir was exceedingly angry, and he sent a messenger and brought back the Metropolitan from out of the hands of the accursed ones. And he brought him into the presence of the victorious king, sand repeated to him the statements which the Metropolitan had made concerning the Catholicus and the Christians. And the king commanded that the Catholicus should be brought to the Camp, and that the Christians should come down from the Fortress, and that no harm should be done to them. And the king had TODJAIN (sic) brought and gave him orders about these matters, and also commanded him to go to ARBIL. And the great Amir of the Amiss, the head of the Diwan, DJOPAN, took the Metropolitan (186) to his house. And he wrote for him many letters 288 THE MONKS OF KUBLAI KHAN to all the Amirs of the Mongols who had gone to reduce the Fortress, and to the Amir GAIDJAK, a son-in-laws of the deceased king Hulagu, the father of all the Mongol kings, asking them to bring down the Catholicus with suitable honour, according to the royal Edict, and also to let the Christians come down unharmed. And he delivered it to the enemy, saying, "If any man streteheth out his hand against the Christians, thou shalt not bring them down."And he sent away the Metropolitan with due honour, and handed him over to the royal messenger, saying, " If the ARABS and KURDS will not obey this, tarry with the Catholicus and the Christians, and send me a message, and let me know." And the Metropolitan and the messenger came first of all to the Amir GAIJAK and showed him the decree of DJOPAN, the Amir of Amirs, and GAIJAK and his wife(1) rejoiced in the deliverance of the Catholicus and the Christians. And the Amir GAIDJAK sent one hundred of his Mongol horsemen, (187) besides those who had already gone to the Fortress, to assist in this operation, and he also wrote to eight hundred Kurdish foot-soldiers, over whom he ruled, to bring down the Catholicus. Now three days before the arrival of the Metropolitan and the messenger who was with him, TODJAIN (sic) arrived,
MASSACRE OF CHRISTIANS AT ARBIL 289 and he sent a messenger to the Catholicus, and showed him the command that he was to come down. And the Catholicus without any hesitation came down, and the holy men and the priests who were with him on the day of the Eve (i.e. Friday) on the sixth and twentieth day of the month of HAZIRAN (June) [A.D. 1310]. And [thus] he heard (i.e. obeyed) the Edict. And TODJAIN persuaded him to go up again to the Fortress and bring down the Christians. In the simplicity of his heart the Catholicus went up, and commanded them to come down, and those wretched folk hearkened [i.e. were obedient] in [their] simplicity to the command of the King and the Father (i.e. Catholicus). And they went down at daybreak on the Sabbath, with their sons, and daughters, and wives, one hundred and fifty men more or less, besides women and children, without any weapon, and without a sword, and without a knife. And when the wicked people of the Arabs saw that they had come down, 290 THE MONKS OF KUBLAI KHAN ' down, and that the accusation which had been made against him before the king might be held by the king to be true, and that peradventure he might be wroth, and command that the Catholicus and all the Christians should be massacred. Then the Catholicus, with his hope in Christ, with weeping and sighs, and bitterness of soul came to go down. He held the sword in contempt thinking within himself, "If I die of hunger in the Fortress the name of rebel will go forth concerning me, and that would be an evil thing; it is far better for me to obey to the death. I will go down. If my Lord saveth me, it will be a glorious victory for me ; and if He doth not, I am ready to accept the crown of martyrdom for the sake of the name of Christ." And the Christians fell down at his feet weeping and saying, "We will not let thee go down" (189) and thus also [spake] the holy men (i.e. bishops who were with him. And the Catholicus made answer, saying, "There is nothing else for me to do except to go down, but I do not urge anyone whatsoever to go down with me; but the man who wisheth to be a participator in my suffering I will not prevent from doing so." And he said farewell to them. And the three bishops who were with him clave to him, and the young men of the Cell and certain monks and priests. And they went down in (or by) the wall, treading, as they MASSACRE OF CHRISTIANS AT ARBIL 291 went upon those who had been killed and butchered, and who without offence had been hacked in pieces. And the Catholicus himself saw his sons with their bodies ripped open, and their entrails dragging loose upon the ground, and there was none to bury them or to wrap them up for the grave. He had trusted in the word of TODJAIN (sic) and thought that he was a friend, whereas in truth he was a false friend. And then, with [the words of] the prophet in his heart, he said, "I cried to my friends, and they have deceived me. My priests and my elders have come to an end in my midst. They sought food for themselves that they might have their souls (or lives), and they are not to be found. See, O Lord, that I am sorely afflicted, and my bowels are troubled. My heart hath turned back (190) within me, because I have complained bitterly. Outside the sword hath destroyed, and death him that was in the house. Hearken for I am groaning, and there is none to console me. All mine enemies have heard of my calamity, and they have rejoiced because it is Thou who hast prepared it for me. Bring the day that Thou hast called, and they shall become ever as I am. And all the wickedness of the HAGARAYA (i.e. Muhammadans) shall come before Thee. Trouble Thou them with the trouble with which Thou hast, because of my sins, troubled me, and which Thou hast shown, through me, to 292 THE MONKS OF KUBLAI KHAN my children, and those who are precious to me. And because my groanings are many and my heart is sick." [Lam. i.19-22; but the Syriac text is ; defective]. What next? TODJAIN (sic) came before the Catholicus, laughing like a man who had done nothing, and he brought him to his tent, and paid him honour, and presented the cup to him kneeling on his knees. And the Catholicus said unto him, "Is this the form which thy promises take? And is this the way in which the royal Edict which thou didst read to me yesterday is carried out? In that it was commanded that every man who went down was not to be harmed, and that not even the blood of his nose was to be made to flow." TODJAIN replied, "They shot arrows from the Fortress, and wounded two men (191) and they are dead."And the Catholicus said, "Those who shot the arrows ought to have been killed, and not those who obeyed the royal Edict and came down"; and TODJAIN held his peace and answered never a word. Now although the accursed peoples of the Arabs had taken counsel in order to destroy the Catholicus, TODJAIN and NASIR, the brother [HAJJI] DALKANDI pretended that they knew nothing about it, so that [their ignorance] might be for them an excuse. But the Lord hath pleasure in His chosen ones, and He sendeth to MASSACRE OF CHRISTIANS AT ARBIL 293 them deliverance whence they know not, and with out their perceiving how [it cometh]. Now the Metropolitan pondered in his mind, and said to the Amir GAIDJAK, "O Amir, thou knowest well what manner of man this TODJAIN is. He hath arranged for us to go to Arbil, but I am afraid that he will work [some] wickedness before we arrive [there]. It will be a good thing if the Amir will send [on in advance] one of his own men, and one of the companions of the messenger who is with me." And this the Amir did without any delay (or hesitation), and he sent on one of his own men, and one of the men who were with the messenger. And [they] arrived on the day of the Sabbath mentioned above, at the turn of the day (i.e. in the evening), after the wretched people had been massacred (192). And they came and saluted the Catholicus and TODJAIN, and they showed him the copy of the Edict of the king which the Amir of the Amirs, had written on the subject of the Catholicus. And when TODJAIN and NASIR heard it the light of the face of TODJAIN became clouded, and the face of NASIR became green (or yellow), and they began whispering to each other. There remained to them no means [of exculpation], for the men who had come had seen the Catholicus. And when the darkness fell NASIR and TODJAIN rode with him (the messenger?) a mile. And he went to the village of AMKABHA [near Arbil]. 294 THE MONKS OF KUBLAI KHAN And the Metropolitan, and the messenger who was with him, arrived on the morning of Sunday, the seven and twentieth day of the month of Haziran (June) and they saw what had happened; and they were sorely grieved, and their suffering was great, but they were somewhat relieved that the Catholicus and the clergy who were with him were saved. And straightway they went to the Catholicus, and showed him the instructions of the great Amir, and the character of the royal Edict concerning him; and the Catholicus rejoiced and blessed them and the Amir. And in the morning of the following day the messenger went to TODJAIN and asked permission to go up to the Fortress, but TODJAIN would not permit him [saying], "These (193) men, who are YAGHAYE [i.e. enemies, or rebels] would kill thee." The messenger said, "Whether they kill me or leave me [alive], I am going up to them." And when he went up TODJAIN would not let any food or drink whatsoever go up with him [saying], "Thou hast come to save the Christians, who are haters of our Confession (i.e. Faith), and are also enemies of our people. And since the Christians do not obey the royal Edicts, we will not obey the command of thy Amir." The messenger, however, paid no heed to him, and he went up to the Fortress, and showed [the Christians] the decree of the Amir ; and they agreed to go down, and all were obedient. MASSACRE OF CHRISTIANS AT ARBIL 295 And the messenger came down in the evening, and he brought down three men with him; one of these they (i.e. the Arabs) snatched from his hands and slew, and the other two they carried off as prisoners. The messenger brought with him the keys of the Fortress, which he delivered to TODJAIN, and then he came to the Catholicus sadly, and they took counsel together as to what he should do. [And the messenger said], "Those who are at the foot of the Fortress are many and powerful. In the Fortress there is not food enough for a single day, and they stopped me from (194) taking anything up. And if I bring them down the Arabs will seize them and massacre them. I have no one here to help me, and what to do I know not. But I can gather together the men who have come with me, and the one hundred horsemen of the Amir GAIDJAK. They can bring down the women and children first of all, and carry them into the villages. And as for the men who can fight, they, and I, and the men who are with me can pass away and make our escape in the night. And if any man putteth out his hand against us, we can put out [our hands also]." And the Catholicus said, "Thou knowest [best what to do] ; according as God giveth thee [knowledge] that do." On the third day of the week (Tuesday) the messenger went up to the Christians, and he 296 THE MONKS OF KUBLAI KHAN gathered them together about him and held converse with them; and the greater number of them hearkened to his counsel, but, as the proverb saith, "Out of the bone cometh the worm."(1) Now certain of the people of the Fortress had long acted deceitfully, and had made themselves confederates of NASIR AD-DIN. And every day they sent messengers to him, and made him acquainted with everything that took place in the Fortress. And when these men saw that the greater number had decided to (195) go down, they went and informed NASIR. And straightway he wrote [saying], "The dwellers in the Fortress, with the exception of the Mountaineers [TURAYE] shall give nothing to any man, and they shall not come down from the Fortress, but they shall make their hearts happy. The Mountaineers shall give the messengers money for the way, and, if they wish, they may come down." At this decision the people in the Fortress broke up into two parties, and some of them went down to him (i.e. NASIR), both they and their houses (i.e. families); and they
MASSACRE OF CHRISTIANS AT ARBIL 297 were unharmed, and were allowed to depart, and they came to the village of AMKABHA. And after one day they (i.e. the Arabs) came and took them away from that place, and they were massacred. From that time onward there remained in the Fortress no chief, no governor, no counsellor, and no man who knew [affairs]. The messenger remained by himself in the Cell of the Catholicus, but finally he went down, and left them without a helper in bitter weeping and anguished groanings. Alas for that hour full of injury! Alas for that season of affliction which brought forth tribulations! Supposing they dwelt [there]--no strength remained in any man even to draw water, and who was there to do the fighting? Famine (or hunger) vanquished them completely! The, wheat was (196) already finished, and was sold at eight zuze the litya (i.e. pound). As for salt, who could find any? They had already finished the asses, the dogs, and the ferrets, and no old leather objects were left. They filled themselves with the husks of the seed of the cotton plant (`mar-kubha). Widows stretched out their hands [helplessly] and wept, and there was none to bind up what was broken. And there was absolutely no one to bury the dead. Who was there who had strength enough to dig a grave? Who was there who could show pity and affection? Who was there to give alms? Orphans died 298 THE MONKS OF KUBLAI KHAN on the dung heaps. Others fell down [dead] in their houses and dried up, and others hurled themselves down from the wall, and those who were below received them on their swords, and hacked them in pieces. Alas for the men of honour whom the Lord hath spurned! Alas for the men of honour whom the Lord hath rejected! Alas for the nation for whom there remaineth none to show pity, and none to extend help to it! See, O ye who hear, how violent is the punishment of our Lord of those who do not turn back (i.e. repent)! How cruel is Thy rod, O our God! How injurious is Thy stroke, O Thou who careth for us! (197). How cruel are Thy beatings, O Thou who bindest us up! Thou hast turned Thy face backwards, and the crown of their heads hath fallen, and their rejoicings have been turned back into sorrow (Lam. v. 15,16). They have wept by day and by night, their tears have furrowed their cheeks, and among all their friends there is not one to offer consolation (Ibid. 1, 2). They all heave sighs and demand bread (Ibid. i.11). Their eyes have become darkened through tears, their bowels are in a turmoil, and their honour has been turned back on the ground, through the breaking of their Fortress. Children and, babes say to their mothers, "Where is the bread? Where is the oil?" And they collapse before them, like the slain (Ibid. ii.11,12) whilst asking MASSACRE OF CHRISTIANS AT ARBIL 299 for bread; and there is none to break it and give it to them. Behold, those who once fed sumptuously now lie in the streets; and behold, those who were reared in purple apparel, now lie down on the dung heaps (Ibid. iv. 4, 5). Their visages are blacker than ashes, and they cannot be recognized. Their skins have shrunk on their bones, and have dried up, and become like wood. Far happier are those who have been slain with the sword than those who have been slain by hunger. The women eat their own fruit, and loving hands cook their children (198) who become their food (Ibid. iv. 8-10). Children and old men lie together on the ground, and virgins and young men have suffered disgrace. The men have been butchered, and the Lord hath not had pity on them (Ibid. ii. 21); and arrows have penetrated their kidneys. And they have become a laughing stock among all the nations (Ibid. iii. 13, 14), for the Lord hath fulfilled His wrath, and hath poured out the wrath of His anger (Ibid. 10, 11), because those who have observed for them (the bishops) have observed vainly (Ibid. iv. 16). They cry out with the Prophet [Jeremiah] saying, "Our sins you have roused themselves up against us, our strength hath become sick (or weak), for the Lord hath handed us over into the hand of one against whom we can do nothing (Ibid. i.14); 300 THE MONKS OF KUBLAI KHAN righteous, is the Lord against Whom we have rebelled." Hear, O all ye nations, and look on our affliction. Our virgins and young men have gone into captivity (Ibid. i.18), and our strong young men and men of war have been slain. What are we to say? That our priests have led us astray, and have not laid bare before us our sins ? (Ibid. ii.14). God forbid! They exhorted, and we did not hearken; they rebuked us, and we did not incline our ears. We despised them, and showed no favour to their persons. We have shown no affection to our old men, we have oppressed the widows, and we have persecuted the poor and needy. Our iniquity is greater (199) than that of JERUSALEM, and the wickedness which is in our days surpasseth that [of the days] of NOAH. Because of this the Lord hath performed that which He meditated, and He hath fulfilled His word according to what He commanded in the days of old. He hath swept us away pitilessly, and hath girded us about with enemies, and hath raised up the horn of our oppressors (Ibid. ii.17 ). All our enemies have opened their mouths against us, they have hissed and gnashed their teeth at us. They have sold our children into a far country, they have defiled our virgins before us, and they have mocked our women before our very eyes (Ibid. v.11)saying, "We will swallow you up. This is MASSACRE OF CHRISTIANS AT ARBIL 301 the day which we expected, and we have found it, and seen it " (Ibid . ii. 16). And the people of the Arabs went up to the Fortress with TODJAIN and NASIR on the fourth day of the week (Wednesday), the first day of Tammuz (July), in the year of the Greeks, one thousand six hundred and twenty-one [A.D. 1310], and they conquered it. And they slew everyone they found in it, and spared none, and everyone they saw they carried off into captivity; and they looted the treasures, and pillaged what was laid up there. And those who remained there of the TURAYE KAYADJAYE (i.e. the Mountaineers) they (200) hurled from the top of the wall, and those who were down below received them on their swords until they had made an end of all of them. They sold [some of] the women and virgins, and they gave [the others] to everyone who came to them, and made gifts of them. In short, they brought into daylight all the evil that was hidden in their hearts. And we also, with that same Prophet say, "Exult ye, O men of Arbil, for the cup hath come unto you, and Ye shall be confounded and broken with troubles (Ibid. iv. 21), and there is none to save you. But the Lord will be mindful of what hath happened to His people, and how His inheritance hath been plundered (Ibid. v. 1). The Lord is good to him that awaiteth Him, and to the soul that seeketh Him (Ibid. iii. 25). He will return 302 MONKS OF KUBLAI KHAN
CHAPTER XIX
And the Catholicus visited the princess, the wife of the Amir GAIDJAK, and she paid him great honour and also sent men (202) with him to the Camp. When he arrived he went straightway to visit the great Amir DJOPAN, who saw him, and paid him the honour which was his due, and thence he went to the city; and all the Amirs were well acquainted with his history. And he went to the victorious king and blessed him according to custom, and placed the cup in his hands, and the king likewise gave him the 304 THE MONKS OF KUBLAI KHAN cup, but neither of them spake a word with the other. And sorely afflicted, the Catholicus went forth from the presence, for he had intended if the king had questioned him to make known to him all that had happened to himself and to his flock. At this treatment his heart was broken grievously, and he sat down there for a month of days, hoping that, peradventure, some new thing might happen, or that some one would ask him about what had happened. And when certain necessary business connected with the Cell and the Christians had been accomplished, he went back and came to the; monastery which he had built by the side MARAGHAH. And he made up his mind that he would never again go to the Camp, saying, "I am wearied (or disgusted) with the service the Mongols." (203) And in the year of the Greeks one thousand six hundred and twenty-two (A.D. 1310-11) he passed the winter in the monastery In the summer he went to the city of TABHRIZ because he heard that the Amir IRNADJIN--may our Lord preserve his life!--had arrived there; and the Catholicus having come thither met him straightway. And IRNADJIN paid him great honour, and he and his wife [KEKHSHEK], the daughter of King AHMAD, the son of the deceased King Hulagu, gave him gifts and presents. And the princess [KEKHSHEK] was greatly honoured in the kingdom, DEATH OF YAHBH-ALLAHA 305 because the victorious King [ULJAITO] had taken her daughter [KUTLUKSHAH KHATUN] to wife, and she was then the greatest of his wives. The amount of money which the Amir IRNADJIN and his wife gave to the Catholicus was ten thousand [dinars], which are [equal to] sixty thousand zuze ( �5,000) and two riding horses. And the Amir also gave a village to the church MAR SHALITA, the holy martyr, for his dead father was laid therein, and his mother and his wives were buried therein (204). The Catholicus passed the winter of the year of the Greeks one thousand six hundred and twenty-three (A.D. 1311-1I2) in the monastery and the summer also. And when his case was represented to the king by the Council he bestowed upon him five thousand dinars ( �2,500) which came to him for his maintenance every year. And the king also gave him villages [in the neighborhood' of the city of BAGHDAD. Now up to this year the number of the Fathers, Metropolitans and Bishops which he has ordained for flocks by layings on of hands, is seventy-five. Thus are they. He lived in the monastery which he had built until the year of the Greeks, ne e thousand six hundred and twenty-nine [A.D. 1317]. He died on the night of the [Saturday preceding] the Sunday [of the prayer] "Ma shebhih mashkenakh "How glorious is Thy habitation"), the 15th day of the month 306 THE MONKS OF KUBLAI KHAN the latter Teshri (November), and was laid in the monastery which he had built. May his memory be for blessing ! And may the prayers of MAR YAHBH-ALLAHA, the Catholicus, and RABBAN SAWMA be upon us, and upon the world, (205), to the uttermost limit thereof, and upon the Holy Church and her children. And to God be glory, and honour, and praise, and worship, for ever and ever. Amen and Amen.
Here endeth this "History of MAR YAHBH-ALLAHA, the Catholicus and Patriarch of the East, and of RABBAN SAWMA, the Visitor-General." And to God be constant glory, and to the sinner who wrote these lines, may there be forgiveness of debts, and remission of sins in the terrible Hall of judgement! Amen. [previous] [home] [next-bibliography]
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