Aïbeg and Serkis

Aïbeg and Serkis, also Aibeg and Sergis or Aïbäg and Särgis, were two ambassadors sent by the Mongol ruler Baichu to Pope Innocent IV in 1247-1248. They were the first Mongol envoys to Europe.

Aïbeg ("Moon Prince") is thought to have been a Turcophone Christian, possibly Uighur, and Serkis (from the Christian name "Sergius") a Nestorian, possibly Syrian. [Roux, p.316: "Ascelin of Cremone (...) had himself accompanied by two diplomats, a Christian turcophone, maybe Uighur, named Aibeg ("Moon Prince"), and a Nestorian, probably Syrian, Sergis".] Both were sent by Baichu , to accompany the 1245 embassy of the Dominican Ascelin of Lombardia back to Lyon, France. They stayed there for about a year. [Runciman, p.259]

Aïbeg and Serkis met with Innocent IV in 1248, and remitted to him a rather vexing letter from Baichu, expressing his difficulty in understanding the Pope's message, and asking for his submission: [Roux, p.316]

As a reply to the letter from Baiju, Innocent IV remitted to the envoys the letter known as "Viam agnoscere veritatis". [Roux, Histoire de l'Empire Mongol, p.316: "Sergis et Aibeg were finally sent back on November 22, 1248, with an answer, known as "Viam agnoscere veritatis" (Original French quote: "Serbeg et Aibeg furent finalement congédiés le 22 Novembre 1248 avec une réponse, la lettre connue comme "Viam agnoscere veritatis").] [Setton, p.522 "The Pope's reply to Baidju's letter, "Viam agnoscere veritatis", dated November 22, 1248, and probably carried back by Aibeg and Sargis"] According to historian Kenneth Setton, it "stated that Innocent IV had acted out of a sense of duty to let the true religion be known to the Mongols, and that he regretted the Mongols' perseverance in their errors and adjured them to cease their menaces." [Setton, p.522 [http://books.google.com/books?id=J6v9jhUd-r8C&pg=PA522&dq=setton+viam&sig=gbONhwyPfSQCRRC8G4_tFDyTjPE] ] The Pope appealed to the Mongols to stop their killing of Christians, while indicating no further interest in continuing the dialogue. [Rachewiltz, p. 118. "In his letter the pontiff urged the Mongols to stop persevering in their errors and to end the slaughter, especially of Christians. There is not even a hint at a renewal of the dialogue with the Tartars."]

Aïbeg and Serkis stayed at Lyon for about a year, before returning to the Mongol realm on November 22, 1248. [Runciman, p.259] [Roux, "Histoire de l'Empire Mongol", p.316]

ee also

* Franco-Mongol alliance

Notes

References

* Jackson, Peter, "Mongols and the West", p. 89
* Grousset, Rene, "Histoire des Croisades, III", Tempus, 2006 edition, ISBN 226202569X
* Rachewiltz, I, "Papal Envoys to the Great Khans", Stanford University Press, 1971.
* Roux, Jean-Paul, "Histoire de l'Empire Mongol", 1993, Fayard, ISBN 2213031649
* Kenneth Meyer Setton, "A History of the Crusades"
* Runciman, Steven, "History of the Crusades, III", Penguin Books, 2002 edition, ISBN 014013705X