Rossabi shares the incredible story of Rabban Sauma, a 13th century Nestorian Christian Mongol who traveled from Beijing to Rome, Paris, and even BordRossabi shares the incredible story of Rabban Sauma, a 13th century Nestorian Christian Mongol who traveled from Beijing to Rome, Paris, and even Bordeaux. Sauma also spent time in contemporary Persia and Armenia when they were part of the Ilkhanate, as well as Constantinople, the capital of the Byzantine Empire. On the face of it then, this 180 page book promises to be an excellent story given the first-hand source materials. Leading an embassy to gain European support for a war against the Mamluks, Sauma kept a diary and wrote a report for his fellow Nestorians. However, Sauma's account was heavily redacted by an early translator and compiler. The result is much of Rossabi's book is based on other primary and secondary accounts that flesh out the historical context of the period: its politics, religious diversity, and urban and architectural history. By the second half of the book, when Sauma is in Europe, much of Rossabi's narrative is evaluating the holy relics that Sauma writes most about — were they authentic? Where did they originate? Rossabi also devotes pages describing the buildings that Sauma did or didn't comment on. I felt that a discussion of authenticity in an early travel book was besides the point. More on Nestorian interest in pilgrimage and relics and its context with other pilgrimage traditions in Central Asia (such as Sufism) would have been more faithful as a cultural history. But Rossabi's approach seems to be more that of the philologist. It's an approach that curtails the wonder in the account; nevertheless, Rossabi provides a steady hand as he illuminates this under-appreciated early modern traveler. The book leaves us frustrated about what more we would learn if Sauma's account hadn't been redacted....more
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