One god, many idols, and the sin of a knife in the fire
Editorial contextSanudo's chapter on 'the customs of the Tartars' says they believe in one God, maker of all, but do not pray to him; they worship idols that give them answers. They are 'too superstitious': it is a sin to stick a knife in the fire, touch fire with a knife, take meat from the cauldron with it, or chop with an axe near the fire, 'for they think the head is thus cut off the fire'. Killing and invading other lands, he adds, they do not count as sin.
The Tartars worship one God, maker of all things, giver of good and of punishments in this world; yet they do not worship him with prayers or praises or in any other way, but idols from which they get answers. ... They are too superstitious: for they think it a sin to stick a knife in the fire, or touch it in any way with a knife, or take meat out of the cauldron with it, or chop with an axe beside the fire: for they think that in this way the head is taken off the fire.
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Tartari, vnum Deum colunt, factorem omnium; bonorum, & pœnarum in hoc mundo datorem: eum tamen orationibus vel laudibus aut aliter non colunt; sed idola à quibus habent responsa. … Superstitiosi sunt nimis: peccatū enim putant cultellum in igne figere, vel quomodocunq; cultello tangere, vel cum eo carnes de caldaria extrahere, vel cū securi incidere iuxta ignē: putant enim sic caput igni auferri.
About Mongols
Keep in mind
Condensed from Carpini's report; Sanudo presents it as general knowledge.
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Spices come by the Tartar road through Baghdad and Tabriz
Editorial contextSanudo, a Venetian with merchant experience, argues that the Pope should ban trade with Mamluk Egypt because goods can come instead through the lands of the Tartars. Christian merchants, he says, can travel from the Tartar dominions all the way to India, and many have gone and come back, whereas the Sultan lets no Christian pass; light, precious spices such as cloves, nutmeg and mace already reach the Mediterranean via Baghdad and Tabriz.
from this side, namely the dominion of the Tartars, Christian merchants will be able to direct their steps as far as India, since there are many who have already gone and come back. ... it should be known that from the parts of the Tartars, namely from Baghdad and from Tabriz, for a long time past and at present almost all goods of small weight and great price are carried to the Mediterranean Sea
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ab hac parte scilicet dominii Tartarorum, vsque in Indiam ipsi mercatores Christiani poterunt dirigere gressus suos, cùm multi sint, qui iam iuerunt & redierunt. … sciendum est quod à partibus Tartarorum, scilicet à Baldach & à Thorisio, à magno tempore citra conducta sunt & cōducuntur ad præsens ad Mare Mediterraneum, quasi omnia mercimonia modici ponderis, & magni prætii
About Mongols of the Ilkhanate (Persia and Iraq)
Keep in mind
A policy argument for a trade embargo; his trade information came from Venetian and other merchants.
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No locks on their wagons, and living on mare's milk
Editorial contextIn the same chapter Sanudo, following Carpini, praises Tartar honesty and endurance: there are no robbers or thieves of anything valuable among them, so the tents and carts where they keep their treasure are never locked; they welcome anyone who comes while they eat, can go a day or two without food and still sing and play, and when heading for lands short of food they take mares and cows along and live on the milk.
Robbers or thieves of valuable things are not found among them: so their dwellings and carts, where they keep their treasures, they do not secure with locks or bars. They honour one another and are friendly among themselves; everyone who approaches while they are eating they receive at the meal ... and when they go to a land where they think there is a shortage of food, they take mares, cows and other animals with them, and live on the milk.
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Prædones vel fures notabilium rerum, inter eos non sunt: ideoq; stationes & currus eorum, vbi thesauros conseruant, seris aut vectibus non firmant. Honorant se mutuò, & sunt ad inuicem familiares; omnem accedentem, dum comedunt, ad conuiuiū recipiunt … & quando ad terram pergunt, vbi putant adesse victualiū inopiam, equas, vaccas & alia animalia secū portant; & de lacte viuunt.
About Mongols
Keep in mind
Copied from Carpini, who also stressed their arrogance and cruelty to outsiders.
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Khan Uzbek turns Muslim, with an army counted in tens
Editorial contextSanudo warns the Pope that the Sultan of Egypt, with gifts and treaties, had drawn 'the Emperor of the Tartars named Husbecho, who rules in Gazaria and other northern parts' to accept Islam. Trustworthy people told him Uzbek's cavalry was so vast that, his army being organised in tens, he could take just three of every ten and still field an almost unbelievable host.
the said Sultan so changed and drew the Emperor of the Tartars, named Uzbek, who rules in Gazaria and other northern parts, that he received the law of the faithless Muhammad ... For it is asserted by some trustworthy people that the said Uzbek has so numerous a multitude of horsemen that, taking three out of ten, since he has his army ordered by tens, from the threes alone he puts so large a force in the field that it seems almost incredible.
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prædictus Soldanus Imperatorem Tartarorum, nomine Husbecho, qui in Gazaria, & aliis Septentrionis partibus dominatur, immutauit taliter & attraxit, vt legem receperit perfidi Mahumeti … Nam à nonnullis dignis fide asseritur quod dictus Husbecho, habet equitum multitudinem adeò numerosam, vt subtrahendo tres de decem, cum per decuriones habeat exercitum ordinatum, ex solis ternariis in campo ponit ita militiam copiosam, quod quasi incredibile videatur.
About Golden Horde under Uzbek Khan ('Husbecho')
Keep in mind
Uzbek's conversion was his own and not simply the Sultan's doing; the army figure is hearsay.
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Why the Tartars could never hold Syria: summer heat and no grass
Editorial contextArguing against landing a crusade in Armenia, Sanudo notes that the Tartars had often overrun almost all of Syria but always had to give it up and let the Sultan retake it. They could not cross the desert into Egypt, and could not stay through the summer because of the great heat and the lack of pasture for their horses and herds. It shows how nomad armies were tied to grass.
And it should be considered that many times the Tartars overran the land and took almost all the districts of Sham and Syria: but because they could not cross the desert by which one passes into Egypt ... And if one wished to say that the Tartars were forced to give up what they had taken, this was because they could not stay in summer on account of the intense heat, and on account of the lack of grazing, which they did not have for pasturing their horses and herds
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Et considerandum est quod multoties Tartari cucurrerunt per terram, & cœperunt quasi omnes contratas de Semo, & de Syria: sed quia non potuerunt transire desertum per quod transitur in Ægyptum … Et si dici vellet quod Tartari compulsi fuerunt relinquere acquisita, hoc fuit, quia non potuerunt in æstate commorari propter intensionem caloris, & propter defectum herbatici, quod non habuerunt pro suis equis pascēdis & gregibus
About Mongols of the Ilkhanate
Keep in mind
A strategic argument, but it matches what modern historians say about Mongol logistics in Syria.
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Seven Tartar nations, and the 'water Mongols' named after a river
Editorial contextSanudo lists seven Tartar nations 'of greater excellence': Tartar, Tangoth, Eurath, Ialayr, Sonit, Mengli and Theboth (roughly Tatar, Tangut, Oirat, Jalayir, Sunit, and others). Then, from another source, he says the land of Mongal had four peoples, the second being the Su Mongol or 'water Mongols', who 'call themselves Tartars, from a river of theirs called Tartar'. Chinggis rose from the first people and conquered the rest.
of which the first is called Tartar, the second Tangoth, the third Eurath, the fourth Ialayr, the fifth Sonit, the sixth Mengli, the seventh Theboth. The said land of Mongal also once had four peoples: the first of which was called Iechamongla, that is, great Mongols; the second, Summongal, that is, water Mongols: these call themselves Tartars, from a certain river of theirs which is called Tartar
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quarum prima vocatur Tartar, secunda, Tangoth, tertia Eurath, quarta Ialayr, quinta Sonit, sexta Mengli, septima Theboth. Præfata quoque terra Mongal, quatuor olim habebat populos: quorum primus Iechamongla, id est, magni Mongali vocabatur: Secundus, Summongal, id est, aquatici Mongali: hii se ipsos Tartaros appellant, à quodam suo fluuio qui Tartar dicitur
About Mongols and Tatars
Keep in mind
Stitched from Hayton (the seven nations) and Carpini (the four peoples); the river Tartar is a folk etymology.
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Prester John's son cut to pieces, his daughter wed to Chinggis
Editorial contextSanudo tells how the Tartars, once tributaries of 'David, son of Prester John, king of India', rose against him under Chinggis. Their best weapons were clubs with bows and arrows; most fought on foot, some rode oxen, a few rode asses and colts. David was cut limb from limb with all his family except one daughter, whom Chinggis took as wife. A blend of the Prester John legend with the real defeat of the Kereit ruler Toghrul.
Their best weapons were clubs, with bows and arrows: for the most part they were on foot; a smaller part sat on oxen; the smallest on asses and beasts of burden and colts. So King David, hearing of their coming ... was cut limb from limb with his whole family except his only daughter: which daughter Chinggis Khan took as his wife.
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Potiora eorum arma, fuere claua cum arcubus, & sagittis: pedites in maxima parte erant; pars minor in bobus sedebat; minima asinis & iumentis & pullis equorum. Rex itaque Dauid eorum aduentum audiens … & cum tota familia, exceptâ vnicâ eius filiâ, membratim truncatur: quam quidem filiam, Cyngis Chaam vxorem accepit.
About Mongols under Chinggis Khan; 'David, son of Prester John'
Keep in mind
A legend repeated from older crusade-era books; the Mongols were famously mounted archers, not ox-riding foot soldiers.
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