Embassy to Tamerlane, 1403-1406 / translated from the Spanish by Guy Le Strange with an introduction.
- Ruy González de Clavijo
- Date:
- [1928]
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Embassy to Tamerlane, 1403-1406 / translated from the Spanish by Guy Le Strange with an introduction. Source: Wellcome Collection.
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![dispossess his two brothers of their inheritance, and open war broke out between the three. The war being at its worSf, each party now sought an ally to aid him againSf his rivals: and the brother who was lord of Erzerum brought in that lawless Moslem folk, namely those Turkomans [already frequently mentioned]. Then the lord of Ani for aid and to do the like joined him of Erzerum and they two fell on their elder brother the lord of Alashkert, each with allies from among the Turkomans. Seeing and fearing these Turkomans the lord of Alashkert took counsel with himself and to do likewise for foreign aid called in that Moslem folk who were his neighbours, namely the Turks of the border. These Turks however had their language in common with the Turkomans already spoken of who were the allies of the other two brothers, and they of one tongue making common cause, came to an under¬ standing to take for themselves that city of Alashkert, putting its lord to death and laying it in ruin. This done they slew both the other brothers, devastating their cities of Ani and Erzerum with the adjacent lands. Thus it was that the Moslems had come in and now held all Armenia: for when they had con¬ quered the cities, they put to death moSl of the Christian Armenians who were the inhabitants, and their places had not since been occupied.4 When we were thus come to Alashkert we had sure information that Qara Yúsuf the Turkoman was on that very road by which we now proposed to pass, he and all his hoSt, we therefore again changed our plan and now purposed to turn off [north] making our way direbt to Ani; and lucky indeed for us it was that we did so. With this intention on leaving Alashkert we journeyed during four days and four nights through an uninhabited barren region, and on Saturday the 5th of September at laSf reached Ani city in safety.5 Then on the Monday that followed we betook ourselves up](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b31354932_0364.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
