É. Apor (ed.): Codex Cumanicus. Ed. by Géza Kuun with a Prolegomena to the Codex Cumanicus by Lajos Ligeti. (Budapest Oriental Reprints, Ser. B 1.)
L. Ligeti: Prolegomena to the Codex Cumanicus
28 L. I-IGETI In his capacity as envoy, Tomaso of Siena took a letter of Khan Öljeitü to Philippe le Bel in 1305. 3 6 Among the Italians engaged in the Ukhan court, Ciolus of Pisa deserves special mention. The great Persian historian Rasidu-'-d Din refers to him as Jol bahadur, pàd;£àh of Pisa, and he was supposedly the governor of a Mongolian province. Though his taking the latter high dignity cannot be proved, it is certain that he was the major source for the Persian historian's chapter concerning the Franks. 3 7 As early as the time of the early Ukhans a thriving Italian colony was established in Tebriz, scon followed by a bishopric relying on Dominicans, arci two Franciscan monasteries. Several documents attest to the trading activities of the Gercars betw een 1289 and 1293. Raffo Pallavicini was their consul in 1204, and members of the colony also rendered their services as interpreters and envoys. Around 13C0, a Venetian colony also existed in Tebriz. A treaty signed in 1320 laid down the rights and immunity of the Venetians. 3 8 432. In the same year, Pope Nicolaus IV wrote to Edward I, king of England, «dilectus filius nobilis vir Bisc-arollus de Gisulfo, civis Januensis, nuneius Argoné regis Tartaroruni illustrisi»; cf. Mostaert — Cleaves, Scripta Mongolica I, pp. 48 — 49. The same Genoan person is referred to as Bisqarun in a letter addressed to Pope Boniface VIII (this time he was not member of the delegation); the Mongol text: Monumenta II, p. 250: 2, 4; text, translation, notes: Mostaert —Cleaves, in HJAS XV, pp. 4G7— 495. He must have been a delegate to the West on other occasions, since we have a letter by Edward I King of England dated from 1302, which mentions that Khan Gazan sent a written message to him via «Buscarell de Guisurfo». Cf. d'Ohsson. Histoire des Mongols IV, p. 345. Most probably the same person is referred to in a document dated July 4th, 1289. in which Buscai elio Ghisulfo invests Giacomo di Guisulfo with general powers, bee Bi&tianu, Actes des iwtaires, p. 344 (missing from the index). 3 6 His name in the Mongol diploma is mis-spelled as Toman (in place of Tomus; n and s in final position can be easily confused in the Mongolian script); the Mongol text: Monumenta I, pp. 30 — 34. The verso of the Mongol diploma contains the Italian translation of the Mongol text. In the translation the name of the envoy is «Tomaso mio iulduci». Here Tomaso is given the Mongol title yüldüci «sword bearer», which is missing from the original (presumably he bestowed this dignity upon himself). In the summer of 1307, Tomaso paid a visit to Edward II, King of England, and on his way back, in 1308, to Pope Clement V, in connection with the same matter. The only available edition of the Italian translation is Abel-Rémusat's Mi'moires sur les relations politiques des princes chrétiens, et particulièrement des rois de France avec les empereurs mongoli, Paris 1824. pp. 178—180. Bolli the English king and the pope replied to öljeit ü; d'Ohsson, Histoiri des Mongols IV. pp. 591-598. 3 7 P. Pelliot, 1st, l le Pisan: Journ. As. 1915 II, pp. 495 — 497. V. V. Bartold, Fisan I sol. Zap. Vast. I, pp. 327— 329 (Bartold, La de'eouverte de l'Asie, Paris 1947, p. 101. K. Jahn. Histoire univa selle de Hasid al-Din Fadlallüh Abul-Khair, Levde 1951. J. Richard, Isol L- Fisan, un arenturier franc, yourerneur d'une province mongolét: CAJ XTC, pp. 180 — 194. 31 , L. Peteeh, Les rnarchands italiens dans l'Empire mongol: Journ. As. 1902. pp. 500 — 574
