Ruy Gonzalez De Clavijo

Embajada a Samarcanda. Vida y haza as del gran Tamorl n relata el viaje de Ruy Gonz lez de Clavijo a Samarcanda, en 1403. Fue a esa ciudad como embajador de Enrique III, con el prop sito de conseguir una alianza. Ruy parti del Puerto de Santa Mar a, en C diz, estuvo en Constantinopla, Trebizonda y Teher n. Su misi n era hablar con el sult n Tamerl n, un gran caudillo mongol. Los reyes cristianos de Europa y Espa a cre an que el gran sult n era el nico capaz de detener el avance de los turcos en Europa. La muerte del gran Tamorl n hizo de la expedici n un viaje lleno de aventuras. Gracias a Embajada a Tamorl n conocemos c mo fue la expedici n comandada por Ruy Gonz lez de Clavijo. Dur casi tres a os, desde el 23 de mayo de 1403, d a en el que partieron en una carraca desde El Puerto de Santa Mar a, de C diz, hasta marzo de 1406, cuando regresaron a Sanl car de Barrameda, tras m ltiples peripecias. En el libro queda patente la admiraci n que sinti Clavijo al descubrir Samarcanda. La ciudad era m s grande que cualquiera de Castilla, rica, diversa y multicultural, en ella se conjugaba lo mejor de ambos mundos. Embajada a Tamorl n tiene un gran valor hist rico. Es el nico testimonio europeo que existe sobre la lejana corte mogol. Adem s contiene abundantes descripciones de los lugares por donde pas la expedici n, con especial menci n a Samarcanda. Y se anticipa al viaje de Marco Polo.

Il resoconto della missione di Ruy Gonzalez de Clavijo, scritto al ritorno in Spagna, e un documento storico di notevole importanza e, per il lettore moderno, una straordinaria avventura di viaggio. Lungo un percorso di oltre 20.000 km, tra andata e ritorno, per mare e per terra, vengono descritti con ricchezza di particolari ambienti, personaggi e fatti dei luoghi toccati nelle varie tappe. > Nella tratta mediterranea il lettore viene inizialmente portato da Cadice - dove Clavijo s'imbarca il 21 maggio 1403 - alla costa italiana, attraverso le Baleari, le Bocche di Bonifacio, Ponza. Dopo uno scalo a Gaeta il percorso si dirige, passando per Ischia e Capri, verso le isole Eolie - con la descrizione dell'eruzione dello Stromboli - e Messina. Da qui prosegue per il Peloponneso, Rodi, Chio, Costantinopoli e, dopo una sosta di tre mesi nella capitale bizantina per svernare, Trebisonda sul Mar Nero. > Da Trebisonda inizia la marcia via terra, lungo la Via della Seta. Clavijo costeggia il monte Ararat, attraversa l'Armenia e la Persia, toccando Soltaniye, Teheran, Nishapur, valica i deserti del Turkmenistan meridionale, e infine l'8 settembre 1404, un anno e mezzo dopo la sua partenza, arriva a Samarcanda, da cui, dopo una sosta di due mesi e mezzo, inizia il viaggio di ritorno. > In un mondo in conflitto e denso di pericoli, il lettore rimane sorpreso dall'intensita dei traffici commerciali, dalla natura e la qualita dei prodotti scambiati per migliaia di chilometri, dalla presenza dei mercantili genovesi e veneziani nei porti piu lontani del Mar Nero, dalle carovane di centinaia di cammelli sulla Via della Seta che collegavano l'Occidente alla Cina, scambiando non solo merci, ma anche idee, culture, lingue. In questo quadro spicca la figura del "grande signore Timur Beg", il Tamerlano. Conquistatore spietato e crudele, creatore di un immenso impero nell'Asia centrale, ma nello stesso tempo grande mecenate, promotore di studi storici e filosofici, ospite cortese e generoso, dotato, nonostante l'infermita e l'eta avanzata, di un'instancabile curiosita intellettuale. >

The publications of the Hakluyt Society (founded in 1846) made available edited (and sometimes translated) early accounts of exploration. The first series, which ran from 1847 to 1899, consists of 100 books containing published or previously unpublished works by authors from Christopher Columbus to Sir Francis Drake, and covering voyages to the New World, to China and Japan, to Russia and to Africa and India. Ruy González de Clavijo was sent as an ambassador from Henry III of Castile to the court of Timour (Tamerlane) at Samarkand in 1403. This 1859 book contains a translated account of his journey, from Cadiz to Constantinople, across the Black Sea and then overland from Trebizond to Samarkand. It describes in detail court life in Timour's capital, and tells of the return of the embassy to Spain in 1406. It also provides an introductory note on the text and a brief life of Timour.

In the year 1400 the princes of Europe sympathetically were much bestirred, fearing the imminent fall of Constantinople and the extinction of the Eastern Empire. The Ottoman Sultan Bazayid (otherwise Bajazet) was already in possession of almost the whole of what subsequently became Turkey in Europe. The Emperor Manuel still was lord of Constantinople, but beyond the city walls possessed a mere strip of territory along the north coast of the Sea of Marmora, and extending to the Black Sea, a strip some fifty miles in length but under thirty in breadth. Four years before (September 1396) an immense composite crusading army under the leadership of the Count of Nevers (a cousin of king Charles VI of France) had marched against the Turks to the support of king Sigismund of Hungary. But the Christians had been completely routed by Sultan Bayazid at Nicopolis on the lower Danube, an immense number of them had been killed, a lesser number made prisoners (who later had to be ransomed at heavy cost), and Europe in terror, the Emperor Manuel now shut up in Constantinople, all were waiting to learn what the Sultan next would do. From their capital established at Brusa the Turkish Sultans, past and present, had fomented many conspiracies at the Imperial Court. The father of Manuel had been the Emperor John Palaologus (1341a'1391) and Manuel's elder brother Andronicus had at an early age been proclaimed Emperor elect.1 In the days of Bayazid's father Sultan Murad (1360 to 1389) his eldest son Savaji had made a conspiracy with Andronicus whereby these two young princes had purposed to dethrone their respective fathers. The conspiracy miscarried, Savaji was put to death which brought his younger brother Bayazid later to be Sultan, and Andronicus (in company with his young son John) was shut up in the Constantinople State prison, the celebrated Tower of the Anemas. As a result Manuel his younger brother then became heira'apparent and coa'Emperor. But in Constantinople after two years the tables were turned by a palace plot. The Emperor John Palaologus and Manuel found themselves in the Anemas Tower, while Andronicus (with John the younger) assumed the purple. Kaleidoscopic changes again ensued; the old Emperor and Manuel after two years' detention managed to make their escape from durance and regained power: Andronicus was outlawed and banished. Later, however, with John the younger, he was established in the government of Selymbria, a city on the Sea of Marmora, a few miles west of Constantinople, and the peace lasted some years.