Золотоордынское обозрение (Dec 2014)
History of the Deeds of David, King of the Indies (1221): Latin Text, Russian Translation, and Commentaries
Abstract
This article contains the Latin text, its translation into Russian, and commentaries to the so-called “History of the Deeds of David, King of the Indies” contained in the seventh letter of the Catholic Archbishop of Acre, Jacques de Vitry, sent to the West 18th April, 1221. The “History of David” represents the most comprehensive version of the reports, which began to circulate in the Egyptian camp of the V Crusade’s participants starting from January–February 1221. These reports contained mixed description of the military campaigns of Khwarezmshah Ala ad-Din Muhammad II, Naiman khan Kuchlug, and Genghis Khan. Military operations of the last two historical figures were presented as victorious military campaign of the Christian “king David” and, therefore, of a potential ally of the Crusaders.According to Jacques de Vitry, the “History of David” was translated into Latin from the Arabic language after it had been delivered to the Prince of Antioch Bohemond IV by his spies in Muslim countries. Anticipating the text of “History”, Jacques de Vitry reports that the Sultan of al-Jazira, al-Malik al-Ashraf, was unable to send his troops against the Crusaders in connection with the appearance of an unexpected military threat on the eastern borders of his possessions. It is obvious that under this threat the Archbishop of Acre had in mind the emergence of the Mongol troops in Iraq at the end of 1220. According to Jacques de Vitry, the appearance of these reports in the Crusader camp of Damietta had a direct influence on the course of the Fifth Crusade. Crusaders in Damietta noticeably heartened after had learning of the advance of “king David” in the Middle East along with encouraging news about the impending arrival in Egypt of the Emperor Frederick II. Under the influence of these reports and after the arrival of reinforcements of the Bavarian Duke Ludwig I, the papal legate Pelagius made the fateful decision to march on Cairo, which led both to the complete defeat of the Crusaders in August 1221 and the end of the Fifth Crusade.
