2019, vol. 7, no. 2. Kaziev E.V.

2019, vol. 7, no. 2, pp. 242-253

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.22378/2313-6197.2019-7-2.242-253

   ON THE CHRONOLOGY OF THE AS PEOPLE’S ENTRY
INTO MONGOL SERVICE

E.V. Kaziev
Institute of History and Archaeology of the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania
Vladikavkaz, Russian Federation
kedmon@rambler.ru

Abstract: Objective: To ascertain the time and circumstances of the As people’s incorporation into the service of the Mongol Empire’s supreme rulers.
Research materials: Biographies of the As military commanders found in the section of “Biographies of the Famous” in the Chinese “History of the Yüan Dynasty” (Yuan Shi) as well as information from the Franciscan friars’ accounts of their missions in the Mongol Empire.
Results and novelty of the research: For the first time, a single study summarizes the available information from written sources about the time and circumstances of the As people’s joining Mongol service. It has been ascertained that the Franciscan John of Marignolli’s information on the As people’s service among the Mongols since the time of Chinggis Khan is not confirmed by information from other synchronous written sources which does not allow one to advance anything further than assumptions on this matter. In addition, this study exposes factual errors contained in A.I. Ivanov’s Russian translation of the As military commanders’ biographies presented in the “History of the Yuan Dynasty” which led to the incorrect definition in the academic tradition of the time and circumstances of the As people’s incorporation into Mongol service. The original text of the mentioned Chinese source makes it possible to assert that the As people entered Mongol service only under Ögödei Khan during the Western campaign after having sworn allegiance to the Chinggisid Prince Möngke. All other arguments for the timeframe of this subjugation are not confirmed in the sources and remain only assumptions, which, however, have been presented as facts in the academic tradition.

Keywords: Ases, Mongols, Yüan dynasty, Minorites, Western campaign

For citation: Kaziev E.V. On the Chronology of the As People’s Entry into Mongol Service. Zolotoordynskoe obozrenie=Golden Horde Review. 2019, vol. 7, no. 2, pp. 242–253. (In Russian) DOI: 10.22378/2313-6197.2019-7-2.242-253

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About the author: Eduard V. Kaziev – Senior Research Fellow, History Department of Institute of History and Archaeology of the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania (46, Vatutin Str., Vladikavkaz 362025, Russian Federation); ORCID: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4386-248X, ResearcherID: L-9777-2018. E-mail: kedmon@rambler.ru

Received  January 31, 2019   Accepted for publication  May 15, 2019
Published online June 29, 2019