2022, vol. 10, no. 1. Pochekaev R.Yu.

2022, vol. 10, no. 1, pp. 8-31

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.22378/2313-6197.2022-10-1.8-31

   THE LAW OF THE MONGOLS AS SEEN BY
JOHN OF PLANO CARPINI: HISTORICAL LEGAL VERIFICATION

R.Yu. Pochekaev
National Research University Higher School of Economics
“The Great Altai” Scientific Educational Center of altaistics and turkology
St. Petersburg, Russian Federation
rpochekaev@hse.ru

Abstract: Research objectives: The goal of the article is a comparative analysis of information recorded by John of Plano Carpini on Mongolian and Mongol Empire law, along with other sources on the Mongolian law and legal traditions aimed at determining the objectivity of diplomat’s materials and observing the evolution of traditional law of the Mongols.
Research materials: Verification is carried out on the basis of the work “The Story of the Mongols Whom We Call the Tartars” by John of Plano Carpini, making comparisons with the corpus of other historical sources, including travelers’ notes and historical chro­nicles by authors of the medieval and modern eras, as well as materials of ethnographic research on the legal traditions of nomadic peoples of Eurasia.
The novelty of the study: The presented article is the first attempt to compare the information of John of Plano Carpini on the customary and imperial law of the Mongols with other sources on Mongolian law to observe certain legal traditions of the Mongols and the evolution of law among the Eurasian nomads.
Research results: The author has found that the majority of information from John of Plano Carpini on Mongolian law in the middle of thirteenth century can be characterized as objective as it is confirmed by the data from independent sources dating from the thirteenth to nineteenth centuries. These include testimonies of other foreign travelers who visited Mongolia in different epochs, medieval historical chronicles, studies resulting from ethnographic research, etc. Besides that, the value of the information of the diplomat is emphasized within the context of comparative legal research on the history of the state and law of the Mongol Empire and Chinggisid states.

Keywords: Mongol Empire, Chinggisid states, Jochi Ulus, Chaghatay Ulus, Iran under the Safavids, Great Moghuls, Mongol imperial law, Islamic law, privileges and immunities

For citation: Pochekaev R.Yu. The Law of the Mongols as Seen by John of Plano Carpini: Historical Legal Verification. Zolotoordynskoe obozrenie=Golden Horde Review. 2022, vol. 10, no. 1, pp. 8–31. DOI: 10.22378/2313-6197.2022-10-1.8-31

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About the author: Roman Yu. Pochekaev – Dr. Sci. (History), Cand. Sci. (Jurisprudence), Associate professor, Professor, Head of the Department of theory and history of law and state, National Research University Higher School of Economics in St. Petersburg, Senior Researcher of “The Great Altai” Scientific Educational Center of altaistics and turkology (17, Promyshlennaya Str., St. Petersburg 198099, Russian Federation); ORCID: 0000-0002-4192-3528, ResearcherID: K-2921-2015. E-mail: rpochekaev@hse.ru

Received  December 13, 2021   Accepted for publication  February 24, 2022
Published  Online March 29, 2022