The incredible voyage of Rabban Bar Sauma, who was no less than a time traveller, into the places that held the keys of civilizational cosmopolitanism becomes an irrefutable testimony of the everlasting influence of diplomacy and cultural exchange. The gift of life I received in vibrant Beijing in the thirteenth century is the City where the heart of the Mongol Empire, which was a flavoursome and diverse society, religiously-wise, is shaped. Although he had been a member of the Nestorian Christian community since he was a child, he was provided with the best education in terms of theology and philosophy, which would be necessary for him later on (Borbone, 2020). On the basis of a request from a Mongol prince, he undertook an epic expedition to the West in search of a chance to serve his sovereign and smooth the way to treaties with foreign powers. His journeys began on the wide plains of Centelia, the busy markets of Persia, before ultimately arriving at the courts of Europe. This really was a voyage through danger and insecurity, but filled with a unique motivator through faith.
Rabban Bar Sauma’s diplomatic efforts had all of the boldness and audacity that one can imagine (Wallace, 2022). In his meetings with well-known figures, the emphasis on the feeling of his voyage of a colossal scale was laid bare. He appeared before the world stage, propagating a view of the Mongol-Christian alliance, his plot through the complex maze of medieval geopolitics with the right mix of cleverness and strength. While his actions failed to gain the required backing of the Mameluks whom he clashed with, their impact was even more throughout the historical map. Besides, he managed to bridge East and West communities and foster cultural interaction between them through his travel.
The key point of Rabban Bar Sauma, as he travels, is his responsibility for indirectly acting as a cultural diplomacy agent. Travelling during an age that institutionalized isolation along the geographical and cultural lines, his journeys became a means of bringing together out-of-touch civilizations. Through his dealings with the wise and noble Western characters, he became the medium of transfer of information and advancement of thought to the two sides, Eastern and Western. His books about the fantasies of the East gave wings to the dreams of Europeans, bringing back to life the seemingly impossible universes outside the borders of the known world. Just as it is today, Rabbani’s legacy manifested itself in the unique times of the world he lived. His biography perfectly illustrates the lasting power of politics and culture in the sense that they become roadblocks or the roads that he longs to traverse. It enables him to cross borders and connect different cultures.
In sum, the evidence of Rabban Bar Sauma’s journey representing the light on a cloudy sky suggests that for a world full of hesitation and suspicion, where there are barriers, there will be no interaction. One of the ways in which he did so was to surpass the geographical and cultural limits and awaken the spirit of unity and understanding, which he left indelibly there. As we remember him, we renew our dedication to the principles of diplomacy and arts and culture.
Reference
Borbone, P. G. (2020). The History of Mar Yahballaha and Rabban Sawma as a Source for Ilkhanid History. In New Approaches to Ilkhanid History (pp. 349-372). Brill. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004438217_014
Wallace, D. (2022). Origination and Mediation: Sicily. In The Routledge Companion to Medieval English Literature (pp. 186–198). Routledge. https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9780429197390-18/origination-mediation-david-wallace
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