The Turco-Mongol Invasions and the Lords of Armenia in the 13 ...

his student Kirakos, and many other clerics were forced
to serve the Mongols as secretaries, 'writing and reading
letters"1.
A definite improvement in conditions for Christians
of the Mongol Middle East was achieved by the Syrian
doctor of the Church, Rabban in 1241/42 . Thanks to
Kg p. 249: "A£a arin ew zis eynkerac' imoc* zkni iwreano *
4 pets dprut *ean erel t u^t- gwant ernul...".
283
2 £G PP. 276-77: "...He was known as the 'father of the
Khan', since in Syriac raban means vardapet. while in
Mongolian at'a means father. As soon as he heard about
the merciless*"killing of the Christians occasioned by
the Tatar troops, he approached the Khan and beseeched
him for a letter to give the Tatar troops, commanding them
not to kill Innocent people the way they were doing,
people who had not warred against them, but instead [the
Mongols should] let them alone so..that they might serve
the king. With great pomp the Khan sent Raban himself to
his commanders with a written ord~er that all obey his
command. /-"
"When Raban arrived, many things turned propitious for
the Christians and the killings and captures ceased.
Be likewise built churches in TaSik cities where previously
no one dared utter the name of Christ—even in Tabriz
and the city of NaxSawan which were yet more inimical to
the Christians, so much so that Christians [dwelling there]
did not dare appear or walk abroad openly, to say nothing
of constructing a church or erecting a cross. Yet Raban
erected cross and church, and the sounding-board was heard
day and night. Christians openly took their dead for
burial, carrying [in the procession] hooded crosses, gospels,
and worshipping after the Christian custom. Those opposing
them were put to death. No one dared come out against
[Raban'a] order. On the contrary, the Tatar army revered
him like their king, and without Raban, they neither planned
ner did anything...And those merchants who had his tamgha
that is to say, insignia, boldly circulated throughout
the lands and no one dared approach those who mentioned
Raban's name. Instead all the Tatar commanders gave him
gifts from their booty".