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

Chapter 24 of the Hiatory la entitled "Regarding the
Baptism of MSngke-Khan" :
Now after M'ongke had accepted the requesta
of the Armenian king with charitable munificence,
he had himself baptised by the chancellor of the
Armenian kingdom, who was a bishop. Whith him
[were baptised] his house and numerous other
esteemed and grand men and women. . I.
She Cilician king Kewon (like all the Cilician kinga)
is elevated in Het'urn's account to the position of defender
of the Christians. When visiting Abaqa-Khan in Iran:
...the king of Armenia beaeeched him
regarding freeing the Hply Land from the infidels.
And Abaqa ao promised, simultaneously advizing
the Armenian king to send emissaries to the
Pope and to the orthodox kings [regarding this
matter], 2.
Xhua we may conclude that an Armenian clerical presence
existed at the courts of the Khans already by the early
1250'a, and probably earlier. It may have developed
into a sizeable presence before the Islamization of
the Mongols in the late 13-early 14th centuries, involving
clerics both from Greater Armenia and Cilicia. The
influence of Christian Cilician kings with the Khans
ended with Mongol Islamization.
1 Het'urn p. 46.
2 Het'urn p. 57.
292