Trade, travel and exploration in the Middle Ages: An encyclopedia

756 Pages·2017·30.9 MB·English

by  John Block Friedman

Trade, Travel, and Exploration
in the Middle Ages

Garland Reference Library of the Humanities (Vol. 1899)
Advisory Board

Anna-Dorothee von den Brincken
University ofC ologne
John Parker
University ofM innesota
J .R. Seymour Phillips
University College, Dublin
Jean Richard
Institut de France
Chandra Richard de Silva
Old Dominion University
Denis Sinor
Indiana University
Trade, Travel, and Exploration
in the Middle Ages
An Encyclopedia

Editors
John Block Friedman
Kristen Mossier Figg
Associate Editor
Scott D. Westrem
Collaborating Editor
Gregory G. Guzman
~~ ~~o~~~~n~~:up
NEW YORK AND LONDON
Published in 2000
by Routledge
A member of the Taylor & Francis Group
711 Third Avenue,
New York, NY 10017
Transferred to Digital Printing 2011
Copyright © 2000 by John Block Friedman and Kristen Mossier Figg

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilized in any form
or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including
photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission
in writing from the publisher.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Trade, travel, and exploration in the Middle Ages : an encyclopedia I editors, John Block
Friedman, Kristen Mossier Figg; associate editor, Scott D. Westrem ; collaborating
editor, Gregory G. Guzman.
p. em.-(Garland reference library of the humanities ; 1899)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-8153-2003-5 (alk. paper)
1. Commerce-History-Encyclopedias. 2. Travel-History-Encyclopedias.
I. Friedman, John Block, 1934- II. Figg, Kristen Mossier, 1952- III. Scott D. Westrem
IV. Guzman, Gregory G. V. Series.
HF 100 l.T72000
909.07'03-dc21 00-037575
Publisher's Note
The publisher has gone to great lengths to ensure the quality of this reprint
but points out that some imperfections in the original may be apparent.
Contents

Introduction Vll
Topics Xl
Sequence of Events XXll
Kings, Popes, and Rulers XXVll
Contributors XXlX
Maps XXXV
The Encyclopedia 1
General Bibliography 667
Index 671
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Introduction

Trade, Travel, and Exploration in the Middle Ages: An experts in the subjects here covered will be familiar
Encyclopedia is an introduction to the history of travel, with the basic information and bibliography contained
exploration, discovery, and mercantile activity in in some articles, they will find, through the bibliog
Europe, Asia, Africa, and the New World. We have raphy at the end of each entry, information from dis
sought to present in a single, convenient reference ciplines other than their own that is indispensable for
work important information and perspectives on general orientation, careful interpretation, and further
travel, trade, and exploration, much of which is cur study. A general bibliography at the end of the encyc
rently to be found only in monographs and scholarly lopedia contains materials frequently referred to in
articles. These sources are often difficult to access, prin individual entries in abbreviated form, as well as a
cipally because a good deal of work on the subject has variety of titles that have appeared since the project was
been written in languages other than English, but also undertaken and entries were first submitted in 1995.
because they are not intended for use by readers with The index at the end of the volume-tied to the cross
out specialized knowledge. The subject matter we treat referencing system already mentioned-is designed to
here is complex and vast, and we therefore make no encourage exploration of the various aspects of, and
claims for completeness. We hope, however, to have approaches to, a topic.
provided a balanced, informative, and up-to-date refer The terms "travel," "trade," "exploration," and "Mid
ence work that, although primarily directed toward dle Ages" all warrant some definition. By "Middle Ages,"
students and the general reader, will also provide a use we mean the millennium between the fall of the Roman
ful starting point for investigation by scholars in vari Empire-with the decline of such Roman legacies as
ous disciplines. geographical speculation, established trade routes, map
The 435 entries by 177 contributors range from making, roads, bridges, and navigable waterways-and
brief mentions of an issue (around 100 words) to prob the so-called "Age of Discovery'' at the end of the fif
ing studies of concepts (more than 5,000 words). teenth century. It is a period in which a new conception
Shorter entries provide ready reference, while longer of the world and mankind's ability to reach all parts of it
entries give overviews of major movements, peoples, was formed. Although we originally conceived this ency
economic developments, concepts, and technologies. clopedia as spanning the period from 525 to 1495 C.E.,
The encyclopedia has a cross-disciplinary focus that we found it necessary, in order to provide an appropriate
promotes the integration of historical, scientific, and context for major developments, to include some articles
literary perspectives, provides a synthetic view of paral (like those on Huns) dealing with a slightly earlier period
lel developments in East and West, and encourages and a few (like that on Bartolome de Las Casas) dealing
immediate connections-through a detailed system of with events and ideas that follow the voyages of Christo
"See also" cross-references-among topics, writers, and pher Columbus. We understand "travel" to mean the
geographical areas often viewed in isolation. Though movements of individuals from their homes to other
Introduction vii
places, some close and some extremely distant, whether A further complicating factor was whether to alpha
the travel was undertaken for religious reasons (as with betize under the given name or the cognomen/surname.
pilgrims or ascetics), for personal and political gain (as When cognomens began to appear, mainly in the
with merchants or colonizers), out of simple intellectual eleventh century and later, they were originally
curiosity (as is demonstrated in the travel reports of Ibn loconyms; the personal name remained the individual's
Battiita), or out of a mix of motives (as several entries chief identification. By the fourteenth century, family
here indicate was true of European crusaders). "Trade" names competed with cognomens in identifYing per
involves the exchange of goods for money or barter sons. Many people in the later Middle Ages are more
between or among peoples, usually, though not always, readily identified by their surnames than by their per
distant. "Exploration'' is broadly conceived as an intel sonal names (Geoffrey Chaucer). Thus it turned out
lectual and practical curiosity which encourages travel, that many individuals active before the fourteenth cen
either armchair or actual, on the part of voyagers on land tury were best alphabetized by their personal names

and over water, to learn about or experience regions of (Jordan of Ciano), while those who were active later
the world new to them, though often mentioned in were better alphabetized under their family names
works of the ancient Greek and Roman geographers in (Behaim, Martin). However, the most important guid
sensationalizing and garbled ways. This volume attempts ing principle was common usage for whatever single
to cover as universal a geographical area as possible, name was used most often by scholars after first refer
including the Near East, the Far East, Inner or Central ence (Jordan ofSeverac, but Sacrobosco, John of).
Asia, Africa, Scandinavia, and the new worlds of the The volume contains illustrations, maps, lists of fre
Americas, as well as purely fabulous regions. quently mentioned leaders, lists of related topics, and a
As is to be expected in an encyclopedia, entries are chart showing the sequence of major events and docu
arranged alphabetically. There are blind entries where ments. In all cases, our intent is not to be exhaustive,
needed, as in "Arin, see Center of the Earth." In the list but to add a visual or schematic dimension that will
ings of literary works, preference has been given to the help to clarifY unfamiliar topics and inform the reader,
names of the authors, whenever known, rather than to especially where other reference books may not cover
the titles of the works. Thus Divisament dou monde will such specialized details. The Index at the end of the
be found under Marco Polo. It has frequently proven volume is intended to guide users to topics that either
problematic to determine what spelling (and diacritics) lack their own entry or are cited repeatedly throughout
to use for proper nouns; this has been especially true the volume. The bibliographies appended to the entries
with names of Mongol rulers (Tamerlane/Ti:mur), the are not intended to be exhaustive but instead provide
names of Asian battle sites (which have been transliter reference materials that will enable the student and the
ated from non-Roman alphabets), and certain commer scholar to move quickly and confidently into the mat
cial terms like "fondaco." At the start of the project it was ter at hand. The nature of our subject is such that many
the editors' intention to use the spellings favored by the of the topics treated in this work have engaged the
author of each entry, but it soon became apparent that attention of writers whose language is not English.
there were so many ways to spell Khubilai Khan or While it may seem that there is a great deal of reference
Karakorum, and so many variants for the names of cities material in French, German, Italian, and other lan
like Almaligh, that both scholars and general readers guages, this is simply a fact of the state of scholarship
would be disoriented by having to face an array of on trade, travel, and exploration in the Middle Ages.
spellings and unfamiliar diacritical marks. We reached a A work of this magnitude required the collaboration
compromise by deciding to include the form of each and cooperation of many persons over the six years of its
name most familiar to scholars (usually, in Arabic creation and production. Our deepest gratitude goes in
names, retaining the macron if the name is commonly the first place to the many colleagues who graciously
found without it in English dictionaries) or by choosing gave of their time and knowledge to write the articles
the form most likely to be in the Library of Congress and that are at the very heart of this undertaking; their names
standard reference works. Thus, if a city or a person are listed both at the beginning of the volume and after
(Giovanni de Pian di Carpine) has a name widely known the articles which they contributed. One, Delno C.
to English readers, we have tried to choose the more West, did not live to see his contributions in print. We
familiar form of the name (John of Plano Carpini). are especially grateful to Gary Kuris, formerly of Garland
Vlll Introduction
Publishing, under whose aegis this project began, and articles in areas in which we had little initial knowledge.
also Joanne Daniels, who helped us through the early He also painstakingly checked facts in the articles and
stages of the volume's development. Richard Steins and contributed to the occasional rewriting of articles by
Andrea Johnson more recently have given the greatest contributors whose first language was not English. Our
attention to the production of the book. Errors are ours collaborating editor, Gregory Guzman, was generous
and not theirs. In addition to writing key articles, several with his vast knowledge of Mongol lore.
scholars provided special assistance in reviewing lists of The editors wish to thank the many libraries and
entries and defining coverage for specific areas. Our institutions that granted permission to reproduce items
Advisors, Anna-Dorothee von den Brincken, Chandra in their collections; individual acknowledgments are
Richard de Silva, John Parker, J.R. Seymour Phillips, provided in the captions. We also wish to thank the
Jean Richard, and Denis Sinor, often contributed in this Department of English at the University of Illinois at
manner, and some read over entries and offered ideas for Urbana-Champaign and Kent State University Salem
additional topics. We are especially grateful to our fellow Campus for providing research assistance and other
editor Scott Westrem, who provided us with ideas for services to the editors.
John B. Friedman and Kristen M. Figg
Introduction ix