Ruy González de Clavijo facts for kids
Ruy González de Clavijo was a famous traveler and writer from Castile (a kingdom in old Spain). He died on April 2, 1412. From 1403 to 1405, Clavijo served as an ambassador for King Henry III of Castile. His job was to visit the court of Timur. Timur was a powerful ruler who founded the Timurid Empire. Clavijo kept a detailed diary of his journey. This diary was later published as a book. The Spanish version, Embajada a Tamorlán, came out in 1582. An English version was published in 1859.
Contents
Journey to Samarkand
Clavijo was a nobleman from Madrid. He was also a special assistant to King Henry III. On May 21, 1403, he sailed from Cadiz, Spain. He traveled with Timur's ambassador, Muhammed al-Kazi. A friar named Alfonso Páez de Santa María also joined them. Other Castilians, like Gómez de Salazar, were part of the group too.
Sailing the Seas
Clavijo's journey began across the Mediterranean Sea. He passed by islands like Majorca and Sicily. He also saw Rhodes before reaching Constantinople. From there, he sailed along the Black Sea coast. He visited Trebizond (now in Turkey).
Overland Travel
After sailing, Clavijo continued his journey by land. He traveled through Armenia and Iran. His goal was to reach Turkestan. In 1404, he visited the city of Tehran. The original plan was to meet Timur in Kingdom of Georgia. But bad weather and a shipwreck stopped them. So, the group had to return to Constantinople. They spent the winter of 1403–1404 there.
Following Timur's Army
After winter, they sailed across the Black Sea again. For months, they tried to catch up with Timur's army. But Timur's mounted horde moved very fast. The Castilian group could not reach them. Because of this, they continued all the way to Timur's capital city. This city was Samarkand, located in modern-day Uzbekistan.
Arrival in Samarkand
Clavijo and his group arrived in Samarkand on September 8, 1404. His writings give us the most detailed description of Timur's court from a Westerner. Clavijo saw that Samarkand was always being built and rebuilt. Timur wanted everything to be perfect. Clavijo wrote about a large mosque Timur had built:
The Mosque which Timur had caused to be built to the memory of the mother of his wife... seemed to us to be the noblest of all we visited in the city of Samarkand, but no sooner had it been completed than he began to find fault with its entrance gateway, which he now said was much too low and must be pulled down.
Meeting Timur
Clavijo finally met Timur in a beautiful garden. This garden had a palace inside. It was like the paradise gardens from Iranian traditions. Clavijo described the trained elephants he saw there. These elephants were even painted! He also saw amazing tent-pavilions. They were decorated with jewels, pearls, and silk. Tassels and banners fluttered in the wind.
The ambassadors stayed in Samarkand for several months. They attended celebrations for Timur's recent victory. Timur had won the Battle of Ankara in July 1402. In this battle, he captured the Turkish sultan, Bayezid I. This victory helped ease fears in Europe about the Ottoman Empire expanding. It made kings like Charles VI of France and Henry of Castile want to connect with Timur.
Leaving Samarkand
Clavijo's group needed a letter from Timur for their king, Henry. But Timur became very ill. Because of Timur's health, the Castilians had to leave Samarkand. They departed on November 21, 1404. Timur died soon after their departure.
See also
In Spanish: Ruy González de Clavijo para niños
- Chronology of European exploration of Asia
- Timurid relations with Europe
- Chen Cheng (Ming Dynasty) – a Chinese envoy who visited Samarkand a few years after de Clavijo
- Travel literature
