the golden horde and the black sea 189
Given his occupation, he must have been involved somehow or other
in transporting the massive contingent of slaves, both male and female,
which certainly made up the largest part of the bridal party. the recep-
tion which the guests met with in cairo was also most impressive, as were
the festivities for the marriage itself in april/May 1320: some well-placed
observers called it unique in the annals of the Mamluk sultanate.189 over-
whelmed by the attentions lavished on them, the Mongol envoys returned
to the horde in the autumn.190
Judging by these displays, the marriage seemed to have attained the
political goal for which it was conceived: by all appearances, Jochid-
Mamluk relations were now at a non plus ultra. the time had come for
Özbek to test whether the alliance was as well-founded as impressions
suggested.
the crucial diplomatic mission was a true trial by fire for his entire for-
eign policy, and was faultlessly planned and timed. In order to make the
most of the psychological impression which the alliance through marriage
had made on the Sultan, the khan sent a new embassy to cairo, which
arrived there in the same year the marriage had taken place, 1320. the
message asked the Sultan to join battle alongside the Northern Mongols
against the emir choban, regent for the Ilkhan abū Sa‛īd, still a minor.191
Despite ceaseless efforts over so many years, during which Özbek had
sacrificed literally all that he could to rouse Sultan al-Malik an-Nāṣir
against the persian enemy, the response was negative. Learning of this
disastrous result, the khan treated the Mamluk ambassador accordingly:
on their return in 1321, they complained of humiliating cold treatment
from the khan, who explained his behaviour by saying that “it had been
agreed that [Mamluk] troops would be sent to Iraq to destroy choban.”192
189 al-‛aynī/tiesenhausen, Sbornik, I, p. 490, Ibn Duqmāq/ibid., p. 320, Ibn al-Dawādarī/
roemer, pp. 302–303, Spuler, Horde, p. 94, Kedar, “Segurano,” p. 89, Zakirov, Otnosheniya,
pp. 80–81.
190 al-Nuwayrī/tiesenhausen, Sbornik, I, p. 148, al-‛aynī/ibid., I, p. 490, Zakirov, Otnosh-
eniya, p. 82.
191 al-‛aynī/tiesenhausen, Sbornik, I, p. 490, Zakirov, Otnosheniya, p. 82. the emir had
defeated Jochid incursions from the North and West in 1318/9, and held power in Mongol
persia from 1316 to 1327 during the minority of abū Sa‛īd, who reigned from 1316 to 1335.
Ibn Duqmāq/tiesenhausen, Sbornik, I, pp. 317–318, says that on Öljeitü’s death in Decem-
ber 1316 he had invited Özbek to come to take the Ilkhanid throne, but that Qutlugh temür
warned the khan that if he left for persia, he risked losing power in the Golden horde, so
that he refused; Spuler, Horde, p. 94 note 44, considers the story implausible.
192 Ibn Duqmāq/tiesenhausen, Sbornik, I, p. 320, al-Nuwayrī/ibid., p. 94, Zakirov,
Otnosheniya, pp. 82–83.