the golden horde and the black sea 205
may have referred to the lack of legal status—if he troubled at all with
such arguments before resorting to armed force.
the second source of tension after the matter of caffa’s extraterri-
toriality and Sarai’s sovereignty was the administration of trade in the
city, which the Genoese had modified as their conflict with the Jochids
escalated.
at the same time as they declared their independence,252 the Genoese
colonists declared that as the true rulers in caffa, they were imposing
customs duties on foreign merchants. although the sources only mention
protest from the Venetians, we can suppose that the measure affected all
those doing business in caffa, including Golden horde subjects. Neverthe-
less, it seems that the Genoese neither expelled Mongol officials nor did
away with the imperial customs duties,253 probably not wanting to throw
away all hope of a peaceful compromise with Janibek.
More profitable than customs duties on all trade passing through caffa
(which contributed to the public purse) was the staple right, also derived
from the colony’s position of de facto autonomy, which enriched particu-
lar merchants. By imposing themselves as the obligatory middlemen for
all wares traded in and around the city, the Genoese hurt the interests of
foreign merchants arriving by sea, mostly Venetian, and those who came
overland from the horde.254 the khan could not remain indifferent to the
losses incurred to Jochid subjects.
which no contemporary actually familiar with the facts on the ground on the Northern
Black Sea coast would have been able to ignore.
252 Which may have come first, chronologically (cf. papacostea, “tana,” p. 211).
253 In their document issued at caffa in october 1344, the Venetian envoys used the
present tense for the khan’s rectores et officiales in the city; Morozzo della rocca, “Notizie,”
p. 291).
254 according to Giovanni Steno’s report to the Venetian senate of 1344, the Genoese
were adamant in claiming and enforcing the right: dicentes inter alia quod mercationes fier-
ent in Gaffa per Ianuenses (DVL, I, p. 329; cf. papacostea, “tana,” p. 211). after the peace of
torino (1381), whereby the Venetians agreed not to visit tana for two years, a similar staple
right was instituted and is described by the Venetian Daniele di chinazzo: Onde vedendo
quelli della Tana e tutti i altri marchadanti de quelle parte, che soleva condur le soe cara-
vane de specie et altre chosse in la Tana, non poder andar navilio de questi do chomuni a la
Tana a tuor alguna merchadantia, Zenovexi feva raxon che tuti i merchadanti de quelle parte
dovesse condur le soe specie e merce in Gaffa et tuor el chorso molto a la Tana, e façando
raxon Zenovexi de fornirse in Gaffa de tute quel fosse mestier, chome i feva in la Tana, e ten-
gir muodo che nigun podesse comprar da persone che conduxzesse marchadantia in Gaffa
se non Zenovexi e i citadini proprii de Gaffa, chome e uxança in Veniexia, che nigun no pó
conprar da negun forestier che conduga marchandantia in Veniexia s’el non è proprio citadin
de Veniexia. Et per simel modo Zenovexi feva raxon che da possa che Veniciani non podeva
uxar a la Tana per quali do anni, che andando a Gaffa i non podesse comprar qua delli che
conduxesse le merchadantie in Gafa, ançi chi chonvegnive comprar dai homeni de la tera e