Page:Christianity in China, Tartary, and Thibet Volume I.djvu/167

155 PERSECUTION OF EASTERN CHRISTIANS. 155 of command, or skill in military tactics, could not resist the numerous warlike and well-disciplined light cavalry of the Mongols, fertile in stratagem, accustomed to the grand operations and manoeuvres of vast battle-fields, mounted on fleet horses, and able to make their attack from a considerable distance with their arrows, so that they mocked the bravery of warriors accustomed only to fight with the lance and heavy arms. The countries of Europe were no sooner invaded than they were overwhelmed and crushed by these ferocious conquerors. In the East, the Christians had found in prompt submission something like rest and peace ; but that tranquillity could not be of long duration with invading armies, with whom pillage and murder had become a regular occupation. The Mussulmans, also, were constantly endeavouring to excite the Tartars against the Christians, and urging their persecution ; and small as was the regard of the Tartars for the Mussulmans, they were willing enough to comply with their suggestions in this respect ; and harassed them, till they could no longer publicly exercise their religion. At this epoch there was in Tartary, at the court of the Grand Khan, a Syrian doctor named Simeon, a learned and zealous man who had gone to preach the Gospel to the furthest extremity of Asia. His merit and his virtues had procured him access to Ogo- tai, who was pleased to denominate him Ata, that is, Father, and others called him Rabban or Master. Simeon being informed of what the Christians of Ar- menia, Georgia, and Albania had been suffering, seized a favourable opportunity for making a representation on the subject to the Kha-kan. He pointed out that the persecutions carried on by the Tartars against these