Page:Christianity in China, Tartary, and Thibet Volume I.djvu/327

315 PERSECUTION OF CHRISTIANS BY GAZAN. 611) is certain, nevertheless, that he favoured religion and the missionaries, during the whole course of his life ; and the numerous embassies which he sent to Rome, France, England, and Spain, are a proof of his sympathy with the Christians. Argoun's successor was his brother, Ga'ikhatou, who did not at all resemble him. He was said to lean to- wards Mahommedanism, and the historians of the time represent him as a man entirely plunged in debauchery and drunkenness ; but Hayton, who attributes to him every vice, says that he had no religion at all.* After a disgraceful reign of five years, he was assassinated by the grandees of his palace. He was succeeded by Baidou, a mild and humane prince, and a great friend to the Christians ; but perhaps not sufficiently prudent in po- litical matters. He built a great number of churches, and forbade the preaching of Islamism to the Tartars ; and these measures alienated from him the hearts of the Mussulmans, who now cast their eyes upon Gazan, the son of Argoun, and offered him the throne, on con- dition of his renouncing the Christianity which he had lately embraced. Gazan, who had little faith and much ambition, lent himself to their intrigues, and became their proselyte, in order to gain possession of the crown ; and having thus attained to power, he showed himself at first a bitter enemy to the Christians. In 1296 he overwhelmed them with calamities, and raised a terrible persecution against them ; those of Armenia alone were exempt from ill-treatment; in all other countries, he overthrew all that pertained to religion. The churches were everywhere pulled down, and all objects in use for religious worship were given up to the ridicule and
 * " Nullum habebat legem vel fidem." — Hist. Orient, cap. xxxix.