Ruy González de Clavijo (d. 1412, fl. 1403-1406)

by Caroline Stone (see Chinese translation)

Brigands, mountain passes, the Byzantine emperor on his throne, shipwreck, the Holy Grail, ruined cities, the priceless merchandise of the Silk Road, meetings with Timur, the World Conqueror, sumptuous tents embroidered with gold, the black tents of the tribes, a giraffe brought as a gift, the wedding of a young prince, Ulugh Beg, later to be known to history as a great astronomer . . . these are only a few of the glimpses which a Spanish nobleman, Ruy González de Clavijo, gives us of his journey to Samarkand, almost in the footsteps of that earlier and more famous traveller, Marco Polo.

Ruy González de Clavijo is principally famous for his embassy to the court of Timur [Tamerlane] between 1403 and 1406. His account of the journey is of exceptional interest. Observant and of an enquiring turn of mind, he gathered all the information he could and set down lively and perceptive accounts of the landscape, cities, trade, customs, political situations and peoples whom he encountered, anything, in fact, which would entertain his readers, or, more to the point, prove of use to merchants, travellers, or other ambassadors who might come after him.

In 1402, an ambassador came to the court of Henry III of Castile, bringing courteous greetings from Timur the "World Conqueror", and returning two young Christian noblewomen, lately liberated from the harem of the defeated Ottoman Sultan Bayazid. Henry, always anxious to extend the diplomatic relations of Spain and anxious for an ally against the Turks, decided on a return embassy. Ruy González de Clavijo, from an old and distinguished Madrid family and a trusted intimate of the court, was chosen.

In order to write such a detailed account of his journey, often day by day, if not hour by hour, Clavijo must have kept a diary. It has not, however, survived. Nor have any letters by his fourteen or so travelling companions, including the returning ambassador, Muhammad al-Caxi (al-Kashi), come to light. His account of his meeting with Timur is, however, corroborated by the Persian historian Sharaf al-Din Ali Yazdi, who mentions the embassy in his History of Timur Beg.

Clavijo's work includes an interesting report of an encounter between ambassadors from different sides of the world during an audience with Timur. He mentions that the Spanish ambassadors were given precedence over the Chinese representatives from Beijing, indicating that relations between the two Empires were strained. The confrontation of these two superpowers had much to do with precedence, each side feeling that the other should recognize their superiority and pay them tribute. Trade goods and gifts were often taken as symbols of submission when in fact they were no such thing. Timur was to impound a vast caravan coming from China and the relationship was to degenerate to the point that Timur was preparing to invade China as Clavijo left.

Little is known of Clavijo beyond what we learn from his book. He was no longer very young when he set out for the East. He had a wife, with whom he exchanged poems, and a daughter. He is perhaps the inspiration for Pero Lopez de Ayala's verses in praise of the perfect ambassador. His social position is indicated by the fact that he witnessed King Henry’s will and on his return was appointed his chamberlain. His contemporaries considered him witty, pious, and honourable. His last years were spent building a house for himself, fine enough to serve after his death for the king's cousin, and the chapel of the Monastery of San Francisco, where he was buried.

The importance of Clavijo's work lies in his balanced and detailed descriptions of Timur and his court as well as the countries through which he passed, providing a rare glimpse of a fascinating moment in history.