Armenian Trade and the Black Death: A Silk Road Catastrophe

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore a devastating chapter in medieval Armenian history: the Black Death of the 1340s and its impact on Armenia's trade networks and population. They discuss how the plague, known locally as the Great Mortality, swept through the Caucasus along the Silk Road, carried by Genoese merchants and Mongol caravans. The episode focuses on the Mamluk capture of Sis in 1375, the fall of the last Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia, and the subsequent emigration of Armenian traders to Crimea and Poland. Key figures include King Levon V, the Mamluk sultan al-Ashraf Sha'ban, and the chronicler Grigor of Akanc'. Lucas explains how the plague disrupted trade routes, leading to the decline of cities like Ani and Kars, and how Armenian communities adapted by establishing new diaspora centers in Lviv and Kaffa. The conversation also touches on the role of the Armenian Church in documenting the catastrophe and preserving cultural identity through manuscripts. A fresh angle that builds on earlier episodes about Cilicia and trade, this episode sheds light on how a pandemic reshaped Armenian history. #BlackDeath #ArmenianTrade #SilkRoad #CilicianArmenia #Mamluk #LevonV #GrigorAkanc #Kaffa #Crimea #Lviv #GreatMortality #1340s #MedievalArmenia #Caucasus #Plague #History #FexingoHistory #Diaspora Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo