Contents
When did the siege of Caffa start?
Birth of the Black Plague: The Mongol Siege on Caffa. In 1345, the city of Caffa was razed by a vicious pandemic, in what would, centuries later, be recognized as the first use of biological warfare in history.
How long did the black plague last?
The Black Death (also known as the Pestilence, the Great Mortality or the Plague) was a bubonic plague pandemic occurring in Afro-Eurasia from 1346 to 1353.
How did Jani Beg die?
In 1345 Jani Beg again besieged Kaffa; however, his assault was again unsuccessful due to an outbreak of the Black Plague among his troops. It is thought that Jani Beg’s army catapulted infected corpses into Kaffa in an attempt to use the Black Death to weaken the defenders….
| Jani Beg | |
|---|---|
| Died | 1357 Sarai |
| Religion | Islam |
How long did the plague continue to strike the world?
One of the worst plagues in history arrived at Europe’s shores in 1347. Five years later, some 25 to 50 million people were dead. Nearly 700 years after the Black Death swept through Europe, it still haunts the world as the worst-case scenario for an epidemic.
What remedies did doctors use for the plague?
Some of the cures they tried included:
- Rubbing onions, herbs or a chopped up snake (if available) on the boils or cutting up a pigeon and rubbing it over an infected body.
- Drinking vinegar, eating crushed minerals, arsenic, mercury or even ten-year-old treacle!
How many died from the Black plague?
How many people died during the Black Death? It is not known for certain how many people died during the Black Death. About 25 million people are estimated to have died in Europe from the plague between 1347 and 1351.
What was the history of the Siege of Caffa?
Historical Background to the Siege of Caffa. Caffa (now Feodosija, Ukraine) was established by Genoa in 1266 by agreement with the Kahn of the Golden Horde (15). It was the main port for the great Genoese merchant ships (16–20), which connected there to a coastal shipping industry to Tana (now Azov, Russia) on the Don River.
How long did the Siege of Tana last?
The Italian merchants in Tana fled to Caffa (which, by virtue of its location directly on the coast, maintained maritime access despite the siege). The siege of Caffa lasted until February 1344, when it was lifted after an Italian relief force killed 15,000 Mongol troops and destroyed their siege machines. [ 21]
Why was Caffa important to the Golden Horde?
Caffa (now Feodosija, Ukraine) was established by Genoa in 1266 by agreement with the Kahn of the Golden Horde (15). It was the main port for the great Genoese merchant ships (16–20), which connected there to a coastal shipping industry to Tana (now Azov, Russia) on the Don River.
When did the Mongols take control of Caffa?
After the capture of Crimea in the 1230s, the city of Caffa came under the dominance of the Mongols. The Mongols in the late 13th century allowed a group of traders from the Republic of Genoa to establish a trading settlement there.