1293: A Catalan Treaty between Aragonese and Mamluk Sovereigns, from the Archives of the Crown of Aragon

Abstract

This article examines the Catalan version of a treaty negotiated by King James II of Aragon (r. 1291–1327) and the Mamlūk sultan al-Ašraf Ḫalīl (r. 689–693/1290–1293) in 1293, whose Arabic version was the subject of a previous article in Transmediterranean History (2022). Adding to this article, the study at hand details the unusual characteristics of this diplomatic agreement in the context of the later Crusades. It analyses the treaty’s key points, including the unexpected military aid pledged by the King of Aragon, the measures designed to facilitate trade between Catalonian subjects and the Mamlūk sultanate, and the text’s emphasis on friendship and concord between the two sovereigns and their states. The article ends by reassessing the complex legacy of this atypical agreement.