The Najran Monk

The Najrani monk, from the people of Najran, who came from the lands of China in 377 AH. The catholicos sent him about seven years earlier to China, and sent with him five Christians who carried out religious duties. ²

Ibn al-Nadim met him in the House of the Byzantines, beyond the church. The monk and another of the group died six years later. ²

He told the author that the Christians in China had perished for various reasons, so none remained, and their church was ruined. He said that distances at sea differed and its affairs became corrupt, and that dangers appeared there. The name of the city of the king was Tajuwayh, and in each city there were four amirs, the greatest of whom was Lanjun, meaning "the amir of amirs". He said that most of the Chinese are Dualists and Samaniyya, and the common people worship the king. These are the monk's reports as Ibn al-Nadim gives them, and they rest on one person. ²