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Mongol’s Accounts: Christian at The Khan’s Court

A Flemish Franciscan monk known as William of Rubruck decided to write a document

in Latin which was translated by W.W. Rockhill that contains important information about the

historical background of Mongol community. His research was much detailed about the

community. The main reason why William decided to write this document about the Mongols is

that he had attended a king’s Louis IX crusade of France to Palestine where he heard about the

Mongol community from a member of certain Christian orders known as Andrew who practiced

papacy and his target was to involve the Mongol community in Christian meetings against the

Muslims. William, therefore, came up with a vision of upgrading the Mongols initially with a

hope of converting them to Christians (Jackson, et al 1253).

William and his companion decided to begin their journey from the western area of their

empire during the year 1253 to the southern areas today known as Ukraine and Russia whereby

their journey lasted for three years. He made the history of being the first European to reach the

Mongol capital of Karakorum and to come up with much information about it. He delivers well-

portrayed information concerning the khan’s palace and much information about distinct persons

he came across during his visit. William narrates their entire journey on the visit to the Mongol

capital of Karakorum. They started the journey on the sea of Pontus that was well known as
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Mare Majus. Whereby he attained some information about merchants and he knew that it was

divided into two where the northern part was called Cassaria while the one on the southern part

was called Sinopolis; Greeks occupied coastal areas of the sea (Power, et al 120).

Williams and his companion sailed from Cassaria to a city known as Kersona where a

saint by the name clement was martyred. They also came to a temple built by angel hands and it

was located on an island. At the center of the triangular shaped Cassaria was a city called Soldaia

where merchants from northern countries and the ones from Russia came whenever they wished

to pass into Turkia. They came across a city known as Matrica which was on the eastern side of

the province in which river Tanais connected to the sea. When William and his companion

arrived at the city of Soldai, Some merchants of Constantinople noticed that the envoys from the

holy land had come and they decided to report them to the son of the rulers of Mongol’s defense

(Jackson, et al 1253).

William had delivered the holy word to a public on a Palm Sunday in Saint Sophia and

he had confessed that he was not one of the envoys. He talked with the Mongol’s defense

captains and told them that he had information that their lord Sartach was a Christian and he too

was a Christian and therefore he wished to talk with their lord. William together with his people

was given ride choices which were carts with oxen or Sumter horses to be able to carry their

luggage whereby they were advised to go with carts. He had brought with him some fruits,

muscadel wine and dainty biscuits from Constantinople to give to the captains to be allowed to

pass. They were given some five horses and carts and also two men to drive the oxen. On their

way, they came across springs and rivers and beautiful forests which were surrounded by large

plains whereby Comans stayed before they were misplaced by Tartars. On leaving Soldaia,
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William and his companion came across the Tartars and he seemed to have gone to another

century (Jackson, et al 1253).

William of Rubrock together with the other Christian envoys were later arrested and

taken to the court of Khan where they went barefooted as they used to walk in their countries. A

Hungarian servant knew who they were and told Chan that they were used to walk barefooted

although they were seen as monsters in the court of the Khan by the dwelling of Chan who was

around them. A Nestorian Christian came to examine them and also talked with the Hungrian.

William together with his companion was told to resume to their lodgings. As they were going

back, William saw a beautiful altar in which he thought was sort of Christianity in it due to much

decoration it had like a golden cloth, Gods image and that of Blessed virgin and other many

church ornaments (Jackson, et al 1253).

They entered into the church and met with a Hermenian monk who prayed together with

them. They talked with the Hermenian and gave him their reason for being there and they were

greatly encouraged to continue delivering the word of God for they were Gods envoys. The

Hermanian shared with them how God had been telling him to go and talk with the prince of

Tartars but he had been neglecting the Gods command and thereafter God threatened him to go

or he should die. William and the other envoys went back to their lodgings and prepared a little

meat since they had eaten nothing the entire day. They left their guide and their companions at

the court since they were drunk therefore they were not much concerned with them. On the next

day, William of Rubrock accompanied by some men of the court went to the court barefooted

where his toes were totally frozen. They were brought shoes, sheepskin gowns, and breeches

where his companions took them but he thought he was not in need since his fur gown was

enough for him (Power, et al 120).

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William and his envoy proceeded to the court where they met with Nestorian priests who

made them discuss the bible and asked them the type of reverence they wanted to present to

Chan and William responded to them they were priests who delivered the word of God. They

knelt before noble men to show how humble they were to God which made them be placed

before the dwelling’s door where they started singing hymns. After singing they were taken in

where they met with Mangu Chan to whom they pleaded that they were not there to harm but to

deliver the word from God. Mangu Chan had his interpreter whom he used to know how the

kingdom of France was ruled by William and his companion. Someone was chosen to look after

them and as they were about to get out of the monk to their lodgings an interpreter told them that

he would like them to remain behind and they will be provided with anything that they had to

use. William blessed Mangu Chan for that and thereafter they were taken into a house which had

neither food nor fuel (Power, et al 120).

William and his companion met with a Damascus Christian who wanted to become a

friend of Tartars. William had also met another clerk a year before known as Raymond who had

come to deliver some instruments to Mangu Chan who insisted to know who had accompanied

him and later he was told that they were with a certain bishop namely Oto whereby Mangu Chan

insisted to know how this bishop lived in their kingdom. Thereafter, William and his people

proceeded to their cold dwelling where they found couches, fuel, bed covering and also a sheep

to consume for about six days. They were provided with meals daily which included millet and

meat. They shared the food with other people whereby he learned that martyrdom involved to

give even if one is in poverty. Mangu Chan provided them with gowns of papion skin to protect

them from cold. Mangu Chan together with his wives and children went to the church on the
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following day where William and his people also decided to go to attend the baptism ceremony

(Power, et al 1).

Later in the day as they were going back to their dwelling, Mangu Chan entered the

church where he was provided with a couch to sit on. They were searched whether they had

carried knives with them. The Chan had carried their books and he wanted to know the meaning

of the pictures and Nestorians responded to him since Williams interpreter had not come with

him. On the following Sunday William and his companion had to attend a marriage in Cana.

Before this time, Nestorians had to fast for three days and also Hermernians had to fast for five

days. After fasting for these days, they had to eat meat towards the Sunday of Septuagesima

which was as well as Easter Sunday. After the celebration of Easter, the Chan made a new house

for her lady and also gave her new carts. Thereafter the lady got ill to death where the sorcerers

could not save her life. The Mangu called upon the monk to ask him what to do but the monk

told him that she would have cut his head were it not for her illness. The monk called William

and his companion to stay with him for that night. They were taught about rhubarb roots which

could be ground into powder and boiled and used as medicine for the sick persons (Power, et al

129).

The monk was accompanied by Williams and two Nestorian priests to a lady who was in

a small tent located behind her bigger dwelling. She took the boiled holy water made by the

monk using the rhubarb root and rubbed the water her breast. William was asked to read the

gospel and the lady felt better and she rewarded them with wine and silver which William didn’t

take. Mangu Chan heard that they had gone to a sick lady and healed her and therefore he called

them. Afterwards, they went back to the healed lady to confirm whether she had completely
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gained her health whereby the lady did many things that could not please William. William

showed as much respect to the monk he would have done to his Bishop (Power, et al 132).

The monk had told William and his companion not to eat meat and he will provide them

with flour and oil or butter. They followed the same although his companion was much

incommoded. They had to take millet together with butter or dough with butter, unleavened

bread, and sour milk. All Eastern Christians kept away from eating meat during 23rd February.

William and his companion were visited by the great Corata together with her company in their

church whereby the priests were given food. This led to many people to gather there to get

services. Although they were prevented by the gate-keepers since the congregation was large.

After that feasting, William and his envoy and also the monk were asked to go to the court on 1st

March where the monk was checked whether he had carried a knife with him which was ironical.

The Chan asked the monk why he had his head covered in his presence which led to monk taking

off his hat which was not as per Greek and Hermenian’s tradition. The monk thereafter restored

his peace with the Chan and he promised that he would visit the pope he will unite the entire

western nations to obey him (Power, et al 133).

The lady didn’t come to the oratory after the fast was over and therefore William and his

companion didn’t get the food because the monk insisted that it was made by use of mutton and

consequently they were given the oil. They used melted ice to get water which they used to boil

dough to get the soup to drink. William’s companions were not happy with this and therefore

William forwarded the complaint to the Chan through David who was Chan’s son and in turn

they were given the oil, wine, and flour. Nestorians and Hermenians could not consume fish

during Lent. The lady offered the monk dough with vinegar and monk insisted that he only ate
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on Sunday. William and his companion ate once in a day and they were forced to drink wine by

the Nestorian priests, the Mo’al, and the monk’s servants (Power, et al 133).

William of Rubruck had done much he could to transform many of Mongol community

to the Christianity word despite many challenges that he went through such as being taken to

court of Khan, lack of food and drinks and cold weather. It is clear that people were eager to get

the good message about the Christ such as in case of 22nd February whereby people gathered in

large crowds to acquire the good services. William of Rubruck was determined to achieve the

goal of his mission and hence he opted not to quit.

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Work cited

Jackson, Peter, ed. The Mission of Friar William of Rubruck: His Journey to the Court of the

Great Khan Möngke, 1253–1255. Routledge, 2017.

Power, Amanda. "Encounters in the Ruins: Latin Captives, Franciscan Friars and the Dangers of

Religious Plurality in the Early Mongol Empire." Studies in Church History 51 (2015): 115-136.

http://depts.washington.edu/silkroad/texts/rubruck.html