William of Rubruck
Franciscan who travelled in 1253–1254 to the court of the Mongol khan Möngke and wrote a long report for King Louis of France. He describes Karakorum and a debate there between Christians, Muslims and those he calls idolaters.
William opens his report by calling himself “the meanest in the order of Minor Friars” and addresses it to King Louis of France, who had asked him to write down what he saw among the Tartars. He entered the Black Sea on 7 May 1253 (William of Rubruck, Journey, Rockhill, pp. 40–41). He says he had preached publicly that he was not an envoy of the king or of anyone, but was going to the unbelievers as the rule of his order directed (William of Rubruck, Journey, Rockhill, p. 48).
He reached the camp of the khan Möngke on 27 December and had his first audience in January (William of Rubruck, Journey, Rockhill, pp. 165–175). At the end of May 1254 he took part in a debate ordered by the khan and was then questioned by Möngke himself (William of Rubruck, Journey, Rockhill, pp. 228–236). His companion, too ill for the journey, stayed behind, and William left with the khan’s letter for King Louis, having baptised six people (William of Rubruck, Journey, Rockhill, pp. 251–254). See Franciscan Envoys to the Mongols and the Church of Khanbaliq.
In the timeline
- 1245 to 1307, firm dateFranciscan Envoys to the Mongols and the Church of Khanbaliq
Innocent IV sends Franciscans to the Mongol khan in 1245 and is told in reply to come and submit. William of Rubruck debates before the khan’s umpires at the Mongol court in 1254. By 1305 John of Montecorvino has a church and a choir in Khanbaliq.