Mission to Asia

The Mongol's meteoric conquest of Asia and China brought their vast armies into contact with the peripheral European states. Most of the Russian city states were easily destroyed however most Western Europeans failed realize the threat or to organize any defense. However, after the fall and destruction of Kiev in 1240-1, the rout of a Magyar army in Hungary, and the occupation of Hungary the Pope caused the Western Princes began belated attempts for defense against the potential invasion. Europe had not faced an external threat of this proportion for hundreds of years: the Magyar's had been mostly pacified, the Vikings had stopped their wholesale raids, and the Muslim states' great expansion had slowed due too the presence of Crusader armies in the Middle East. News of the Mongol threat had reached the various leaders of the West - the Queen of Georgia the Prince of Galicia had all sent desperate appeals for aid. Fortunately for Europe, the death of Khan Ogedey in 1241 and the discord between the Mongol leaders in the West caused their armies to withdraw from Western Europe's borders. The first primary source in this volume is John of Plano Carpini's 'History of the Mongols.' John was a 65 year old massively fat Franciscan monk without ANY knowledge of oriental languages. His mission was to spy on the Mongols to see if they were as threatening and powerful as reported and to provide suggestions as to ways to defend against them. His mission was supported by Pope Innocent IV and he set out on the 5,000 miles journey in 1245. John of Plano Carpini met with the Great Khan Guyuk and this text outlines the characters and customs of the Mongols, the food they ate, the roles of men and women, descriptions of their armies, their history, religion, government, clothes, housing, and even accurate accounts of the genealogy of the royal family. The most fascinating part of his account is his description of how to wage war against them. If Christendom wishes to save itself, the army "should be organized in the same way as the Tartar army," it ought to "have scouts in every direction," and "the Christians should also beware of their usual tendency of over-expenditure, lest they be obliged to go home on account of lack of money and the Tartars destroy the whole earth." This Chronicle is easy to read and is the first real contact with the Mongols by the West. It is interspersed with hilarious statements of Western disgust with Mongol customs, "they do not wash their dishes," "they do not wash their clothes," and if a "virgin commits fornication with anyone, they kill BOTH the man and the woman." The second group of documents are Two Bulls of Pope Innocent IV Addressed to the Emperor of the Tartars. These explain the tenants of the Christian faith and beg the Mongols to be peaceful and to do not harm to the envoys. The third document is The Narrative of Benedict the Pole. This is a brief relation by John of Plano Carpini's Polish companion dicta