William of Rubruck
William of Rubruck (also William of Rubruk, Guillaume de Rubrouck, Willielmus de Rubruquis, born ca. 1220 in Rubrouck, northern France, died ca. 1293) was a flemish Franciscan missionary and explorer.
Mission
William accompanied Louis IX on the Seventh Crusade in 1248. In May, 1253, on Louis' orders, he set out from Constantinople on a missionary journey to convert the Tartars. With William's party were Bartholomé de Crémone, an intendant called Gosset and an interpreter called Homo Dei (Abdullah). William of Rubruck's was the fourth european mission to the Mongols. Before him went Jean de Plan Carpin in 1245, Ascelin in 1247 and André de Longjumeau in 1248. The king was encouraged to send another mission by reports of the presence of nestorian christians at the mongolian court.
Travels
William crossed the Black Sea, traversed the Crimea and then continued eastward; nine days after crossing the Don he met Sartach Khan, ruler of the Kipchak Khanate. The Khan sent William on to his father, Batu Khan, at Sarai near the Volga. Batu refused conversion and sent the ambassadors on to the great Mongol Mangu Khan. They reached Karakorum at Easter, 1254. After residing there for some time, they returned home, without having acheived their goal, reaching Cyprus in the spring of 1255.
Account
On his return, William presented to the king a very clear and precise report, entitled
- Itinerarium fratris Willielmi de Rubruquis de ordine fratrum Minorum, Galli, Anno gratia 1253 ad partes Orientales.
In this report, he is describing peculiarities of China as well as many geographical observations, making it the first scientific description of central Asia. Besides many anthropological observations, William also decides a long-standing question by proving that the Caspian was an inland sea and did not flow into the Arctic Ocean.
William's report is divided into 40 chapters. Chapters 1 - 10 relate general observations about the Mongols and their customs. Chapters 11 - 40 give an account of the course and the events of William's voyage.
Rubruck's account was partly edited and translated into English by Richard Hakluyt in 1598-1600. The full account has been has been edited by the Société de Géographie in the "Recueil de voyages et de mémoires", IV (Paris, 1893), English translation by Rockhill, "The Journey of William of Rubruk to the Eastern Parts" (London, 1900).
Table of Contents
- 1. The Province of Alanians came unto us on Pentecost
- 14. Saracen which said that he would be baptized; certain men which seemed to be lepers
- 15. Our afflictions, and the Caspian Sea
- 21. The court of Batu, and how we were entertained by him
- 22. Our journey towards the court of Mangu Khan
- 23. The river of Nestorians, Saracens, and Idolaters are joined together
- 27. Their Temples and idols; how they behave themselves in worshipping their false gods
- 28. Divers nations; a people which were wont to eat their own parents
- 29. Our journey to the court of Mangu Khan
- 30. Mangu's court and the first audience
- 31. At Mangu's court
- 32. Mangu's palace at Karakorum; the feast of Easter
- 33. William's sickness and the death of the Nestorian priest
- 34. Karakorum and the family of Mangu
- 35. William seeks permission to return
- 36. The last audience with Mangu
- 37. The soothsayers
- 38. The Khan's festivals; the letter to be sent to King Louis
- 39. The journey to the court of Batu in Tripoli
