Ulaanbaatar
Collection of the Kharakhorum Museum: The letter of Roman Pope Innocent IV to the Great Khaan of the Mongol Empire
Art & Culture
Ulaanbaatar /MONTSAME/. From the collection of the Kharakhorum Museum, this time we are presenting the letter that was sent from the Roman Pope Innocent IV to the Great Khaan of the Mongol Empire as well as the letter sent in reply from the Great Mongolian Khaan Guyug to the Roman Pope.
The letter written by Roman Pope Innocent IV to the Great Khaan of the Mongol Empire, the year of 1245.
At the order of Pope Innocent IV, Plano Carpini went on his journey to deliver the letter and gather information about the Mongols from Lyon on April 16, 1245. With Benedict the Pole joining him on his journey from Wrocław as his interpreter, they were received by the Khaan of the Golden Horde, Batu Khaan. Thanks to the postal system of Ogedei Khaan, they arrived at their destination relatively quickly and comfortably.
The letter later reached the newly enthroned Guyug Khaan on July 22, 1246. Dated March 13, 1245, the letter was translated from Latin into Russian by Benedict the Pole, and then translated into Mongolian by an official of the Golden Horde.
In the letter, the Roman Pope had begged the Great Khaan to stop his aggression against Europe in the name of God, and requested to have friendly relations and information about future plans.
The letter sent from Great Khaan Guyug to the Roman Pope Innocent IV, the Great Mongol Empire, the year of 1246.
On November 11, 1246, Guyug Khaan had his reply to the letter that was written in Karakorum translated by the delegate of the Roman Pope into Latin. “Under the blessings of the eternal blue sky. The decree of the Great Dalai Khaan of the people,” was written in Turkic in the first line of the letter, with the rest written in Persian. Despite being written in the two languages, Arabic letters were used to write the letter.
As it was considered that sending an envoy was an act of admitting defeat by Mongols, the Great Khaan ordered the Pope to bring along the rulers of the states in the direction of the sunset.
Giving no significance to the attempt of persuading him to follow the religion, he then stated that the grounds for his attacks to Europe was due to Christians - Russian nobles killing the Khaan’s envoy.
At the end of his letter, Guyug Khaan stated, “May the sky decide what follows if you do not follow the decree.”
