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William of Rubruck

Type Figure Region Flanders Time c. 1210–1293 Also known as Rubruck

William of Rubruck (c. 1210–c. 1293), a Franciscan friar from Rubrouck in Flanders, was sent by Louis IX to the court of the Mongol khagan Möngke in …

Timeline

  1. 1253Antioch · AntiochIn 1253, stranded in the Levant after the failure of Louis IX's seventh crusade, Rubruck was commissioned by the French king on a religious and diplomatic mission to the Mongols, seeking to contact their rulers, learn their intentions, and obtain protection for Christians.
  2. 1253–1255Karakorum · Mongol EmpireRubruck traveled via Trebizond and the Kipchak steppe, reaching Batu's camp in May, then proceeded to Karakorum to meet Möngke Khan, took part in religious debates, and observed Mongol administration and multi-ethnic society; in 1255 he was granted permission to return, carrying the khagan's reply and detailed travel records.
  3. 1255–1260Paris · ParisAfter returning in 1255, Rubruck gave Louis IX a detailed report of his Mongol journey; his travel account later became the Journey to the Eastern Parts, systematically describing the customs of the Kipchaks, Uyghurs, Ongud, and Mongols, and becoming Europe's most detailed account of the Eurasian interior before Marco Polo.

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