The Epic Journey of John of Plano Carpini

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In 1246 an Italian friar journeyed 5,000 miles from France to Mongolia carrying a letter from the Pope to the Great Khan of the Mongols.
After the Mongol Invasion of Europe, Pope Innocent IV sent Giovanni da Pian del Carpine (often called John of Plano Carpini by English speakers) on a mission to request peace and to find out whether the terrifying horsemen of the Mongol Empire were about to return.
This Franciscan Friar would journey from Christendom across the Pontic Steppe to Batu Khan of the Golden Horde and on eastwards all the way to the Mongol Court near Karakorum where the Kurultai would elect a new ruler; Güyük Khan, son of Ögedei and grandson of Genghis Khan.
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The Journey of Friar John of Pian de Carpine to the Court of Kuyuk Khan, 1245-1247 translated by William Woodville Rockhill
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Video Chapters
00:00 The Mongol Invasion of Europe
02:11 Babbel Sponsorship
03:18 The Pope's Mission
04:41 The Journey Begins
06:48 Cumania and the Pontic Steppe
09:08 Batu Khan and the Golden Horde
11:50 The Kazakh Steppe
14:21 The Kurultai at Karakorum
17:48 Güyük Khan
20:44 Letter from Güyük Khan to the Pope

[@DanDavisHistory]

Start speaking a new language in 3 weeks with Babbel 🎉. Get up to 65% OFF your subscription ➜ Here: go.babbel.com/t?bsc=1200m65-youtube-dandavishistory-july-2022&btp=default&KZbin&Influencer..dandavishistory..USA..KZbin Thanks for watching. Please do hit "like" on the video, it really helps me out.

[@Mimsy879]

Another Monk that's just as if not more interesting than Jean de Plan Carpin is Guillaume de Rubrook (william of rubrook) who basicaly had the same story with a twost: he was humongusly big man and like to drink and eat. He had a much better experience than Plan Carpin and his account is a lot better in my mind, less biased.

[@DanDavisHistory]

The first part of my novel Vampire Khan is based on Rubruck's account. My protagonist goes on the journey with William. I will make a video about his journey too.

[@Mimsy879]

@@DanDavisHistory ooooooh! Is that book out already? Thanks for the work you do by the way, love your content!

[@missourimongoose8858]

Love your content and I hope you do a series on ancient native american tribes one day

[@isabelled4871]

Fun facts: apparently Guillaume de Rubrouck travelled barefoot (which shocked the Mongols) and when he was in Karakorum he met a French girl (forgot from which place, Metz maybe?) called Pâquette :)

[@k.peterdingain2499]

The funny thing is we were all taught about Marco Polo and his journey eastward, but this is the first time I have heard about this man and his journey, thank you.

[@CKNate1]

Another good one to read is William of Rubrick who undertakes a similar journey to the great Khan (Mongke?) a few years later. Great descriptions of the territory, culture etc. I hadn’t read this story before so a big thanks for the video.

[@AndrewBlucher]

Polo was a self-publicist.

[@charlesschwaboverhere5582]

Marco got some action no doubt

[@AndrewBlucher]

@@MrRourk Older than who wants to admit? And what does the age of the silk "road" have to do with this video?

[@jasonmccallop6605]

Right

[@fuferito]

A Franciscan friar is never late; nor is he early. He arrives _precisely_ when he means to.

[@bastadimasta]

He was too fat and too late. He had to travel on top of two donkeys because if his weight. He lost so much time because he needed to lose weight to travel.

[@carmofantasmapiu5575]

This is a saying about franciscans, right?

[@catholiccrusader5328]

My two brothers and I are all products of a good Franciscan education and are mighty damn proud of it. After fighting with the Jesuits for decades I returned back to my former Franciscan parish. My entire family labels them 'real priests' in a demonstration of our love and respect for them. On a side note, I was born in San Francisco, CA, and grew up in Chicago.

[@catholiccrusader5328]

@@carmofantasmapiu5575 put it this way when the 'part-timers' (diocesan priests) gave up on the black community in Bronzeville south side Chicago it was the Franciscans who stuck by us. GOD bless 'em!😇😇⛪⛪

[@fuferito]

@@catholiccrusader5328, For decades, from the lowest dungeon to the highest peak you fought with the Jesuits of Loyola... Until at last you threw down your enemy and smote their ruin upon the mountain side...

[@thx1168]

Many many years ago I traveled on the Silk Road using hired cars, old busses and a 20 hour train ride I shared with goats and other animals to get to where I was going. It was such an epic adventure that I described to my friends! I feel ridiculous right now.

[@yeedbottomtext7563]

That’s fuckin sweet

[@lordharvey5199]

That's the coolest

[@iantait309]

You need to take time sit and write it down, if only for your self.

[@holly52ful]

Great courage is contagious and it’s power cannot be hindered!!

[@pigmentpeddler5811]

I smoke crack

[@countryboi.]

I’m honestly not sure why we don’t have a movie about this. Then again, Hollywood would probably mess up almost every detail in the story

[@sirrathersplendid4825]

They’d turn Carpini into an African LGBT woman with dwarfism.

[@stephenferguson9756]

They probably wouldn't want to depict the Mongol chieftens stealing all his tribute to the Khan or show them barely feeding them.

[@countryboi.]

@@sirrathersplendid4825 Sounds about right

[@Peter_Schluss-Mit-Lustig]

You mean the Italian monk sent out by the pope himself wasn't an atheist all along?

[@brutusvonmanhammer]

The only thing Hollywood is good at is covering up its own depravity

[@stevene6181]

Pope: so did the great khan say he wanted peace? Envoys: yes, but actually no.

[@JPaterson8942]

It's like an epic fantasy quest. A small band setting out to stop the enemy, the people they meet on the way giving them their blessing and help...

[@dangreene3895]

I went to a exhibit about the Mongols . one of the things I found most interesting was letters back and forth between the Khan and the Pope . One letter asked the Pope to send a army to Jerusalem and He would send his army and together they would drive the Muslims out .

[@ashleysovilla2037]

I recently went to one as well. The passport system was fascinating!

[@wandabanks6756]

It's my understanding that's why the Khans hired westerners. To write letters back home to their kings and ask for military cooperation to wipe out the Muslims.

[@brianswelding]

Makes Frodo's trip to Mordor look like a walk in the park. Who's afraid of a few orcs when you've got a hoarde of frickin Mongols, good Lord.

[@made-line7627]

Tricksy Mongolses

[@kurzeful]

Lol

[@Wifgargfhaurh]

The men that travelled that far for peace are heroes. They didn't know if they would survive the journey itself or the mongols

[@zurgesmiecal]

born 1185, he was 60 years old on his travel. Not even nowadays many 60-years old could make that journey on horseback

[@Botoburst]

Yea they could, 60 is old but not so feeble.

[@zurgesmiecal]

@@Botoburst you have no clue what it means to travel on horseback

[@phyo1716]

And surviving all kinds of diseases on the road.

[@usernamesrlamo]

People tend to be soft as butter nowadays. The last 75 years has left Western people weak and vapid.

[@joaofabio5927]

back in the days people were strong, not this soyjack snowflakes we are today

[@margiedekock2719]

How brave these Franciscan Monks were experiencing such an epic journey to bring documents requesting peace from the Pope.We can never imagine what they endured hunger exhaustion fear of the unknown yet his commitment caused him to continue.Praise God for these Franciscans in their faith in God.Thank you for this enlightenment of this untold tale.Blessed be the Peace makers!!!May we too make peaceful dialogue efforts in our world where we live.May JMJ intercede for us.Peace to everyone God be with you.MargiS.A

[@catholiccrusader5328]

Amen to that Margie.

[@margiedekock2719]

@@catholiccrusader5328 Thank you tomorrow is the Feast of St.Clare and 14th St.Maximillium Kolbe two faithful Franciscans.May they intercede for us God be with you all Peace MargiS.A sfo

[@ElBandito]

Franciscan and Dominican friars are built different.

[@auranewaters9574]

Demanding the mongols to convert to christianity while youre the one suing for peace isnt that bright tho lol. Classic christian arrogance

[@levongevorgyan6789]

There was also an Armenian prince who traveled to Guyuk Khans court, and met with Guyuk and Mongke Khan to try and gain an alliance against the Mamelukes, and was married to a Mongol Princess while there. And later the Armenian King Hethum visited the court to renew the alliance.

[@ym6294]

Damn really that's interesting This is why I love history never heard this before what's his name.

[@levongevorgyan6789]

@@ym6294 It was Sempad the Constable, and later his brother Hetum.

[@jimsbooksreadingandstuff]

Georgian and Armenian Mercenaries helped the Mongols sack Baghdad (1258).

[@levongevorgyan6789]

@@jimsbooksreadingandstuff Not even mercenaries. Armenian and Georgian mercenaries helpped in the Battle of Kose Dag. Armenian Knights of the CIlician Kingdom, and Georgian warriors of the kingdom of Georgia helped in the sack of Baghdad, with some legends stating that the Kings of Armenia and Georgia entered Baghdad after its fall.

[@huebuckle8198]

Nice pfp brother. Hopefully one day we will return

[@veritas41photo]

It is about 5,330 miles from Lyon, France to Karakorum, Mongolia. The round trip must have been, indeed, an "immense and unlikely story". Astonishing and Epic, indeed. Amazing.

[@RUTHLESSACADEMY]

8577 kilometers, damn!

[@catholiccrusader5328]

@@RUTHLESSACADEMY calm down, dude,🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@liquidoxygen819]

Absolutely enthralling and captivating tale. I had no idea this man existed or that such a journey took place until now. I wonder what a Mongol-dominated Europe would have looked like, and what its legacy would have been.

[@DanDavisHistory]

Thank you 🙏 The Mongol legacy in the places they conquered is a fascinating subject. They assimilated so well that they had relatively little long term impact in those places (compared to their initial military impact).

[@Puddlef1sh]

@@DanDavisHistory Is that surprising at all? Why would they? Resources was their mission. I could be wrong but that seems to be a European colonial understanding.

[@azzking9305]

If Russia is anything to go by it would have meant stagnation

[@krl97a]

Depopulation and/or relocation of much of Western Europe would have been a possibility. But it wasn't as close a call as many think. Like previous steppe invaders (e.g. Huns, Avars) the Mongols had increasing difficulty the further west they got. The combination of terrain not suiting their fighting style, unusually cold, wet weather (according to recent studies), Medieval Europe basically being a sea of fortified cities and castles, Europeans fighting hard even after those early devastating losses in the east (which heavily featured untrained, poorly equipped peasants), and Europeans adapting their tactics checked the Mongols and reduced them to raiding west of Russia rather than conquering. Within decades European armies were routinely crushing Mongols in battle and reconquering territory.

[@soylentgreenb]

"I wonder what a Mongol-dominated Europe would have looked like, and what its legacy would have been." - My best guess is that it would look like Russia.

[@eh1702]

Giovanni wasn’t confused about the Dnieper as a border. Russia as we think of it didn’t exist for centuries yet. There were the lands of the Rus, but they were within various political configurations. As his writing indicates, in his day the hub and wellspring of Rus civilisation and identity was Kiev. A generation after Giovanni’s journey, the Grand Duchy of Muscovy/ Moscow was formally established in a swampy region about 600 miles north east of Kiev, and about three centuries later, as a principaality began calling itself Russia. The Dnieper had become a border with people pushed east in previous generations by the Golden Horde. The ancestors of today’s Crimean Tatars and Volga Tatars would more or less have been colonists from the east, at this time.

[@JanKowalski-ej6lh]

Back then the state was primarily identified by the ruling house/dynasty/elite. As is well documented, an organized kind of state in the east Slavic territories was founded by the Vikings who later became to be known as the Rurik dynasty (Rurikid). Interestingly, the first capital was Novgorod (now in Russia), later moved to Kiev. After the complete fall of the Kievan Rus' region in 1240, which by the way at that time was not a single state or kingdom, but a collection of independent entities, more or less hostile to each other, part of the former Duchy of Vladimir-Suzdal located further north started to gain significance. This is of course Moscow, and a dynasty ruling there was of course the Rurikid (Alexander Nevsky). Thus it is logical, that they had all rights to start the process of gathering all former Rurikid lands, especially that no political entity existed at that time around Kiev which was just part of the Mongol Golden Horde, and the first real military victory over Mongols was dealt by Dmitry of Moscow (Dmitry of the Don) in the Battle of Kulikovo Field. The problem with modern Ukrainian identity comes from a simple fact that bulk of these region was part of the Kingdom of Poland, or more precisely the Polish-Lithuania Commonwealth (until the so called partition of Poland in late XVIII). Hence the Rus' people who lived there had quite different history for almost three centuries and may have acquired some kind of different identity. Thus culturally, the Ukrainian people are a product of Rus' and Polish traditions.

[@dogrudiyosun]

colonists? many altaic/turkic tribes lived there even before christ. its just natural habitat of nomadic people.

[@RedRocket4000]

@@JanKowalski-ej6lh Correct this disaster morphed the Unkrainians into a distinct group. Any time there is a full language differance you are dealing with two different groups. In family tree terms a great number of Removes seperate the peoples.

[@vmatin1]

Well said. Thank you for adding to my understanding of this time and place.

[@joek600]

@@dogrudiyosun here we go....

[@hereLiesThisTroper]

Fun Fact: that letter from the Mongol Emperor still exists inside the Vatican Archives.

[@Orgil.]

fun fact: it has Ogodei khaan's stamp on it

[@martijn9568]

Aren't the Vatican archives pretty much closed for everyone?

[@FrankinDallas]

@@martijn9568 Yes, but with a warrant the FBI can get documents.

[@neutronalchemist3241]

@@martijn9568 They are pretty much entirely open for scholars.

[@kdp8091]

5:46 does anyone knows the music in the background?

[@missourimongoose8858]

I honestly can't believe a 60 plus year old man went 10000 miles on horseback with very limited resources, excellent content and it really shows how weak we are now cuz most folks won't even camp without an RV lol

[@elkstereidolon3523]

Don't believe everything you hear.

[@AndrewBlucher]

What's an RV?

[@missourimongoose8858]

@@AndrewBlucher it's like a apartment on wheels lol

[@missourimongoose8858]

@@elkstereidolon3523 what? So you think this guy didn't journey to Mongolia and just made up thr story lol

[@elkstereidolon3523]

@@missourimongoose8858 Not only that, he never existed.

[@zeusnitch]

What an amazing adventure! Walking a knife's blade between the greed and the generosity of strangers...

[@GIF_CANCEL]

This Friar embraced the Will of God, given through His vicar, and embraced the cross manfully. What an edifying witness of goodness, humility, meekness, sacrifice, and holiness. God bless the enemies of God and of His Church for the good and benefit of their conversion and for mercy at the hour of their death from eternal damnation.

[@Alan-zj5fz]

New sub because this comment is from Your Soul.

[@alexanderwaite9403]

Man that was one bass ass group of monks!!! Not soldiers, diplomates or traders but a bunch of old freaking monks went on one of the most epic diplomatic missions/adventures ever. This journey needs to be a mini-series. This journey blows Marco Polo AWAY.

[@catholiccrusader5328]

Damn real, Alex!

[@AndrewTheFrank]

Meeting Batu Khan was a blessing. Up to this point, maybe about half the distance or less, they had been traveling for about a year. The give away is that they left at Easter and what he wrote near Batu Khan was "during the whole of that Lent" meaning it was once again Eastertide. And that is part of the importance to mention that this is what they ate on normal and fast days because traditionally Lent is a time of much fasting. And so this wasn't their fasting meals but their every meals.

[@eh1702]

60 really was old in those days. The philosopher David Hume, on his deathbed half a milennium later, remarked that he was grateful to have reached such a “good old age” as 64.

[@GreatNeal85]

It was normal to live to 60s/70s back then if there wasn't war, famine, or plague, as long as you made it past childhood (lots of people died as babies, which massively lowered the overall life expectancy).

[@eh1702]

@@GreatNeal85 It wasn’t normal. It was only normal for men and women who actually reached their mid-50s. As you point out, very many didn’t. It was normal for women to die in their 30s and 40s, and for men to last maybe a decade longer - if they did reach those ages. I have waded through thousands upon thousands of death records from the 1840s on, and people who lived past 60 were the minority of those who reached adulthood until late that century. You exempt famine, but famine was actually quite common: the saying in 19th C Scandinavia was “two years in ten the crops fail”. The last famine in the British Isles was in the mid 19th century and the last in Scandinavia was the late 19th C. Most who die in famines don’t literally just up and die of outright starvation, until late in the famine: First the babies of the poor die of “teething” and “weaning” (not strong enough from lack of maternal milk to make a forced transition). Then toddlers and old people. They die of having their constitution weakened, they get evicted and die of exposure and stress, they die of the upsurge in communicable diseases that lowered immune systems bring. Some interesting work was done recently about the lactase persistence gene, which allows people to continue to get the full nutritional benefit of milk, without stomachaches or diahorrhea. Unexpectedly they have found many herder populations who have used lots of milk products for thousands of years (eg on the Central Asian steppe) don’t have a high incidence of this gene. It doesn’t confer any special advantage there. Whereas in Scotland and Ireland, over 95% of the population have it. Some really ferocious selection process caused this: famine.

[@GreatNeal85]

@@eh1702 Some think the way steppe populations prepare dairy products means they don't need as much lactose tolerance. If you look at the Yakuts or most other groups they don't drink a lot of straight milk, it's more fermented drinks, cheeses, that sort of thing. There are exceptions like the Mongolians. The correlation between lactose tolerance and populations that have consumed milk for the longest time is pretty strong. Regarding life expectancy: My point is less to do with the most dirt-poor farmers who suffer the worst in famines, moreso this social strata we're talking about of connected monks and philosophers. Hence the exception. I don't know a lot about the life of Hume in particular but his statement would make more sense to me as a joke about his political controversies, or stressful life, or something like that than a genuine surprise.

[@eh1702]

@@GreatNeal85 No, Hume wasn’t joking. He wasn’t “surprised” to have reached 64, he was content, satisfied to have had a long life. And the conversation was restricted to a social class: to the contrary, you started by saying how normal it was to reach the sixth decade. And my point about the ferocious Darwinian reckoning of famine and its relation to lactase persistence stands, if you are correct. If the Asian populations did more to process milk than Atlantic fringe populations, that accords with a lesser famine-selection pressure in the east. Because in those places lactose tolerance would not be such a critical factor. In any case, the populations you’re talking about, like Mongolians, have been pastoral nomads till very recently. (It’s a lifestyle that we see even this year in Africa being used to escape famine to literal pastures new.) Not really comparable to the faming if mediaeval Europe.

[@GreatNeal85]

@@eh1702 I was replying to you, who commented on this video, that's the context It's a chicken-egg thing for genetics, for Eastern populations if the culture thousands of years ago didn't drink a lot of straight milk then there wouldn't be a selective pressure in the first place, and for Western populations it's perfectly plausible that you'd be less likely to have kids with someone who was farting all the time.

[@Boudica234]

The fact that an old man could survive that journey is more than astonishing or incredible. It was a miracle.

[@thewayfarer8849]

Patron Saint of Chads, why not just walk to Mongolia? Thanks for the video, it's always genuinely original history content no one else covers. Would love a William Marshall video but just do whatever, you made hairstyles interesting so what do I know?

[@DanDavisHistory]

Yes I will do the Marshal. I have a shortlist of medieval videos from his era to the end of the Hundred Years War, roughly.

[@thewayfarer8849]

@@DanDavisHistory Thanks very much sir, I still crack up watching the image you put of him after getting married. Will soon be buying Godborn and looking forward to it

[@qboxer]

@@DanDavisHistory Fantastic. William the Marshal is in my estimation a contender for the title of Greatest Knight, at least of his lifetime. It would be great to get a summary using your excellent narration.

[@craig2129]

Another request from me for William the Marshal. One of history's greatest men.

[@waitwhat1264]

Giovanni Da Pian Del Carpine - Patron Saint of the Chads 😎

[@timojarun7830]

It is so cool that this extraordinary monk was made bishop in Dalmatia (soithernmost rwgion of modern Croatia). That’s the same region Marco Polo is from.

[@neutronalchemist3241]

Marco Polo is from Venice. There is some possibility his family originated from dalmatia, but already Marco's grandad resided in Venice.

[@SunnyE_Mechwarrior]

I remember reading about this monk in the past, most people know about Marco Polo but I think this monk predated Marco Polo and had really paved the way for his travels. The mongols had a culture of respect and cultural taboo on harming for any diplomat and once the monk was in Mongol Territory they made sure to feed and protect him until he saw the great khan. From my understanding the pope letter was calling on him to bow before god and the usual rhetoric of of suffering damnation if he didn't do and this had the opposite effect since the mongols were more followers of Tengrism or the sky wolf (early Turkish people also worshiped Tengri as well) and he was chosen in his eyes to conquer all the land under the sky. So he was insulted but luckily he was protected until he returned and luckily for everyone that khan was dead within the year and well the second army to invade Europe never came about.

[@TAKE_BACK_BRITAIN]

Yeah he predated Marco Polo by like 20 or so years.

[@catholiccrusader5328]

Nope. The Holy Father never dissed the Khan in fact the Khan wanted 1,000 priests to convert the Mongols.

[@smoothjazz2143]

@@catholiccrusader5328 Source?

[@jakobesparza]

@@smoothjazz2143 no source hes just skitzo. saw him in another comment thread saying the same weird stuff

[@DrownedinDesigner]

@@smoothjazz2143 it was revealed by Devine revelation through a Dream obviously.

[@YamiKisara]

I love these travelling videos! People are always taught the majority of medieval people spend all their lives in the village or town they were born, travelling to the next town at most. And while it was almost certainly true they spend most of their lives there, they did travel great distances once or twice in their lifetime - and for good reason: imagine it would take you several months or even years to get to your destination, with little to no way of learning about your destination beforehand, and no knowledge of how your loved ones back home are doing! Most people wouldn't want to travel more often. Besides, what else would be there to discover, you already saw all the cultures intimately during your first travel, because you went on foot most of the way.

[@RedRocket4000]

Yep more local pilgramges the norm but this would take people often hundreds of miles from their home assuming their lord ok'd it and as these were religious they normally were alowed. And a few everywhere would make the pilgramage to Jerusalem. So yes that never travil but a short way from home greatly exaggerated. Yes some did never get far from home but for large numbers a few religious pilgamages would break the monotony and at least take them across there nation.

[@tairo1092]

Today travelling is meaningless most of the times, since you will find the same thing everywhere: television, skyscrapers, cars, organized tourism, the same mentality, McDonald's, stupid folklore instead of real tradition etc. Its only an hedonistic feticism, there is nothing profound in it... The great gifts of globalization and 'prosperity'...

[@tairo1092]

@@RedRocket4000 Travel had another meaning in the past, it wasn't a superficial and narcisistic hobby. Also knights and merchants by the way were great travellers, not only monks.

[@kdp8091]

5:46 does anyone knows the music in the background?

[@odysseusrex5908]

It's interesting that Giovani, having preceded Marco Polo by some decades, is not better known. I never heard of him before.

[@lorddeathspit1124]

Surprised Giovanni could ride so far with his giant balls dragging the ground. Going into mongol territory was extremely dangerous.

[@RemoveChink]

The opposite is true, it was extremely safe for the time.

[@MrAnonymousRandom]

The Mongols turned their empire into one big free trade zone. The 13th century was an unprecedented time to travel the silk road.

[@miketacos9034]

He crossed almost all of Eurasia in just two years, that’s amazing, way faster than I expected!

[@jackholloway1]

On a similar vein, might be worth doing a video about the Romans who crossed the Sahara, particularly the lot that made it all the way down to what's now Uganda and only a few miles from the actual source of the Nile. I know the sources aren't as detailed as the story in this video but could be worth a crack possibly, would definitely make for an interesting topic if you can get a video's worth of content out of it

[@DanDavisHistory]

Funny you say that, it's one of the earliest ideas on the video list. I've been fascinated by these journeys since I read it on wikipedia years ago. I definitely need better sources, though.

[@petelcek]

I need to say that this is far the best presentation of Giovanni Carpini journey. Nowhere else I cannot find it in such a details. Historically Giovanni Carpini is totally overlooked person and almost no one knows him. He deserves more credit for achievement that he done.

[@petrapetrakoliou8979]

Thank you for this great video! In Hungary you are not supposed to step on the threshold even today. In the Mongol Khan's palace you could get away with it with a guard stripping you from your pants. The place of departure, Lyon was not in fact in France at that time, but was a part of the Holy Roman Empire. Only in 1312 was it annexed by the king of France. Or perhaps you were just saying where the town is today. The French king himself Louis IX sent several embassies to the Mongols, the one Guillaume of Rubrouck made in 1252 has also come down to us with a nice narration of what they saw, his narration came back but not himself, unfortunately.

[@timboslice980]

He did all that for his faith. I should think of this guy whenever i dont feel like going to mass.

[@mm-yt8sf]

oh wow if i were the friars and i saw a russian duke at the festivities i'd definitely ask if i could catch a ride back with him since he probably travels in more comfort and safety 🙂 [that was nice of the imperial mom to give them gifts even though they had nothing left to give in the first place. good thing they were used to the vow of poverty since it looks like they spent the entire time being robbed 😞though..it's interesting no one killed them...just stole from them]

[@giacomoromano8842]

It was probably a combination of things. The ones who "robbed" them were all nobles and high ranking officials, who took their stuff as "tributes", but they were not marauders or raiders. Them being foreign priests in a diplomatic mission to the khan itself was good reason enough to not just murder them or intentionally kill them indirectly, through starvation.

[@karolw.5208]

Thank you Dan, for this astonishing story. I knew a bit about the man who joined Giovanni on this journey - Benedykt Polak. In my previous city of Wroclaw (marked on your map) there is a street for him, it is claimed he was from that city.

[@benediktmorak4409]

amazing what one can say and do in 20 Minutes. without - Houston we have a problem -.without raised finger.without - teaching - and - breathless shouting -..i have heard this story and the travels of the monks for the first time. marco Polo is well known, there are even quite a few books written about him. but about THIS story,looks like nothing much is known? well done indeed. - chapeau -

[@stlouisix3]

Well done to Giovanni da Pian del Carpine; what a brave Fransciscan monk and man, and what a help to Pope Innocent IV and Christendom🤝🏻💪🏻👍🏻👏🏻

[@CYCLONE4499]

What an incredible journey in a time where death was literally around every corner. Its amazing he even made it to the khan let alone return alive. Thats cool af 😎

[@nozrep]

first heard and learned about this guy a few years ago from Dan Carlin’s “Hardcore History Podcast” series -‘Wrath of the Khans’. Fascinating stuff! One of the best podcasts I ever listened to! Mr. Davis goes into much more detail about Carpini’s journey specifically in this video, and Dan Carlin’s is more like a 4 or 5 episode historical epic that covers the whole Mongol era and mentions Carpini along the way.

[@kneeboardtorque5971]

Hardcore history is my favorite. You must listen to the Punic nightmares and the fall of the Roman Republic. He's changed my view and interest in history. What of the series would you recommend I listen to? (Oh I have listened to all of the series on the Mongols)

[@Raz.C]

That is, admittedly, an achievement. I like to look at the distances covered by the Roman Legions, too. Think about it; All those thousands of miles that the Legions travelled, were largely accomplished by marching there and back again. Occasionally, the Legions would take ships, but for the most part, the Legions would march from one part of the world to another and then keep on marching. No carts to carry everyone, no carriages, no horses (well, SOME horses and some carts, but mostly in the baggage train and NOT for every soldier)... Wherever in the world was being occupied by Roman forces would mean that the Legions had to march to get there.

[@goranpersson7726]

I mean... the legions usually were the people making the roads so it wasnt just marching, it was marching and making a road along with fortifications. really the legions were just a really big construction company with some fighting every now and then

[@Raz.C]

@@goranpersson7726 Amen, brother!! And that's before we consider that they were the first people to ever construct a bridge across the Rhine. Only to destroy it 10 days later. Only to build a whole new bridge across the Rhine, all over again, making them also the second people in history to ever bridge the Rhine!! Then there's the construction of the ramp at Masada. Legio X Fretensis dismantled one mountain and used to rubble to construct a ramp up another mountain! Then they sent a siege tower to the gate of the fortress on top of that mountain (via their shiny new ramp), thus defeating the insurgents within. The ramp, as well as several of the camps of this legion, as well as portions of the wall of circumvallation around the mountain they were besieging at the time, remain extant today. Admittedly, the remnants of the wall and the camps aren't much to look at, after more than 2,000 years, but the ramp?? It looks exactly the same as (I presume) it would have looked when it was first made!! Then there's the 16 km of wall that Caesar's Legions built around the town of Alesia. Then they heard of a relief army heading their way, so they had to build a wall around their wall. Their 2nd wall ran for 20 km and completely enclosed the first wall. "Wall!" That word barely encompasses the majesty of what they constructed around Alesia... The Roman fortifications included anti-infantry trenches, an anti-cavalry moat, missile/ archery towers at regular intervals, as well as all manner of ingenious booby-traps. There were sharpened, fire-hardened stakes, that both discouraged cavalry charges, as well as prevented the massing of infantry. It was the Magnum Opus of fortifications... Anyway, those are the three most salient examples of astounding works of engineering accomplished by Roman Legions that I could think of, off the top of my head. I'm sure I could add to it, if I thought about it for more than 2 seconds, like including Hadrians wall, which went from one side of Britain to the other, completely sealing Scotland off from the rest of the island... But instead, I'll leave it there. Suffice it to say, I agree wholeheartedly with you. The Roman Legions were the Construction-Super-Corporations of the ancient world.

[@Raz.C]

@@goranpersson7726 Additionally, it's well worth mentioning that Roman Roads weren't just lines marked in the dirt. They would start digging, so that they could lay the foundations of the road at roughly 1 meter below the level that they wanted the road to go. In that roughly one-meter space, they'd pile and then compress different layers of materials to form the different layers of the road, before finally laying the paving stones that we see as the surface of Roman roads. It was an involved, in-depth process that required the attention of specialists such as surveyors as well as engineers, not to mention the Legions, for such roads to have any hope of being made. Many of these roads still survive today. Some of them are still in use today!! I really wish that the Legions who built those roads could know that more than 2,000 years later, there would still be people using the roads that they built...

[@chungusdisciple9917]

Might be my favorite of your videos. What an odyssey for an insular monk to embark upon.

[@lechanoine9372]

The interesting thing about the Franciscans was that they were not monks, but friars--very novel at this time! Instead of being insular and remote in monasteries, their vocation was much more mobile! They went everywhich way around Europe and the Mediterranean. Saint Francis himself went to Egypt to try to convert the Sultan.

[@taimalik1110]

Now that is a walk to remember!

[@gaslitworldf.melissab2897]

. . . love history of the steppelands. It's chilling, fascinating, exotic and surreal. Thank you for covering it. Why travel with gifts knowing that thieves lay along any route? I'd prefer to carry promise letter - maybe tiny, hidden artefacts, such as jewelry, looking impoverished and hungry by way of clothing. I'd be a bit more comfortable carrying small books to offer as gifts.

[@goransvraka3171]

Marco Polo was 1 year old at the time of the final years of Batu Khan's reign. I never heard of this story before. So perhaps it was this Italian monk whom inspired Marco Polo to travel to Mongolia. Can you verify this?

[@neutronalchemist3241]

To inspire Marco had been his father (and his uncle) that traveled to China for trade. It only happened that China, at the time, had been conquered by the Mongols.

[@Ch0ckl8]

Thank you, came here by chance and, damn, I did not expect to get the history I know to be turned upside down. What a time to study

[@bruhistantv9806]

There are some good tidbits about the Mongol logistics system - and abundance of horses means one can quickly swap a tired one for a fresh horse, and therefore travel very quickly and efficiently

[@terryhughes7349]

This story is incredible

[@willmosse3684]

That was nuts. Why the hell would the Pope have selected a man in his 60s for a journey like that?

[@DanDavisHistory]

Well whatever the reason, it was obviously a good decision. The younger Stephen of Bohemia didn't make it past Kiev.

[@TAKE_BACK_BRITAIN]

He had a lot of diplomatic experience that’s why

[@michaelplunkett8059]

Wisdom, experience, probity, showing a measure of respect. Someone younger might lose patience, give offense and doom the mission.

[@GriffinParke]

Incredible story and great video, something I was totally ignorant of. I wonder if he met the Englishman who was the Mongol envoy, and was captured in Austria when they withdrew. His story told in "Tartar Khan's Englishman" by Gabriel Ronay.

[@kennethtan6403]

Thank you. Much Love from the Philippines.

[@adrianaslund8605]

Franciscans are pretty badass as monks go. Francis was a good dude. A lover of animals and the poor.

[@catholiccrusader5328]

They are at that.

[@briteness]

This was a highly interesting story. How was I entirely unfamiliar with it until now? Thank you for this excellent video.

[@kdp8091]

5:46 does anyone knows the music in the background?

[@tonnywildweasel8138]

Another gem! Always enjoy your stories to learn. Thanks once again for sharing, appreciate it a lot! Greets from the Netherlands 🌷🇳🇱, T.

[@timwoodruff7984]

really a great story and very well told. Thank you. I would’ve liked to have known what the pope replied, if anything? did he see the letter from the Khan as a threat or as an olive branch? did he ever send kingly emissaries as requested?

[@TAKE_BACK_BRITAIN]

Obviously not because the catholic nations never submitted to the mongols and remained independent. Plus I’m pretty sure the khan died like a year later so he wasn’t able to do the second invasion of Europe like he wanted.

[@MagdaleneDivine]

That would be a trip if that was me once again having to deliver a damn message in yet another past life that nobody wants but that don't stop me apparently

[@gothicwestern]

Amazing story. It's hard to believe it's true. I think we owe a lot to those centuries of Christianity, they were so driven in everything they did.

[@GuyMaleMan]

60 year old Franciscan Friar: rides 10,000 miles to Mongolia me: gets tired after walking from one end of the house to the other

[@celsojr950]

Amazing video, as always! Thanks!

[@lisaa.4667]

That was an incredible story. I've never heard of a monk being sent by the Pope to query the new Mongolian Khan, and he did this in is 60s. I'm stuck at home with COVID, but it hasn't been so bad with these videos. The first minute, I thought, "but Marco Polo wasn't a monk..." 🤔

[@Neuri]

Awesome thanks Dan!!

[@grandmastersreaction1267]

Brilliant. Watching it again with the misses. I just wish the video was longer and more detailed. What an amazing life and journey.

[@DanDavisHistory]

I have at least one more video planned about a very similar journey a few years later that will go into more detail about the Mongols.

[@grandmastersreaction1267]

@@DanDavisHistory have you thought about using the same video in different length formats? Maybe releasing a 20 minute version first, followed by a longer, more details version. I imagine you had to leave out a lot of details and surrounding context in the story to get it down to 20 minutes. You could then possibly shorted it down further to create “shorts” or God forbid, TikToks. This way, you could release more content without doing too much more work. This is just a suggestion. I’m not a creator so take it with a grain of salt.

[@milanetc4865]

Love this video. Thank you for your efforts!

[@isaac_jack_silva1655]

Thank you Dan, once again amazing. You are a great story teller. I take my hat to you sir.

[@marpag123]

An excellent piece of work, thank you.

[@lizzy66125]

fantastic documentary,thank you.

[@timfronimos459]

most enjoyable video. thank you for posting

[@kaloarepo288]

Don't forget that the Italian maritime power Genoa had numerous colonies in the region of the Sea of Azov and the Crimean peninsula and commanded a lot of the trade routes in the region-it is reported that the black death came to Europe because the Mongols besieged the big Genoese trading center of Kaffa and spread it to the besieged who subsequently carried it by ship to Europe.One would have imagined that the Genoese would have had contacts with the powers in the region including the Mongols which Carpine might have availed himself of.

[@DanDavisHistory]

No he didn't but later travellers like William of Rubruck did.

[@Wubby805]

This video and the telling of the tale was AWESOME! Thank you❣

[@Metagrinner]

This was my first of yours that I have watched, and I am very impressed in the way you delivered your content. You are easy to understand, sincere and earnest. You have a sedate, serious but intense way in said delivery. Keep it real dude. 😎

[@MARGATEorcMAULER]

What an incredible story thank you for bringing it to us

[@joebidet2050]

Thank you Inspirational

[@kenllacer]

Now that's what I call an adventure of a lifetime!

[@mumblingmercian3386]

Congratulations on 100K! Recently found your channel and very impressed with the production.

[@IDontBelong]

Thank you again.

[@kevinrice7635]

Perciate the video Hombre enjoyed it .. stay healthy safe travels 😘

[@michaelgutierrez9563]

Beautiful History! Thank you for your contributions of knowledge to us All!

[@nickbarton6022]

Thank you Dan, another brilliant vid, clearly superbly researched and wonderfully told as usual 👍

[@smallpebblesbigripples8636]

Thank you very much for sharing this interesting piece of History with us.

[@ariomannosyemo9090]

Awesome work. Very Interesting.

[@paulbrandel5980]

Wow great video Dan the man I salute you!

[@younis9819]

Mongols are just history now but the church of Christ still stands.

[@calvinsuu1949]

Mongolia still exists with ethnic mongols....

[@auranewaters9574]

Its not really the same anymore tho. Institutional christianity ruled europe back then. Its pretty much irrelevant in central and northern europe nowadays

[@user-vs2xg3hb6c]

This piece of history is absolutely fascinating. Thank you for making this video!

[@MarvelousSeven]

Now THAT is an epic journey.

[@SlimRhyno]

Congratulations on 100k subscribers! I genuinely enjoy your channel, and I really appreciate the time and effort that you put into your content. Thank you for doing what you do, and take care.

[@DanDavisHistory]

Thank you very much indeed, I appreciate it.

[@novastorm980]

Love the history of the Mongols and this video was great thanks bud

[@deandeann1541]

I was not aware of this particular story. It is an exceptional adventure, and you have done an exceptional job in presenting it to the public. You are deserving of my thanks. Again and sincerely, thank you. There are so many ancient stories, ancient adventures nearly forgotten, that could form the basis of the finest modern movie epic. Imagine a movie trilogy based on the travels of Hanno the Carthaginian.

[@kdp8091]

5:46 does anyone knows the music in the background?

[@craigdutton6072]

What a story that was !great video very well made ❤

[@rnedlo9909]

Truely amazing story, thank you for bringing it to us in an easy to follow, informative way.

[@kariannecrysler640]

Beautiful work here. Such great visuals with your dedicated research… brilliant 👍💕🥰

[@frogpalpeeper4249]

Your videos never disappoint. I've learned so much about the distant past. Thanks for your efforts!!

[@davidhunt8685]

That was a good one. Thx

[@PhD777]

Excellent video - concise, entertaining accurate and unbiased.

[@trolllo9729]

The Russian Duke and the Baghdad ambassador stories are epic too

[@neutronalchemist3241]

Not very successful tough, since the Mongols invaded both in the end.

[@seamusoblainn4603]

This needs a film 🎦 😍

[@garrywilliams8479]

Excellent ; Thank-you 💖🙏🕯️

[@robbes7rh]

This is an instance where the word “epic” is not in any way hyperbole. My God, what a journey these humble Franciscan friars and their servants undertook. Really, it’s a miracle they weren’t killed or simply succumbed to the elements or starvation. I’m seeing that I know practically nothing about the history and peoples in this part of the world. Prior to the industrial revolution it seems they held all the cards, having the capacity to set upon almost any kingdom in the world. Instead of machines, they had horses, horses, and still more horses.

[@mrvn000]

Thank you.

[@JustIn-mu3nl]

I've started to read a couple of your books and they are pretty good. It's makes watching these youtube video's more interesting because it explains the world in which you write, it gives greater insight and enhances the books.