Mongols and Genghis Khan have hogged twitter attention lately

While Mongol "barbarism" is much publicized, what is not discussed adequately is their central role in opening up trade / communication b/w Europe and East Asia during 13th cen

An age of pathbreaking overland travel

In the age before the Mongols, trade of course existed between Europe and China / India. But it was largely mediated via the Muslim Turks

The merchants of Venice or Pisa had never visited India or China themselves

Nor was travel practically possible

There were two major routes between Europe and the Orient back in the 11th / 12th centuries

One was an overland route

The other was a sea + land route

(discussed in next tweet)

1. All-land route from Eastern China via central Asia (Samarkhand -> Baghdad) leading to the coastal towns of Asia Minor / Greece

2. Sea route - via South China sea -> Indian Ocean -> Persian Gulf -> Suez (Egypt)

Both of which were controlled by Muslim turks

So western traders could trade in exotic oriental goods at Alexandria or at Aleppo / Damascus, but any further advance was disallowed by the Turks.

This could be dubbed the "Iron curtain" of the late Middle Ages in Daniel Boorstin's words

But things changed with the rise of Mongol power, under Genghiz Khan and his sons and grandsons

The largest contiguous land empire in history. Almost twice the size of the Roman empire

With the rise of Mongol power, the old barriers to human intercourse between were lifted

Between mid 13th to mid 14th cen (1250 to 1350), China and India were now open to intrepid merchants / explorers from the West

Following the defeat of Muslim power in Central and West Asia by Mongols

When Kublai Khan (Genghis's grandson) ascended the throne in 1259, his empire covered the stretch from the Yellow river in Northern China to the Danube river in Eastern Europe. From Siberia up north to the Persian Gulf...

What followed was the opening up of the long obstructed Silk road

Enabling the adventures of many a traveler. Including Marco Polo, who traveled across Asia between 1271 and 1295

All of this is well known to most well informed students of history

What is perhaps less well known are the missionary efforts that followed the opening up of the Silk route, and the efforts by Europeans to convert the Tartars (i.e. Mongols) to Christianity!

Efforts that failed

Mongol-Christian relations were sour at the start of this period circa 1250 largely because of the Mongol plunder in Poland, Hungary and much of Eastern Europe in 1241.

Back then the Mongol advance was stopped for reasons that are unclear

The commonly attributed reason is the death of the Great Khan Ogedei (the son of Genghis) in Mongolia) prompting the generals and armies to return to Mongolia

But at any rate, this is an interesting "What-if" for counter-factual historians

How different would the history of the world have been, if the Mongols had not retreated in the winter of 1241-42, and continued their conquest in Europe?

So the "Western" attitude towards the Mongols / Tartars was not favorable circa 1250

What this meant was - the Western leaders lacked the foresight to align with Mongols to defeat the muslims when the opportunity presented itself in the 1250s-60s..

The Mongol general in Persia actually sent a communication to the King Louis IX of France, who was stationed in Cyprus on a Crusadic mission, offering help and collaboration

Had that alliance materialized, the Europeans could've shared the spoils of the Mongol over Turks / Arabs

It might have also given them a better chance to convert the Pagan Mongols to Christianity before Islam got to them.

But that opportunity was lost on account of the prejudice of the Christian leaders.

Pope Innocent IV among others were too intent on converting the Mongols to Christianity

Their pride came in the way of an alliance with the pagans. And as a result a strong alliance between Mongol power and Europe did not materialize

An interesting communication between Mongol powers and Christian leaders that highlights how the opportunity was messed up -

Letter extract from Guyuk Khan to Pope Innocent IV in 1246

Pope Innocent's response to the Mongol commander in Persia a couple of years later ran like this -

"Better that you humble yourself before Christ, and recognize His great forbearance, Who for so long has endured your destructive actions"

This intransigence meant that Mongols went their own way...and the West lost an ally in its fight against Islam

It also greatly hurt the prospects of Christianity in Asia

The Pope did exert himself in trying to convert Mongols to Christianity through diplomatic measures

E.g. He sent an emissary of his - a Franciscan friar named John of Pian de Carpine (an old associate of St Francis of Assisi) to the court of Great Khan (Kuyuk Khan) in 1245

But these emissaries were not conciliatory. But tried to take the moral high-ground against the Mongols. Not a good tactic

E.g. The essence of Pope's message to the Great Khan was - "You've killed so many Christians. Please repent. And embrace the faith of Jesus Christ"

The Great Khan was not persuaded naturally.

More diplomatic efforts of a similar nature followed but to no avail

Europe did benefit from the Mongol rise, from the opening of long-closed overland routes.

It enabled the great adventures of Marco Polo

And we may legitimately ask - If there had been no Marco Polo, would there have been enough inspiration for a Columbus 2 centuries later?

But Europe did not capitalize by striking an alliance with pagans. Their pride obstructed their own self-interest.

It meant the loss of Mongols to Muslims...following the pivotal conversion of Ghazan, the great-grandson of Hulagu Khan in 1295

Following the decline of Mongols, and the re-emergence of Muslim power under Ottommons in 14th century, the great era of open overland trade drew to a close.

The Silk road was now closed again

Asia had to await 2 more centuries for direct intercourse with Europe

Post-script :

References used for this thread -

The Discoverers - Daniel Boorstin
The Mongol Mission - edited by Christopher Dawson