1) The History of the Life and Travels of Rabban Sawma (also in the mid 1200s)
2) William of Rubruck’s Account of the Mongols (1253-1255 CE)
3) ‘The Han Koong Tsu, or Autumn of the Palace of Han’
Professor Anooshahr will contextualize these readings during his Tuesday and Thursday lectures, so I highly recommend you to attend the lectures in order to respond to these questions. Remember that these two historical figures Rabban Sawma and William of Rubruck were travelers across Medieval Europe and the Eurasian empire of the Mongols, respectively. Sawma was a monk traveling from the East to the West and gives a perspective of the West. While, William of Rubruck was a figure from the Crusades who travelled across the Mongolian empire. They shared a similar time-period and it would be fruitful for you to compare their experiences to reflect on the similarities and distinctions in their representation of the Eurasian world.
For this week, you have to answer THREE questions within 250 words (Total): (Answer all questions)
1) Explain from the account of Rabban Sawma what kind of a description do you get of the medieval world.
2) Use the account of William of Rubruck to explain what views of the Mongols you get from it.
3) What does the Han Koong Tsew demonstrate about the Chinese view of the Mongols?