Giovanni da Pian del Carpine

John de Plano Carpini (also Giovanni Piano Carpini or Giovanni da Pian del Carpini, * to 1185 in Fian dei Carpini, today Magione, near Perugia, in Umbria; † August 1, 1252 in Bar, Montenegro ) was an Italian Franciscan who mainly became known for his trip to Mongolia awareness.

• 3.1 Werkausgaben
• 3.2 secondary literature

Life

As a missionary in Europe

John was a disciple and companion of St. Francis of Assisi and worked in the 1220ern as a missionary and organizer of Franciscanism in Germany. There he founded several monasteries in the Rhineland and Saxony. In 1222 he went as a missionary to Tunis in 1225 and to the Iberian peninsula. Since 1228, he headed the Provinces Teutonia and Saxonia, his missionary work, he extended ever further to the east.

On mission to the Great Khan

1245 IV was entrusted with a mission to Ukraine John de Plano Carpini from Pope Innocent, which was then occupied by the Mongols. In addition to the mission, he should also visit as head of an embassy to the Mongol Great Khan. Diplomatic background was that after the devastating Mongol invasion of 1241 further military expeditions to Europe should be excluded while Innocent IV tried to gain as an ally against the advancing Islam and to ensure the Crusader States, the Mongols.

On Easter 1245 he left Lyon, passed through Bohemia and Silesia to the present occupied by the Mongols Kiev on the Dnieper River and from there to the Don. Here we went to the Volga, by the newly - formed Mongol Empire of the Golden Horde to the Ural River, the Silk Road to the Djungarian lakes and from there into the center of the Mongol Empire. When we came across the river Orkhon Inthronisationslager the Mongols, who were just about to appoint after the death of his predecessor and an intermediate reign a new Great Khan. In August 1246 Johannes attended the enthronement of the new Khan Goyiik and only four months later, he was granted an audience in the yurt camp. Karakorum he did not attend, but he heard of it, as is clear from a remark that " no settlements and no towns " find the Mongols, " except one, of which it says that it was quite respectable, the Karakoram is called. We ourselves have not seen them, but we have approached us within half a day's journey of these "

In said audience in the yurt camp Johannes de Plano Carpini should have the new Khan to hand over a letter brought Pope, which invited the Mongol ruler, bring the fighting to his troops against the Christians. Whether he has the letter in fact handed over or under this had better tactical consideration is ultimately not delivered. Since the unsolicited appearance of an enemy delegation to Mongolian tradition for the Khan meant that you would submit to him, he sends this delegation after receiving a letter from his side back. In this document he called the Pope now with an added, hidden threat to on, come along with the other kings without delay to him to personally submit to him.

The diplomatic objectives of the mission were therefore not achieved, but because of his travelogue " quos nos Tartaros Ystoria Mongolorum appellamus " which lit up the culture and customs of the Mongols for the first time, the mission, at least in scientific terms, was a success.

Regarding the question whether Christian peoples are to be found in the Empire of the Mongols, he reported from the Christian Central Asian Turkic Uighur, which had been conquered by Genghis Khan: "These people are Christians of the sect of the Nestorians " He mentions yet another of Genghis Khan partially downed, prosperous people, probably Chinese, who have a special font: the " Kytai ". They were pagans, but believe in Jesus Christ, even though they were not baptized. " You wear a beard and resemble the face cut quite the Mongal, but they do not have quite as wide faces. " Empire of the legendary Prester John but he suspected in India ( Thomas Christians? ): " Another son sent Chingis Khan with an army against the Indians. ... He also led an army into battle against the Christians living in Greater India. As the king of that country, which is popularly called Prester John heard, he moved them with an army against ... ".

Return

In 106 days of John put about 3000 English miles, or about 4800 km back. On All Saints in 1247, the company was back in Lyon and John de Plano Carpini reported to the Pope verbally a detailed trip report. It is not known with certainty whether the letter of the Great Khan to the Pope this was actually delivered.

Last years in Europe

Back in Europe, John de Plano Carpini was appointed in 1248 to the Archbishop of Bar in Montenegro today, where he was able to prevail against I. Metropolitan claims from Dubrovnik, with the support of the Serbian King Stefan Uroš. Carpini died on August 1, 1252, about 65 years old.

His works contain valuable information about the old Ukraine, and in particular a description of contemporary Kiev.

Works

• Liber Tartarorum
• Ystoria Mongolorum quos nos Tartaros appelamus