Place
Kathay
Today Cathay (North China)
Two travelers wrote about Kathay between 1245 and 1255. Here is what each of them saw, in the order they were there.
- 1245–1247
The Voyage of John of Plano Carpini
Cathay — northern China, lately conquered by the Mongols. Carpini reports its people as skilled craftsmen and 'most excellent' artisans, kindly and civilised, from whom the Mongols drew much of their wealth and arts.
…strength of his subjects, and the Naymani, united with the Cara-Cathayans, gathered a mighty army in a certain narrow valley to oppose him, in which a great battle…Listen from here · chapter 9, 1:27…Zingis and his people had rested some time after their conquest of Cathay, he divided his army, and sent one of his sons, named Thosut-khan, against the Comanians,…Listen from here · chapter 11, 0:03 - 1253–1255
The Journal of William of Rubruck
Cathay — northern China, then ruled by the Mongols. Rubruck reports its people as skilled craftsmen who write with a brush and pay in paper money, and rightly guesses they are the 'Seres' of the ancient silk trade.
…where I found Mangukhan, it is twenty days journey south-east to Kathay, and ten days journey right east to Oman Kerule, the original country of the Moal and of…Listen from here · chapter 38, 0:48He told me that on certain high; craggy rocks in the east of Kathay there dwelt certain creatures like men, not above a cubit long, and all hairy, who leapt…Listen from here · chapter 38, 2:17
Hear every account in full
Each book here is narrated end to end on Sonsoo, a small audiobook library of Mongolia and Central Asia. Listening is invitation only.
Request an invitation