1 Letter Exchange between Pope Innocent IV and Güyük Kha.docx

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Letter Exchange between Pope Innocent IV and Güyük Khan
(1245-1246)

In the late 1230s, the Mongols began raiding Eastern Europe, besieging, conquering and sacking cities and
towns, and slaughtering their populations. Between 1236 and 1242, their military campaigns had
wrought major devastations across Russia, Poland, Hungary and the Balkans. Polish forces sought to stop
the Mongol onslaught but were crushed at Liegnitz/Legnica (April 9th, 1241); the Hungarian army met the
same fate a few days later, at the Battle of Mohi (April 11th, 1241). The Mongol victories opened up
Central Europe to Mongol raids, leading to even more destruction, displacement and massacres. These
developments terrified Western political and religious leaders. Although the Mongols withdrew from
most of the Balkans and Central Europe soon afterwards (as a result of internal struggles within their
empire), the shock of their brutal invasions and conquests remained. Seeking to gauge the intentions of
the conquerors and convince them to cease their invasion of the West, Pope Innocent IV (1243-1254) sent
an embassy with two letters to the Mongol Khan Güyük. Below are excerpts from the second papal letter
and the khan’s response.


Pope Innocent IV to Güyük Khan:

[...] It is not without cause that we are driven to express in strong terms our amazement that you have

invaded many countries belonging both to Christians and to others, and are laying them waste in a horrible

desolation, and with a fury still unabated you do not cease from stretching out your destroying hand to

more distant lands, but, breaking the bond of natural ties, sparing neither sex nor age, you rage against all
indiscriminately with the sword of chastisement.

We, therefore, following the example of the King of Peace [i.e. Jesus Christ], and desiring that all men

should live united in concord in the fear of God, do admonish, beg and earnestly beseech all of you that for

the future you desist entirely from assaults of this kind and especially from the persecution of Christians,

and that after so many and such grievous offenses you conciliate by a fitting penance the wrath of Divine

Majesty, which without doubt you have seriously aroused by such provocation. Nor should you be

emboldened to commit further savagery by the fact that when the sword of your might has raged against

other men Almighty God has up to the present allowed various nations to fall before your face. For

sometimes He refrains from chastising the proud in this world for the moment, for this reason, that if they

neglect to humble themselves of their own accord He may not only no longer put off the punishment of
their wickedness in this life but may also take greater vengeance in the world to come.

On this account we have thought fit to send to you our beloved son [the Franciscan Giovanni DiPlano

Carpini] and his companions the bearers of this letter, men remarkable for their religious spir ...

1. 1


Letter Exchange between Pope Innocent IV and Güyük Khan
(1245-1246)

In the late 1230s, the Mongols began raiding Eastern Europe,
besieging, conquering and sacking cities and
towns, and slaughtering their populations. Between 1236 and
1242, their military campaigns had
wrought major devastations across Russia, Poland, Hungary and
the Balkans. Polish forces sought to stop
the Mongol onslaught but were crushed at Liegnitz/Legnica
(April 9th, 1241); the Hungarian army met the
same fate a few days later, at the Battle of Mohi (April 11th,
1241). The Mongol victories opened up
Central Europe to Mongol raids, leading to even more
destruction, displacement and massacres. These
developments terrified Western political and religious leaders.
Although the Mongols withdrew from
most of the Balkans and Central Europe soon afterwards (as a
result of internal struggles within their
empire), the shock of their brutal invasions and conquests
remained. Seeking to gauge the intentions of
the conquerors and convince them to cease their invasion of the
West, Pope Innocent IV (1243-1254) sent
an embassy with two letters to the Mongol Khan Güyük. Below
are excerpts from the second papal letter
and the khan’s response.


Pope Innocent IV to Güyük Khan:

2. [...] It is not without cause that we are driven to express in
strong terms our amazement that you have

invaded many countries belonging both to Christians and to
others, and are laying them waste in a horrible

desolation, and with a fury still unabated you do not cease from
stretching out your destroying hand to

more distant lands, but, breaking the bond of natural ties,
sparing neither sex nor age, you rage against all
indiscriminately with the sword of chastisement.

We, therefore, following the example of the King of Peace [i.e.
Jesus Christ], and desiring that all men

should live united in concord in the fear of God, do admonish,
beg and earnestly beseech all of you that for

the future you desist entirely from assaults of this kind and
especially from the persecution of Christians,

and that after so many and such grievous offenses you
conciliate by a fitting penance the wrath of Divine

Majesty, which without doubt you have seriously aroused by
such provocation. Nor should you be

emboldened to commit further savagery by the fact that when
the sword of your might has raged against

other men Almighty God has up to the present allowed various
nations to fall before your face. For

sometimes He refrains from chastising the proud in this world

3. for the moment, for this reason, that if they

neglect to humble themselves of their own accord He may not
only no longer put off the punishment of
their wickedness in this life but may also take greater
vengeance in the world to come.

On this account we have thought fit to send to you our beloved
son [the Franciscan Giovanni DiPlano

Carpini] and his companions the bearers of this letter, men
remarkable for their religious spirit, comely in

their virtue and gifted with the knowledge of the Holy
Scripture. Receive them kindly and treat them with

honor out of reverence for God, indeed as if receiving us in
their persons, and deal honestly with them in

those matters of which they will speak to you on our behalf.
And when you have had profitable discussions

with them concerning the aforesaid affairs, especially those
pertaining to peace, make fully known to us

through these same Friars what moved you to destroy other
nations and what your intentions are for the

future, furnishing them with a safe-conduct and other
necessities on both their outward and return journey,
so that they can safely make their way back to our presence
when they wish.

Lyons, 13th March 1245

***

4. 2


Güyük Khan to Pope Innocent IV:


We, by the power of the Eternal God, the Universal Khan of all
the nations, command the following:

If this reaches peoples who have made their submission, let
them respect and stand in awe of it.

This is a directive sent to the great Pope; may he know and pay
heed. The petition of the assembly

convened in your lands has been heard from your emissaries.


If the bearer of this petition reaches you with his own report,
you, who are the Great Pope, together with all

the princes, must come in person to serve us. At that time, I
shall make known all the commands of our

people.


Furthermore, you have said it would be well for us to become
Christians. You write to me in person about

this matter, and have addressed to me a request to this effect.

5. This, your request, we cannot understand.


You have written me these words: “You have attacked all the
territories of the Magyars and other

Christians, at which I am astonished. Tell me, what was their
crime?” These, your words, we likewise

cannot understand.


Chinggis Khan and Ogatai Khakan carried out the commands of
Heaven, that all the world should be

subordinated to the Mongols. But those whom you name would
not believe the commands of Heaven.

Those of whom you speak showed themselves highly
presumptuous and slew our envoys. Therefore, in

accordance with the commands of the Eternal Heaven, the
inhabitants of the aforesaid countries have been

slain and annihilated. If not by the commands of Heaven, how
can anyone slay or conquer out of his own

strength?


And when you say: “I am a Christian. I pray to God. I reject
other gods,” how do you know who is pleasing

to God, whom He would favor and on whom He would exercise
mercy? How can you know it, that you

6. dare to express such an opinion?


Through the decision of the Eternal Heaven, all lands from the
rising of the sun to its setting have been

given to us and we own them. How could anyone achieve
anything if not in accordance with the commands

of Heaven? Now, however, you must say with a sincere heart:
“We will become subject to you, and will

place our powers at your disposal.”


You, in person, at the head of the [European] monarchs - all of
you, without exception - must come to pay

homage to me and to serve me. Then we shall take note of your
submission. If, however, you do not obey

the commands of Heaven and act against our command, we shall
know that you are our enemies.


This is what we have to tell you. If you fail to act in accordance
therewith, how can we foresee what will

happen to you? Heaven alone knows.


Written at the end of Jumada II 644 of the Hijra/November 1246



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7. encounter-letter-exchange-between-
pope-innocent-iv-and-guyuk-khan-in-1245-1246/

[Christopher Dawson ed., The Mongol Mission: Narratives and
Letters of the Franciscan Missionaries in
Mongolia and China in the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Centuries
(New York, 1955) 75-76]



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encounter-letter-exchange-between-pope-innocent-iv-and-
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