The Monks of Kublai Khan, or History of the Life and Travels of Rabon Salma
Book •
This work is the English translation and publication of Rabban Bar-Salma's travel memoirs, translated by E. A. Wallace Budge and published in the early 20th century, which made the monk's narrative accessible to Western audiences.
The volume includes Bar-Salma's detailed recounting of his pilgrimage from Mongol China to Jerusalem and his subsequent travels to European courts as a Mongol envoy, offering rare firsthand perspectives on cross-cultural medieval diplomacy.
Budge's translation played a key role in reviving interest in Asian Christian histories and Nestorian interactions with the Mongol Empire.
While some of Budge's editorial practices reflect the scholarly conventions of his time, the translation remains an important source for historians studying Eurasian connections in the 13th century.
The book forms the basis for many modern discussions of Bar-Salma and his designation as the 'reverse Marco Polo.
'
The volume includes Bar-Salma's detailed recounting of his pilgrimage from Mongol China to Jerusalem and his subsequent travels to European courts as a Mongol envoy, offering rare firsthand perspectives on cross-cultural medieval diplomacy.
Budge's translation played a key role in reviving interest in Asian Christian histories and Nestorian interactions with the Mongol Empire.
While some of Budge's editorial practices reflect the scholarly conventions of his time, the translation remains an important source for historians studying Eurasian connections in the 13th century.
The book forms the basis for many modern discussions of Bar-Salma and his designation as the 'reverse Marco Polo.
'
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Scott Rank
Explorers Who Pushed the Boundary of the Known World, Part 1: Rabban Bar Sauma (1220-1294) – the Reverse Marco Polo
