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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;dltsrq, post: 8167807, member: 75482&quot;]There were ongoing diplomatic relations between the Mongol Empire and Western Christendom, particularly with the Papacy. The Mongol Empire was the largest contiguous state the world has ever known, stretching from Budapest in the West to the Pacific in East. This unprecedented consolidation of such as vast area under a single political authority resulted in what is known as the Pax Mongolica, allowing safe trade and travel along the Silk Road. Many Europeans were involved in the Silk Road trade and as Christian missionaries throughout Persia, Central Asia and China. At the time that Arghun&#039;s letter was sent, Marco Polo was in the diplomatic service of the Great Khan Kublai. As another example, John of Montecorvino, archbishop of Beijing, translated the New Testament into Mongolian around this time. While literacy rates in the late 13th century were quite low by modern standards, Western European courts surely had access to individuals with the ability to translate Mongolian and other important diplomatic languages.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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