Christianity in China, Tartary and Thibet/Volume 1
CHRISTIANITY
IN
CHINA, TARTARY, AND THIBET.
VOL. I.
London:
Printed by Spottiswoode & Co.
New-street Square.
CHRISTIANITY
IN
CHINA, TARTARY, AND THIBET.
BY
M. L'ABBÉ HUC,
FORMERLY MISSIONARY APOSTOLIC IN CHINA;
AUTHOR OF "THE CHINESE EMPIRE," ETC.
IN TWO VOLUMES.
VOL. I.
FROM THE APOSTLESHIP OF ST. THOMAS TO THE
DISCOVERY OF THE CAPE OF GOOD HOPE.
LONDON:
LONGMAN, BROWN, GREEN, LONGMANS, & ROBERTS.
1857.
CONTENTS
OF
THE FIRST VOLUME.
The Doctrine of the Redemption of Men diffused over the whole World The Preaching of the Jewish Nation. — Indian Poets. — Virgil. — The Sibyls. — Extract from the " Annals of China." — The World in Expectation of the Messiah. — Legend of the Apostleship of St. Thomas. — Proofs of the Preaching of St. Thomas in India. — Archaeological Proofs. — Medal of King Gondaphorus. — Probability of the Apostleship of St. Thomas in China.— Frequent Relations between the East and the West at the Commencement of the Christian Era. — Consequences of these Relations. — St. Pantenus and other Missionaries in the East. —Nestorian and Catholic Preachers in China |
Discovery of the famous Inscription of Si-gnan-Fou. — Translation of this Inscription. — State of the Chinese Empire at the Epoch of the Erection of this Monument. — Influx of Foreigners into China under the Dynasty of Thang. — Critical Study of the Inscription of Si-gnan-Fou. — Native Country of Olopen and other Missionaries to China in the seventh Century. — Syriac Characters. — Nestorian Doctrine. — Objections of Voltaire and Milne to the Authenticity of the Inscription. — Refutation of them. — The Authenticity of the Monument proved by Chinese Writers. — Ancient and modern Books. — Simple Faith of the Missionaries.— Inference |
Religious Movement in the Chinese Empire. — Tolerance and Scepticism of the Chinese. — Propagation of Christianity in China. —First Metropolitans — Progress of Proselytism. — Details drawn from Arab Literature. — Curious Passage in a Book entitled "The Chain of Chronicles." — Revolution in China. — Massacre of the Christians. — Arab Writers and Marco Polo. — Missionaries sent to China in the tenth Century. — Notice of Prester John. — Letter of this curious Personage to the Emperor of Constantinople. — Letter of Pope Alexander III. to Prester John. — Conversion of a Khan and a Tribe of Keraites in the eleventh Century. — Numerous Conquests of this Mongol Tribe. — Origin of the Legend of Prester John. — Ung-Khan, the last Sovereign of the Keraites |
A French Missionary in Tartary. — Tchinguiz-Khan proclaimed Sovereign of the Tartars. — Character of this famous Conqueror. — His Conquests. — His Death. — His religious Faith. — Election of his Successor. — Tartar Invasion of Georgia — of Armenia. — Gregory IX. and the Queen Rhouzoudan. — Invasion of Poland. — Saint Hyacinth. — Battle of Liegnitz. — Ravages of the Mongols in Poland and Russia. — Frederic Barbarossa. — St. Louis and Queen Blanche. — Bela IV. King of Hungary. — Adventures of the Canon of Vavadin. — Gregory IX. preaches a Crusade against the Tartars. — Gregory IX. and Frederic Barbarossa. — Religion of the Mongol Tartars. — Innocent IV. at the Council-General of Lyons. — Decree that Missionary Ambassadors shall be sent to the
Tartars |
Embassy of John de Piano Carpini. — Arrival at the Camp of Batou.— Letter of Pope Innocent IV. to the Tartars. — The Ambassador of the Holy See to the Golden Horde. — Election of the Grand Khan of the Tartars. — Couyouk proclaimed Emperor. — Audience of Piano Carpini. — The Ambassadors prepare to quit the Imperial Horde. — Letter of the Tartar Emperor to the Pope. —Return of Piano Carpini to Europe. — Innocent appoints him Archbishop of Antivari. — Embassy of Brother Anselm to the Camp of the Tartars in Persia. — Interview of the French Missionaries with the Tartar Officers. — Proposal to flay and impale them. — Discussion of the Supremacy of the Pope and the Khan. — Renown of French Valour among the Tartars. —Departure of the Monks Letter of the Tartar Lieutenant. — Manifesto of the Grand Khan. — St. Louis receives in Cyprus two Envoys from Iltchikadai Letter of the Tartar Prince. — Narrative of the Constable of Armenia. — St. Louis sends an Embassy to reply to Iltchikadai Its Ill-success and Return |
State of Christianity among the Mongols. — Rubruk, the new Ambassador of St. Louis to Tartary. — Manners of the Tartars.— Hardships and Miseries of the Route. — Camp of Sartak. — The Monks at the Court of Batou. — They proceed to the Imperial Court of Mangou-Khan. — Incidents of the Journey. — The Grand Khan gives Audience to the Envoys of St. Louis. — Singular Mixture of Religions among the Tartars. — Aspect of Kara-Koroum. — Solemn Discussion among the Missionaries. — The Buddhists and the Mussulmans. — The French Missionaries quit the Court of the Emperor of Tartary. — Letter of Mangou-Khan to St. Louis. — Return of Rubruk to France |
Institution of the Society of Brother Travellers for Jesus Christ. — Journey of King Hay ton in Tartary. — The Negotiations. — Houlagou leads his Army towards Jerusalem. — Destruction of the Order of the Assassins. — End of the Caliphate of Bagdad. — The Tartars draw near to the Christians. — Alexander III. deters Bela, King of Hungary, from forming an Alliance with the Mongols. — The Forty-nine Martyrs of Sandomir. — Houlagou and Nassir. — Houlagou and Alexander IV. — Strife between the Mongols and the Christians of Sidon. — Defeat of the Tartars in Egypt. — Kublai, the Grand Khan of the Tartars. — Change of Policy. — Death of Houlagou. — Marriage of his Son Abaga with the Daughter of Michael Palæologus. — Abaga and Clement IV. — Tartar Ambassadors at Lyons. — They go to England. — Mission of the two Vassilli. — Nicholas III. sends Missionaries and Letters to China and Tartary |
Nestorian Propagandism in High Asia. — The Apostate Ahmed. — Argoun, Khan of Persia. — His Letter to Honorius IV. — Letters of Nicholas IV. to Argoun. — Queen of Touktan. — . Argoun and Philip the Fair. — News from the Mission in China. — Conversion of several Tartar Princes. — Letter of the Pope to Gazan, Son of Argoun. — His Wife and Child condemned to be burnt alive. — Attempts at Alliance between the Tartars and Christians. — Empire of Kublai. — Religions of China. — Confucius. — Lao-tze.—Buddha |
Kublai-Khan favours the Christians. — He sends the Venetian Brothers Polo to the Sovereign Pontiff. — The two Venetians return to China accompanied by young Marco Polo. — Their Journey. — Residence of Marco Polo in China His Return to Venice The Narrative of Marco Polo. — His Account of Christianity in China. — The Apostleship of John of Monte Corvino. — His Letters to the Monks of his Order. — Persecutions raised against him. — Clement V. sends seven Bishops to China. — They consecrate Monte Corvino Archbishop of Pekin. — An Armenian Lady builds a Church at Han-Tcheou-Fou Letter of Andre de Perouse.—Numerous Missionaries in China.—Oderic de Friuli.— His Journey from the Indies to China with the Bones of four Martyrs His Apostleship in China — In Tartary — In Thibet.— His Return to Pisa. — Account of his Death |
Christianity amongst the Tartars of Persia. — Correspondence of Khan Œuldjaitou with Philip the Fair, Edward I., and Clement V. — 2. Usbeck and the Province of Kiptchak. — Erection of the Archiepiscopal See of Soultaniye. — 3. Zeal of Pope John XXII. for the Propagation of the Faith. — Death of the Archbishop of Pekin, John de Monte Corvino. — Departure of Missionaries for China. — 4. Apostasy and Martyrdom of Stephen of Hungary. — 5. Mission of Pekin. — Progress of Christianity in China, and in the Steppes of Tartary. — Narrative of Pascal of Spain. — 6. Violent Persecution of the Christians of Tartary. — Revolution in China The Missions are desolated Tamerlane. — His religious Principles. — Christianity eclipsed in Upper Asia |