1. Write about cross-cultural interactions in the premodern world
Friar John of Pian de Carpine and William of Rubruck each provide a description of a
Mongol court. In an essay of 600 to 1200 words, explore their descriptions to make an
argument about cross-cultural interactions in the premodern world. In the end, you should
persuade your reader, through your thoughtful analysis of the historical evidence, that the
Mongol empire shaped cross-cultural exchange and interaction in critical ways. When
organizing your ideas and drafting your essay, follow these guidelines: 1. Build your
analysis using the course materials. The basis of your essay should be the primary source
material found at the end of Unit 10 under “Unit 10 Resources.” By all means, take the ideas
and evidence offered in the videos (and please note that we have provided transcripts of the
videos as well.) This information will provide context for the primary resources. *DO NOT
base your observations on other evidence that you locate on the web or elsewhere.
Remember, a big part of this essay is showing us your mastery of the course material we
have assigned.* 2. After reviewing the material from Week 10, use both primary sources to
make a persuasive case for the Mongol empire’s role in shaping cross-cultural exchange and
interaction. While you want to show that you understand the larger trends in the material,
take the time to explore in depth these specific sources. 3. When you refer to specific
historical evidence (which should be something you do frequently throughout the essay),
indicate, in parentheses, the location in the course materials of the evidence. 4. Do not
simply copy what we (or anyone else) have said. If you do, use quotation marks to indicate
that the words were written by someone else and be sure to indicate your source for the
quotation in parentheses#Write #crosscultural #interactions #premodern #world