(^3) Tibetans
Although Kublai was careful to respect
Chinese traditions, he had a strong
preference for Tibetan Buddhism and
appointed several lamas, Buddhist
priests of Tibet, to direct religious affairs
in China. Locals resisted their influence
and accused them of arrogance and
corruption. Resentment grew strong
among Chinese Buddhists during
the Yuan dynasty, and many monks
participated in the revolts that would
overthrow it in 1368.
(^4) Westerners
Europeans arrived in the Mongol Empire, such as the
Venetian traders Niccolò and Maffeo Polo, the missionary
Giovanni da Pian del Carpini, and the French ambassador
William of Rubrouck. Europeans gained influence at the
Mongol court; the trader Marco Polo (son of Niccolò) was
sent by Kublai on many missions throughout Asia and
may have even served as a tax collector.
4
A BODHISATTVA,
BUDDHISTS BELIEVE,
IS A PERSON ON THE
PATH TO BECOMING
A BUDDHA. BRONZE
BODHISATTVA,
YUAN DYNASTY.
ASHMOLEAN
MUSEUM, OXFORD,
ENGLAND
THE POLO
BROTHERS OFFER A
BIBLE AND CRUCIFIX
TO KUBLAI KHAN.
15TH-CENTURY
MINIATURE.
BRIDGEMAN/ACI
BRIDGEMAN/ACI
brent
(Brent)
#1