The Mongol capital remained very rich and a hub for merchants and envoys from all corners of the globe; it was not unusual to see an Indian dignitary parading down the street with a train of horses carrying grayhounds or leopards on their backs. It was also a home to a smattering of western and Christian expatriates: a Nestorian Christian who served as Möngke’s private secretary, a Parisian called William Buchier who worked as a court goldsmith,
