Reinterpreting encounters: comparative study of William of Rubruck's travelogue and Sri Lankan inscriptions in medieval road contexts

Abstract

This study explores medieval inter-cultural encounters by critically comparing Sri Lankan inscriptions with William of Rubruck’s 13th-century travel report, using Sanjay Subrahmanyam’s ‘Connected History’ theoretical approach. It examines how both sources construct and perceive foreigners as the ‘‘Other’’ within their political and cultural contexts. Sri Lankan epigraphic records reveal the island’s active role in Indian Ocean trade, diplomacy, and cross-cultural alliances. Rubruck’s travelogue, by contrast, reflects a Western Franciscan worldview encountering the Mongol empire. By placing these historical records in conversation, this study emphasizes the interconnectedness of Eurasian societies, offers a comparative reinterpretation of cross-cultural representations, and underscores the importance of analyzing such encounters as interrelated discursive constructions rather than as historically isolated representations.