Marco Polo
Marco Polo (born around 1254 – died 8 January 1324) was a Venetian merchant, explorer, and writer. He traveled across Asia using the famous Silk Road between 1271 and 1295. His amazing adventures are written down in a book called The Travels of Marco Polo (also known as Book of the Marvels of the World or Il Milione), which came out around 1300.
This book gave Europeans their first detailed look into the mysterious Eastern world, including the huge and wealthy Mongol Empire and China under the Yuan dynasty. It described places like China, Persia (modern-day Iran), India, and Japan, which were largely unknown to Europeans at the time.
Marco was born in Venice. He learned how to be a merchant from his father, Niccolò Polo, and his uncle, Maffeo, who had already traveled through Asia and even met Kublai Khan, the powerful Mongol ruler. In 1269, Niccolò and Maffeo returned to Venice and met Marco for the first time.
In 1271, the three of them began an incredible journey to Asia. They explored many places along the Silk Road until they reached "Cathay" (China). Kublai Khan was very impressed by Marco's intelligence and humble nature. Marco was chosen to work for Kublai as a foreign ambassador, meaning he traveled on many important missions throughout the empire and Southeast Asia. He visited places like modern-day Myanmar, India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam.
Marco lived in China for 17 years, seeing many things that Europeans had never known about. Around 1291, the Polos offered to go with the Mongol princess Kököchin to Persia. They arrived there around 1293. After leaving the princess, they traveled overland to Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul) and then finally back to Venice in 1295, after 24 years away!
When they returned, Venice was at war with Genoa. Marco joined the fight for Venice and was captured by the Genoese. While in prison, he told the stories of his travels to a cellmate named Rustichello da Pisa, who wrote them down. Marco was released in 1299, became a rich merchant, got married, and had three children. He died in 1324 and was buried in the church of San Lorenzo in Venice.
Even though he wasn't the very first European to reach China, Marco Polo was the first to write such a detailed account of his experiences. His book gave Europeans a clear picture of the geography and cultures of the East. It also included the first Western descriptions of things like porcelain, gunpowder, paper money, and some unique Asian plants and animals. His stories inspired many future explorers, including Christopher Columbus. His writings also influenced European mapmaking, leading to important maps like the Catalan Atlas and the Fra Mauro map.
Marco Polo: The Famous Explorer
Early Life and Family
Marco Polo was born around 1254 in Venice, but the exact date and place aren't known for sure. His famous book, The Travels of Marco Polo, tells us some basic things about his family. It says that Marco's father, Niccolò Polo, who was a traveling merchant, came back to Venice around 1269. He found out that his wife, whom he had left pregnant, had died, leaving behind their 15-year-old son, Marco.
While most people agree Marco was born in Venice, some theories suggest he might have been born on the island of Korčula or in Constantinople. However, most experts don't believe these ideas.
Why Was He Called 'Milione'?
During his lifetime, Marco Polo was nicknamed Milione, which means 'Million' in Italian. The Italian title of his book was Il Libro di Marco Polo soprannominato Milione, meaning "The Book of Marco Polo, nicknamed 'Milione'". According to a writer from the 15th century, Giovanni Battista Ramusio, his fellow citizens gave him this nickname when he returned to Venice because he kept talking about Kublai Khan's wealth, saying it was counted in millions. More specifically, they called him Messer Marco Milioni (Mr. Marco Millions).
However, since his father Niccolò was also called Milione, some experts in the 19th century thought that Milione might have been a shorter version of Emilione. They believed this nickname was used to tell Niccolò's and Marco's family branch apart from other Polo families.
An Epic Journey to Asia
Marco's father, Niccolò Polo, and his uncle, Maffeo Polo, were successful merchants who traded with the Near East. They became very wealthy and respected. Before Marco was born, Niccolò and Maffeo went on a trading trip. In 1260, while living in Constantinople, they sensed political changes were coming. They sold their goods for jewels and moved away. According to The Travels of Marco Polo, they traveled through much of Asia and met Kublai Khan, the Mongol ruler and founder of the Yuan dynasty.
We don't know much about Marco Polo's childhood until he was fifteen. He likely spent part of it in Venice. His mother died, and an aunt and uncle raised him. He received a good education for a merchant, learning about foreign money, how to value goods, and how to manage cargo ships. He didn't learn much, if any, Latin. His father later married Floradise Polo.
In 1269, Niccolò and Maffeo returned to Venice and met young Marco for the first time. In 1271, when Marco was seventeen, he, his father, and his uncle set off for Asia on the incredible adventures that Marco later wrote about in his book.
They sailed to Acre and then rode camels to the Persian port of Hormuz. The Polos wanted to sail directly to China, but the ships there weren't safe for such a long journey. So, they continued overland along the Silk Road until they reached Kublai Khan's summer palace in Shangdu, near modern-day Zhangjiakou.
Meeting Kublai Khan
When they arrived, Marco was about 21 years old. Kublai Khan was very impressed by Marco's intelligence and humble attitude. He appointed Marco to serve as his foreign ambassador to places like India and Myanmar. Marco went on many important missions throughout Kublai's empire and in Southeast Asia, visiting places like modern-day Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam. He also entertained the Khan with stories and observations about the lands he saw. As part of this role, Marco traveled extensively within China, living in the emperor's lands for 17 years.
Kublai Khan didn't want the Polos to leave Europe at first, as he enjoyed their company and they were very useful to him. However, around 1291, he finally gave them permission. He gave the Polos one last important task: to accompany the Mongol princess Kököchin, who was going to marry Arghun Khan in Persia. When the Polos arrived in Persia, they learned that Arghun Khan had died, and Kököchin eventually married his son, Ghazan. After leaving the princess, the Polos traveled overland to Constantinople. From there, they finally returned home.
They arrived back in Venice in 1295, after 24 years away, bringing with them many riches and treasures. They had traveled almost 15,000 miles (24,000 km)!