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When Did Marco Polo start exploring?
1271Marco Polo's voyage began in 1271 when he traveled to Kublai Khan's court in China with his father and uncle. Marco was 17 years old.
Why did Marco Polo travel the Silk Road?
Among them was Marco Polo, a Venetian merchant who embarked on the Silk Road for trade and good fortune.
What country did Marco Polo explore for?
He first set out at age 17 with his father and uncle, traveling overland along what later became known as the Silk Road. Upon reaching China, Marco Polo entered the court of powerful Mongol ruler Kublai Khan, who dispatched him on trips to help administer the realm. Marco Polo remained abroad for 24 years.
Where Did Marco Polo start his journey?
VeniceMarco Polo was 17 or 18 when he began his journey from Venice to the farthest reaches of the Mongol empire.
What was Marco Polo looking for on the Silk Road?
Marco described the vast Asian trading network and, in particular, the thriving silk, iron, and salt industries. He also described the foreign concept of paper money as well as Chinese inventions such as porcelain pottery (China).
What did Marco Polo bring back from China along the Silk Road?
Marco Polo brought back the idea of paper money to Europe. The Chinese had been using paper money since 740 A.D.
How did Marco Polo affect trade?
The book Marco Polo wrote about his journey to China inspired the imagination of Europe. HIs descriptions of the wealth of China under the Tang dynasty of Kubala Kong amazed his European readers. This created a desire for direct trade with China. The Silk Road had been the only way to trade with China.
Why did the polos go to China in 1271?
Marco Polo's father and uncle traveled in 1260 throughout the Mongol empire, all the way to its capital in China. There they requested trade and missionary contacts. And on a second trip in 1271, carrying messages from the Pope, they took along young Marco, who was then only seventeen years old.
What was Marco Polo’s family like?
The Polos were likely shrewd, alert, and courageous; they traded with the Middle East and acquired considerable wealth and prestige. Marco Polo’s f...
What did Marco Polo do?
Marco Polo was 17 or 18 when he began his journey from Venice to the farthest reaches of the Mongol empire. Living among the emperor’s dominions, w...
Why was Marco Polo so influential?
Marco Polo’s account in Il milione opened new vistas to the European mind, and, as Western horizons expanded, Polo’s legacy grew as well. The wealt...
What were Marco Polo’s other accomplishments in Asia?
Kublai Khan sent Marco Polo on fact-finding missions to distant parts of the empire, including visits to Yunnan (and possibly Myanmar [Burma]) and...
Did Marco Polo really meet Kublai Khan?
Many of the details in Marco Polo's story can not be corroborated, however, it is believed he actually went to China and met Kublai Khan.
What route did Marco Polo take?
Marco Polo took an overland route to China from the Middle East through Central Asia. His return home utilized was by ship from China to Persia and...
What was Marco Polo's method of travel?
Marco Polo predominantly traveled overland either on camels or other livestock. However, he also sailed on many ships during his service to Kublai...
What did Marco Polo describe in his travels?
With the help of notes taken during his adventures, Marco Polo reverently described Kublai Khan and his palaces, along with paper money, coal, postal service, eyeglasses and other innovations that had not yet appeared in Europe.
What was Marco Polo's first journey?
Marco Polo: The Early Years. Marco Polo’s Travels Along the Silk Road. Marco Polo in Venice. Marco Polo (1254-1324) was a Venetian merchant believed to have journeyed across Asia at the height of the Mongol Empire. He first set out at age 17 with his father and uncle, traveling overland along what later became known as the Silk Road.
How long did Marco Polo stay abroad?
Marco Polo remained abroad for 24 years. Though not the first European to explore China—his father and uncle, among others, had already been there—he became famous for his travels thanks to a popular book he co-authored while languishing in a Genoese prison.
Where was Marco Polo born?
Marco Polo was born around 1254 into a prosperous merchant family in the Italian city-state of Venice. His father, Niccolò, and his uncle Maffeo had left the year before on a long-term trading expedition. As a result, he was raised by extended relatives following his mother’s death at a young age. Niccolò and Maffeo first spent about six years in Constantinople (now Istanbul, Turkey), which had been under Latin control since the Fourth Crusade of 1204. The two brothers then went to the port city of Soldaia (now Sudak, Ukraine), where they owned a house.
Where did the Polos go in the 19th century?
The friars quickly abandoned the expedition, but the Polos continued on, possibly by camel, to the Persian port city of Hormuz. Failing to find any boats to their liking, they instead took a series of overland traders’ routes that, in the 19th century, would become known as the Silk Road.
Where did the Polos go to?
The Polos, meanwhile, stayed on with Arghun’s brother for nine months before heading to Venice via Trebizond (now Trabzon, Turkey), Constantinople and Negrepont (now Euboea, Greece). They arrived home in 1295, the year after Kublai’s death sent the Mongol Empire into an irrevocable decline.
Who took Marco Polo into his court?
Kublai, who generally relied on foreigners to administer his empire, took Marco Polo into his court, possibly as a tax collector. At one point, the Venetian was sent on official business to the port city of Hangzhou (then called Quinsai), which, like Venice, was built around a series of canals. Marco Polo also purportedly journeyed across inland China and into present-day Myanmar.
What did Marco Polo do?
Marco Polo predominantly traveled overland either on camels or other livestock. However, he also sailed on many ships during his service to Kublai Khan and on his journey home.
When Did Marco Polo Travel?
Regardless, the Marco brother began their journey back to China in hopes of converting the ruling class and they decided to bring the young Marco Polo along. _When Marco Polo traveled he was one of the youngest people to ever venture so far in the pre-modern world.
Why did the Polos wait for a new Pope to be elected?
In Acre, the Polos waited for a new Pope to be elected in order to bring along the Christian intellectuals Kublai Khan requested. They also wanted to provide Khan with a letter from the Pope to establish a relationship between the two influential leaders. Once a pope was elected, they began their journey further east.
What did Marco Polo ask Khan for?
1292: Marco Polo asks Khan for permission to go home and is tasked as his final mission to take Kublai Khan's daughter to Persia so she may marry into the royal family.
Why did Marco Polo write the book The Travels of Marco Polo?
Rustichello was sent to the same prison for different offenses, and these two began to talk. Marco Polo started telling him about the twenty-four years he has spent traveling around the known world. Because this was so interesting, Rustichello decided to write down everything Marco Polo told him so that this incredible journey would not be forgotten. The Book Rustichello wrote was called The Travels of Marco Polo.
Why was Marco Polo important to the world?
Marco Polo's travel route was significant because it helped to open the flow of goods and ideas from east to west. Europe was in a period called the Middle Ages, however, because the Mongolian Empire had control of China, inventions such as the compass and gunpowder could eventually make their way to Western Europe.
What empire did Marco Polo's father and uncle visit?
As part of the effort to expand Venetian trade further east, Marco Polo's father and uncle made their way east and sought to reach the capital of the vast Mongolian Empire, Shangdu. This empire was heavily influential in Europe so if the Venetians could establish a relationship with them, they could increase their trade monopoly in Italy and the Mediterranean.
Why did Marco Polo travel?
Marco Polo was motivated to travel widely to many parts of the world because he was excited by the stories of his merchant father and uncle. Further, the Polos had financial reasons for their travels. Marco Polo also served as a traveling representative for Kublai Khan for many years, studying the cultures of the Mongol empire.
What were Marco Polo's father and uncle's motivations for their journeys?
They were merchants who wanted to trade for exotic goods they could bring home and sell for large amounts of money, and that is exactly what they did. The famous Silk Road was at the heart of their travels, as was the Mediterranean Sea.
What did Marco Polo do?
The Travels of Marco Polo, dictated by him, described Chinese politics, economy, and culture in detail , which greatly aroused the desire of westerner to go to China and had a great effect on the European navigation.
What did Marco Polo see in the desert?
Marco Polo was attracted by beautiful Kashgar and Hetian famed for its jade. Then they traversed Taklimakan Desert, arrived in Dunhuang and visited the Mogao Grottoes, noted for Buddhist sculptures and frescos.
How old was Polo when he went to China?
Long and Difficult Journey to China. In 1271, when he was 17 years old his dream came true. With a letter in reply from the new Pope Gregory X, and with valuable gifts, the Polos set out eastwards from Venice on their second trip to China.
Where was Marco Polo born?
Marco Polo was born in a merchant family in Venice in 1254. His father and uncle often traded into the west coast of Mediterranean Sea. On one fortuitous occasion, they went to China and met with Kublai Khan, an emperor of the Yuan Dynasty. In 1269, they returned to Venice with a letter Kublai Khan had written to Pope Clement IV. In fact, Clement IV had died the year before, and a new pope had not yet been appointed.
When did Marco Polo arrive in Venice?
The information about China and some Asian states they brought back, aroused great interest among the Venetians. In 1298 AD, Marco Polo joined in the war between Venice and Genoa.
Where did Kublai Khan send his diplomats?
He was appointed to high posts in the court and was sent on many special diplomatic missions to many places in China, India and some kingdoms of Southeast Asia, such as Vietnam, Burma and Sumatra.
Who was Marco Polo?
The Polos returned to Venice in 1295 with a great many gemstones and jewels. Marco was a wealthy man and married the daughter of a leading merchant. Venice was frequently at war with its great rival, the Italian city-state of Genoa. Marco was so wealthy that he fitted out a warship which he personally commanded. He was captured at the great Venetian defeat by Genoa at the battle of Curzola (1298) and was imprisoned by the Genoese and held for ransom.
How long did Marco Polo stay in China?
They had traveled the Silk Road and made their way to China and they appear to have been very successful. During his travels, Polo spent over 17 years in China. Marco apparently even served in the administration of the Emperor and had visited the Imperial court, many times.
How many miles did Marco travel?
Based on the book, it is possible to reconstruct the travels of Marco. It has been estimated that he traveled over 15,000 miles on horseback, ship and foot. The books opens with an account of his uncle and father traveling the Silk Road and meeting the great Emperor, Kublai Khan, the Emperor of China in his capital Dadu (present-day Beijing). He was the grandson of the Mongol conqueror Genghis Khan and he ruled Northern China and later conquered south China and beyond, forging one of the greatest Empires in the Medieval World.
What did Polo describe in his narrative?
He gave a very accurate account of the Mongol system of administration and their rule. Polo also accurately described Chinese social norms and practices at the time . He also recounted quite correctly the prosperity and advanced technology of the Chinese state and its many cities .
Who was the writer of the travelogue of the Venetian?
Many believed that Rustichello embellished the travelogue of the Venetian and his adventures. He was a writer who specialized in Romances and fabulous tales and was best known for his popular stories on King Arthur and Camelot. The Travels of Marco Polo has many of the stylistic characteristics of the Pisan writer’s earlier works. There are some references to marvels and fabulous stories in the narrative of the Italian. There are notorious descriptions in the book of men with the heads of dogs.
Who was Marco Polo held captive with?
In prison, the merchant was held captive with Rustichello da Pisa, who was a well-known popular writer. Marco recounted his many adventures in Asia to the Pisan writer. Rustichello later used Marco’s stories and he incorporated them into a book. The book The Travels of Marco Polo was a best-seller and was read throughout Europe. Marco was later released and returned to his native Venice. Polo continued to trade but he never again left his home city and he died in 1324. There has been controversy over the veracity of his claims, since his death.
Did Marco Polo travel to China?
He traveled throughout the domains of the Mongols in East Asia. He also visited Tibet, Burma and even sailed on the South China Sea. Marco met many members of the Mongol and Chinese elite and visited many cities.
