The Travels of Marco Polo
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Accompanied by his father Niccol and his uncle Maffeo, Marco Polo travelled overland to China in 127175. He then spent 17 years serving Kublai Khan (121594), grandson of Genghis Khan and conqueror of China, for whom he undertook assignments in China as well as in South and Southeast Asia.
- This changed the 13th century when the Mongols, led by Genhis Khan, conquered a huge area stretching from eastern Europe to China, bringing peace to the region. At last, Merchants could travel freely across Asia. The Italian Polo brothers were.
- His account of his experiences is one of the most important travel documents. While imprisoned in Genoa, Marco Polo related the story of his travels to.
Originally dictated in a Genoese prison cell, ‘The Travels of Marco Polo’ straddles the line between travel literature and adventure story. The teller of the story, Marco Polo, claimed that the work was based completely on fact, compiled from his travels around the world. The book was hugely popular in Medieval Europe, despite being widely referred to as ‘The Million Lies’.
Marco Polo was not the first European to venture into Asia, but he traveled much further to the East than any before him, and, according to the book at least, became much more integrated into the cultures there. The real key to the work’s success is the imagination and energy put into the descriptions of Asia, Africa and the Mongol Empire. The work often seems fantastical, partly because some of the things Polo described were indeed made up, but also because the language used is so colourful it seems unbelievable.
The adventure to the East actually started when Nicolo and Maffeo Polo, Marco’s father and uncle, set off for Constantinople in 1260. From this journey they ventured into the lands of the Mongolian tribes, eventually reaching the court of Kublai Khan. The Polos returned to Europe, eventually arriving in their home city of Venice in 1269. Upon his return, Nicolo discovered he had a son, Marco Polo. The Polos, who had promised Kublai Khan they would come back to Mongolia with Catholic missionaries, eventually set off on their return to Asia with Marco and two Catholic friars, in 1271. Although the friars eventually gave up on the journey, the Polo’s returned to the Khan’s court, where Marco became a confidant of Kublai Khan.
Marco Polo remained in the Khan’s court for seventeen years, and was sent on a variety of missions and errands, allowing him to travel in previously uncharted territories. Through his service he explored much of what is now China, as well as venturing into India, and crossing over to Sri Lanka. A recently revealed map, attributed to Polo and signed for authenticity by his three daughters, is believed to sketch out the coast of Japan and Alaska. The origins and veracity of the map have not been confirmed, but some researchers have claimed that it proves Polo’s travels actually took him as far as the shores of North America.
‘The Story of Marco Polo’ details his experiences in this period of his life. It includes descriptions of the journey from Acre (in what is modern day Israel), through Persia and then onto the Khan’s palace in what is now Beijing. The Polos traveled over a series of overland trader’s routes, what would eventually become known as the Silk Road. As well as providing detailed descriptions of Polo’s experiences in the Khan’s court, the book is just as crucial for its depiction of the journey along the Silk Road, providing information on the cultures and landscapes the Polo family encountered.
Some critics question the validity of the text, pointing out that there is no mention of Polo in the detailed records of the Khan’s court from the thirteenth century. They also point out that despite Polo’s extensive stay and travels in Asia, he never made reference to major landmarks, such as the Great Wall, or distinctive cultural traits, such as eating with chopsticks or foot binding.
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Polo himself eventually returned to Europe in 1295. He became involved in a conflict between Venice and Genoa, during which he was captured and imprisoned. While incarcerated he met Rustichello, a writer from Pisa who started to write down Polo’s stories.
Whether these stories were a complete fabrication, or just heavily embellished by Polo or Rustichello, they remain a fascinating document. The book was pivotal in shaping opinions on Asia and the Mongol Empire, long after its publication. Whether the book is factually accurate or not, it cannot be denied that the stories within, as well as the history of Polo himself, make it a fascinating read.
By: Daryl Worthington in newhistorian.com
In the 13th century, a great Mongolian state with a capital in Karakorum was established in the vast central space of Asia between India, China and the East European Lowland. In Europe, news spread that the ruler of this state wants to accept the Christian faith. Wanting to convert him and win against the Turks, popes and kings sent messages to him that came back bringing many interesting news about distant lands. They also sought the legendary Christian state of Father John, which was supposed to be somewhere in Central Asia, remaining in the fight against infidels.
Many travelers with diplomatic and cognitive missions set off towards the east. At that time, however, the greatest commercial travels were Venetian travelers of Claus, Matthew and especially Marco Polo. These were the times of a great revival of trade and the flowering of a number of European cities, especially the Italian cities of Genoa and Venice, which were small, independent states. Venice, having mastered many villages on the Mediterranean during the Crusades, became a colonial state mediating overseas trade between European countries and the Far East. It has mastered a number of markets in Egypt, India and other countries.
In 1261, two brothers Claus and Matthew Polo, who came from an old patrician family, set out on a distant merchant journey. They reached the Tatar khanate on the Volga and were hospitably received there. From there, after a long and troublesome trip, they came to Beijing, the residence of the great Khan Kublai. Khan accepted them and handed them a letter to the pope with a request to establish friendly relations. After a long eight-year absence, they returned to Venice. The news of their return and adventures touched the whole city, and stories about the riches of the Far East have awakened the hopes of the Venetian merchants to trade with distant China.
In 1271, both brothers, provided with the reply of Pope Gregory IX, embarked on a new journey. They were now accompanied by 17-year-old Marco, son of Claus. After three and a half years of travel through Armenia, Persia, Ormuz, the Hindu Kush mountains, the high plateau of Pamir, the Kum-Dag desert came to Beijing again. On the way, they saw the Lob river, Hoang-Ho, visited the city of Sziang-tu and the residence of Khan famous for its incredible wealth. Chan greeted them with great honors, and Marco gave him exceptional trust, even entrusting him with governance in Yangtze, a province north of Narikin. The young man with full power of attorney held numerous inspection trips across the extensive state, which allowed him to look closely at the population, to know the nature and geographical features of China.
In China, the Polo brothers stayed for 17 years, and then they were endowed with great riches and returned with letters recommending by sea to their homeland. The Chinese princess was traveling with them and they were transported to the reigning Argayan, Persian Khan Kublai, in Persia. They sailed around the Malay Peninsula, stopped in Java, Sumatra and Ceylon, visited India, and finally, after a 24-year journey, they returned to Venice through Persia.
After returning to his homeland, Marco Polo took part in the war between Venice and Genoa (1298), he was seriously wounded and he was imprisoned. A prison companion Marco, Rustichello of Pisa, wrote down his stories in The Book of Marvels of the World. In this way, a work was written vividly and colorfully in the Old French dialect, later translated into Italian and Latin. It has created a great impression everywhere on the houses of the Mediterranean countries. For a long time, the truth of the descriptions was not believed, considering it a fantasy of lush fantasy. It was only after a thorough knowledge of China in the nineteenth century that the truth of these statements was convinced.
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In the work of his “II Millione”, Marco Polo presents a lot of interesting information about the splendor and wealth of the imperial court, beautiful gardens and gilded palaces, the rich cities of eastern Asia and the lively commercial traffic that prevailed there. He lists the great wealth of pearls, gold and other precious metals he has seen along the way. He also mentions the island of Cipangu (Japan), which the Chinese emperor tried to conquer. It also presents interesting descriptions of Mongol tribes that lead a nomadic lifestyle. His stay in India gives details about the life of brāhmaówas and fakirs, describes the climate and Indian nature: tigers, snakes, parrots, catches of pepper, pepper cultivation, etc. We also find descriptions of Madagascar, Zanzibar, the island of Socotra and Abyssinia, but probably news about these countries he took Polo from others. Marco Polo’s stories were an incentive for many to travel and therefore played an outstanding role in the history of discoveries.