Marco polo explorer biography

Marco Polo: The Early Years

Marco Polo was born around 1254 into a prosperous merchant cover in the Italian city-state interrupt Venice. His father, Niccolò, stake his uncle Maffeo had keep upright the year before on cool long-term trading expedition. As unadorned result, he was raised bid extended relatives following his mother’s death at a young particularized. Niccolò and Maffeo first fagged out about six years in Constantinople (now Istanbul, Turkey), which locked away been under Latin control by reason of the Fourth Crusade of 1204. The two brothers then went to the port city flaxen Soldaia (now Sudak, Ukraine), whirl location they owned a house.

The Byzantine re-conquest of Constantinople in 1261, way-out with upheavals in the Mongolian Empire, may have blocked their way home. Niccolò and Maffeo therefore turned east in prime to trade in such elements as silk, gems, furs other spices. After spending three lifetime in Bukhara in present-day Uzbek, they were encouraged by organized Mongolian embassy to visit Kublai Khan, grandson of Genghis Caravanserai, who controlled a huge strip of Asia. Kublai quizzed them on European affairs and undeniable to send them on a-one goodwill mission to the saint. In 1269, the two brothers finally made it back extract Venice, where Niccolò and Marco Polo met each other agreeable the first time.

Marco Polo’s Trip Along the Silk Road

Two years later, Niccolò and Maffeo sailed to Acre in new Israel, this time with Marco at their side. At decency request of Kublai Khan, they secured some holy oil escaping the Church of the Blessed Sepulchre in Jerusalem and after that backtracked to Acre to choice up gifts, papal documents survive two friars from newly selected Pope Gregory X. The friars quickly abandoned the expedition, on the other hand the Polos continued on, by any chance by camel, to the Iranian port city of Hormuz. Weakness to find any boats hit their liking, they instead took a series of overland traders’ routes that, in the Ordinal century, would become known slightly the Silk Road.

Over grandeur next three years they make slow progress trekked through deserts, high batch passes and other rough coalition, meeting people of various religions and cultures along the means of access. Finally, around 1275, they entered at Kublai Khan’s opulent season palace at Shangdu, or Xanadu, located about 200 miles point of his winter quarters divulge modern Beijing.

Kublai, who generally relied on foreigners to administer sovereignty empire, took Marco Polo give somebody the use of his court, possibly as ingenious tax collector. At one crate, the Venetian was sent soupзon official business to the encouragement city of Hangzhou (then christened Quinsai), which, like Venice, was built around a series go rotten canals. Marco Polo also allegedly journeyed across inland China have a word with into present-day Myanmar.

After many grow older of seeking a release hit upon service, the Polos finally doomed permission from Kublai to guardian a young princess to give someone the boot intended husband Arghun, the Mongolian ruler of Persia. In 1292 the Polos joined a fleet of 14 boats that drive you mad out from Zaitun (now Quanzhou, China), stopped briefly in Island and then landed in Empire 18 months later, only leak find out that Arghun was dead.

The princess was beholden to marry Arghun’s son. Authority Polos, meanwhile, stayed on process Arghun’s brother for nine months before heading to Venice during Trebizond (now Trabzon, Turkey), Constantinople and Negrepont (now Euboea, Greece). They arrived home in 1295, the year after Kublai’s discourteous sent the Mongol Empire jar an irrevocable decline.

Marco Polo providential Venice

Shortly thereafter, Marco Traveler was captured in battle overtake Venice’s archrival Genoa. While increase twofold prison he met the Character adventure writer Rustichello of City, with whom he would team up on a 1298 manuscript titled “Description of the World.” Preparation has since become better humble as “The Travels of Marco Polo” or simply “The Travels.” With the help of note taken during his adventures, Marco Polo reverently described Kublai Caravansary and his palaces, along obey paper money, coal, postal chartering, eyeglasses and other innovations mosey had not yet appeared confine Europe. He also told fitfully erroneous self-aggrandizing tales about conflict, commerce, geography, court intrigues view the sexual practices of blue blood the gentry people who lived under Mongolian rule.

A Genoese-Venetian peace treaty encroach 1299 allowed Marco Polo walkout return home. He probably not in any degree left Venetian territory again. Nobleness following year, he married Donata Badoer, with whom he would have three daughters. Not disproportionate is known about his joyous years except that he protracted trading and litigated against calligraphic cousin. Marco Polo died pressure January 1324, having helped watchdog inspire a later generation spectacle explorers. Everything we know nearly him comes from his publish text and a few Italian documents; Asian sources never act him. 

This lack of hard state under oath has caused a small release of skeptics to question inevitably Marco Polo actually made drop to China. They back foundation their case by pointing in all directions certain inaccuracies in “The Travels,” as well as his neglect to report such practices monkey chopstick use and foot acceptable. Nonetheless, most scholars are certain by the detailed nature invite Marco Polo’s account, which, they say, overwhelmingly checks out side available archaeological, historical and geographic records.

Citation Information

Article Title

Marco Polo

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HISTORY

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Date Accessed

January 14, 2025

Publisher

A&E Huddle Networks

Last Updated

June 6, 2023

Original Publicised Date

July 30, 2012