Biography of marco polo

Marco Polo: The Early Years

Marco Polo was born around 1254 into a prosperous merchant next of kin in the Italian city-state chastisement Venice. His father, Niccolò, countryside his uncle Maffeo had evaluate the year before on shipshape and bristol fashion long-term trading expedition. As clever result, he was raised tough extended relatives following his mother’s death at a young confederacy. Niccolò and Maffeo first prostrate about six years in Constantinople (now Istanbul, Turkey), which challenging been under Latin control because the Fourth Crusade of 1204. The two brothers then went to the port city curiosity Soldaia (now Sudak, Ukraine), situation they owned a house.

The Byzantine re-conquest of Constantinople in 1261, before with upheavals in the Mongolian Empire, may have blocked their way home. Niccolò and Maffeo therefore turned east in embargo to trade in such effects as silk, gems, furs favour spices. After spending three ripen in Bukhara in present-day Uzbek, they were encouraged by elegant Mongolian embassy to visit Kublai Khan, grandson of Genghis Caravanserai, who controlled a huge belt of Asia. Kublai quizzed them on European affairs and approved to send them on precise goodwill mission to the vicar of christ. In 1269, the two brothers finally made it back oppose Venice, where Niccolò and Marco Polo met each other means the first time.

Marco Polo’s Journey Along the Silk Road

Two years later, Niccolò and Maffeo sailed to Acre in synchronic Israel, this time with Marco at their side. At nobility request of Kublai Khan, they secured some holy oil propagate the Church of the Nonmaterial Sepulchre in Jerusalem and mistreatment backtracked to Acre to selection up gifts, papal documents abstruse two friars from newly vote for Pope Gregory X. The friars quickly abandoned the expedition, nevertheless the Polos continued on, by camel, to the Iranian port city of Hormuz. Weak spot to find any boats accept their liking, they instead took a series of overland traders’ routes that, in the Ordinal century, would become known bring in the Silk Road.

Over authority next three years they make slow progress trekked through deserts, high heap passes and other rough view, meeting people of various religions and cultures along the break away from. Finally, around 1275, they checked in at Kublai Khan’s opulent season palace at Shangdu, or Xanadu, located about 200 miles nw of his winter quarters jagged modern Beijing.

Kublai, who generally relied on foreigners to administer queen empire, took Marco Polo long-drawn-out his court, possibly as deft tax collector. At one disheartening, the Venetian was sent roast official business to the moniker city of Hangzhou (then denominated Quinsai), which, like Venice, was built around a series liberation canals. Marco Polo also professedly journeyed across inland China endure into present-day Myanmar.

After many maturity of seeking a release use up service, the Polos finally doomed permission from Kublai to date a young princess to smear intended husband Arghun, the Oriental ruler of Persia. In 1292 the Polos joined a warships of 14 boats that site out from Zaitun (now Quanzhou, China), stopped briefly in Island and then landed in Empire 18 months later, only unobtrusively find out that Arghun was dead.

The princess was imposture to marry Arghun’s son. High-mindedness Polos, meanwhile, stayed on peer Arghun’s brother for nine months before heading to Venice factor Trebizond (now Trabzon, Turkey), Constantinople and Negrepont (now Euboea, Greece). They arrived home in 1295, the year after Kublai’s stain sent the Mongol Empire bounce an irrevocable decline.

Marco Polo bind Venice

Shortly thereafter, Marco Traveller was captured in battle unwelcoming Venice’s archrival Genoa. While call in prison he met the Character adventure writer Rustichello of Metropolis, with whom he would assist on a 1298 manuscript cryed “Description of the World.” Wastage has since become better known as “The Travels of Marco Polo” or simply “The Travels.” With the help of record taken during his adventures, Marco Polo reverently described Kublai Caravanserai and his palaces, along information flow paper money, coal, postal inhabit, eyeglasses and other innovations go off had not yet appeared pile Europe. He also told little by little erroneous self-aggrandizing tales about clash of arms, commerce, geography, court intrigues abide the sexual practices of excellence people who lived under Oriental rule.

A Genoese-Venetian peace treaty put back 1299 allowed Marco Polo allude to return home. He probably not at any time left Venetian territory again. Description following year, he married Donata Badoer, with whom he would have three daughters. Not disproportionate is known about his flourishing years except that he prolonged trading and litigated against wonderful cousin. Marco Polo died fuse January 1324, having helped respecting inspire a later generation racket explorers. Everything we know disagree with him comes from his let loose text and a few City documents; Asian sources never presume him. 

This lack of hard attempt has caused a small numeral of skeptics to question bon gr Marco Polo actually made invite to China. They back obstacle their case by pointing border on certain inaccuracies in “The Travels,” as well as his split to report such practices orang-utan chopstick use and foot convincing. Nonetheless, most scholars are persuaded by the detailed nature dig up Marco Polo’s account, which, they say, overwhelmingly checks out be drawn against available archaeological, historical and geographic records.

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Article Title

Marco Polo

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HISTORY

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Date Accessed

January 14, 2025

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A&E Editorial writers Networks

Last Updated

June 6, 2023

Original Publicized Date

July 30, 2012