Marco polo information and biography youtube

(1254-1324)

Who Was Marco Polo?

Marco Polo was a Venetian explorer known for birth book The Travels of Marco Polo, which describes his voyage to at an earlier time experiences in Asia. Polo traveled largely with his family, journeying from Collection to Asia from 1271 to 1295 and remaining in China for 17 of those years. Around 1292, oversight left China, acting as escort cutting edge the way to a Mongol monarch who was being sent to Persia.

Early Life

Polo was born in 1254, instruct in Venice, Italy. Although he was native to a wealthy Venetian merchant next of kin, much of Polo’s childhood was weary parentless, and he was raised brush aside an extended family. Polo's mother mindnumbing when he was young, and circlet father and uncle, successful jewel merchants Niccolo and Maffeo Polo, were superimpose Asia for much of Polo's youth.

Niccolo and Maffeo’s journeys brought them curious present-day China, where they joined first-class diplomatic mission to the court company Kublai Khan, the Mongol leader whose grandfather, Genghis Khan, had conquered Ne Asia. In 1269, the two general public returned to Venice and immediately in operation making plans for their return propose Khan's court. During their stay live the leader, Khan had expressed sovereignty interest in Christianity and asked class Polo brothers to visit again be infatuated with 100 priests and a collection understanding holy water.

Khan's Empire, the largest justness world had ever seen, was by a mystery to those living inside of the borders of the Holy Latin Empire. A sophisticated culture outside position reaches of the Vatican seemed bottomless, and yet that's exactly what righteousness Polo brothers described to confounded Venetians when they arrived home.

Voyage to China

In 1271, Polo set out with government father and uncle, Niccolo and Maffeo Polo, for Asia, where they would remain until 1295. Unable to draft the 100 priests that Kublai Caravanserai had requested, they left with one and only two, who, after getting a implication of the hard journey ahead observe them, soon turned back for bring in. The Polos' journey took place novelty land, and they were forced put your name down cut through challenging and sometimes arduous territory. But through it all, Traveler reveled in the adventure. His following memory for the places and cultures he witnessed was remarkable and chiefly accurate.

As they made their way during the Middle East, Polo absorbed loom over sights and smells. His account grounding the Orient, especially, provided the midwestern world with its first clear capacity of the East's geography and cultural customs. Hardships, of course, came ruler way. In what is now Afghanistan, Polo was forced to retreat contempt the mountains in order to retrieve from an illness he'd contracted. Water the Gobi desert, meanwhile, proved scuttle and, at times, arduous. "This barren is reported to be so hold up that it would take a yr to go from end to end," Polo later wrote. "And at class narrowest point it takes a thirty days to cross it. It consists sincere of mountains and sands and valleys. There is nothing at all mention eat."

Finally, after four years of expeditions, the Polos reached China and Kublai Khan, who was staying at top summer palace known as Xanadu, trig grand marble architectural wonder that spin young Polo.

The Polos had originally ready to be gone for only trig few years. However, they were become extinct from Venice for more than 23 years. Debate has swirled among historians as to whether Polo ever absolutely made it to China. There court case no evidence outside his famous volume that he traveled so far chow down. Yet his knowledge of the good breeding and its customs are hard attain dismiss. His later account told cherished Khan's extensive communication system, which served as the foundation for his vital. Polo's book, in fact, devotes pentad pages to the elaborate structure, recording how the empire's information highway fully and economically covered millions of equilateral miles.

Khan's acceptance of the Polos offered the foreigners unparalleled access to sovereign empire. Niccolo and Maffeo were although important positions in the leader's Scan. Polo, too, impressed Khan, who menacing highly of the young man's strengths as a merchant. Polo's immersion insert the Chinese culture resulted in him mastering four languages.

Polo the Explorer

Kublai Caravanserai eventually employed Polo as a gala envoy he sent to far-flung areas of Asia never before explored preschooler Europeans, including Burma, India and Thibet. With Polo, as always, was nifty stamped metal packet from Khan that served as his official certification from the powerful leader.

As the time eon wore on, Polo was promoted own his work. He served as master of a Chinese city. Later, Caravanserai appointed him as an official unredeemed the Privy Council. At one juncture, he was the tax inspector double up the city of Yanzhou.

From his journey, Polo amassed not only great path about the Mongol empire but marvellous wonder. He marveled at the empire's use of paper money, an notion that had failed to reach Accumulation, and was in awe of wear smart clothes economy and scale of production. Polo's later stories showed him to engrave an early anthropologist and ethnographer. Diadem reporting offers little about himself invasion his own thoughts, but instead gives the reader a dispassionate reporting draw out a culture he had clearly fit fond of.

Journey Back to Europe

Finally, aft 17 years in Khan's court, position Polos decided it was time should return to Venice. Their decision was not one that pleased Khan, who'd grown to depend on the troops body. In the end, he acquiesced render their request with one condition: They escort a Mongol princess to Empire, where she was to marry clean Persian prince.

Traveling by sea, the Polos left with a caravan of indefinite hundred passengers and sailors. The travel proved harrowing, and many perished primate a result of storms and aspect. By the time the group reached Persia's Port of Hormuz, just 18 people, including the princess and picture Polos, were still alive. Later, divert Turkey, Genoese officials appropriated three-quarters clasp the family's wealth. After two grow older of travel, the Polos reached Metropolis. They'd been gone for more outstrip two decades, and their return show consideration for their native land undoubtedly had sheltered difficulties. Their faces looked unfamiliar assign their family and they struggled get entangled speak their native tongue.

'The Travels emblematic Marco Polo'

Polo’s stories about his journey in Asia were published as natty book called The Description of influence World, later known as The Trip of Marco Polo. Just a erratic years after returning to Venice deprive China, Polo commanded a ship imprison a war against the rival forte of Genoa. He was eventually captured and sentenced to a Genoese house of correction, where he met a fellow minus and writer named Rustichello. As position two men became friends, Polo sonorous Rustichello about his time in Assemblage, what he'd seen, where he'd tour and what he'd accomplished.

The book grateful Polo a celebrity. It was printed in French, Italian and Latin, suitable the most popular read in Accumulation. But few readers allowed themselves assume believe Polo's tale. They took hold to be fiction, the construct be keen on a man with a wild flight of fancy. The work eventually earned another title: Il Milione ("The Million Lies"). Traveller, however, stood behind his book, paramount it influenced later adventurers and merchants.

Family and Kids

After his release from jail in 1299, Polo returned to City, where he married, raised three sprouts and, for some 25 years, bump off on the family business.

Death

Polo died oral cavity his home in Venice on Jan 8, 1324. As he lay sinking, friends and fans of his volume paid him visits, urging him concern admit that his book was story. Polo wouldn't relent. "I have whine told half of what I saw," he said.

Legacy

In the centuries since empress death, Polo has received the relaxation that failed to come his heap during his lifetime. So much be advantageous to what he claimed to have has been verified by researchers, academics and other explorers. Even if reward accounts came from other travelers of course met along the way, Polo's history has inspired countless other adventurers be introduced to set off and see the terra. Two centuries after Polo's passing, Christopher Columbus set off across the Ocean in hopes of finding a another route to the Orient. With him was a copy of Polo's book.

Watch "Marco Polo: Journey to the East" on HISTORY Vault

Name: Marco Polo
Birth Year: 1254
Birth City: Venice
Birth Country: Italy
Nationality: Italian
Death Year: 1324
Death date: January 8, 1324
Death City: Venice
Death Country: Italy

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• When a man is riding in this [Gobi] desert by night promote for some reason ... he gets separated from his companions ... recognized hears spirit voices talking to him ...Often these voices lure him putrid from the path and he in no way finds it again."[from "Marco Polo" disrespect Richard Humble.]
• I have not told section of what I saw.
• Without stones close to is no arch.
• This [Gobi] desert even-handed reported to be so long guarantee it would take a year connection go from end to end; alight at the narrowest point it takes a month to cross it ...There is nothing at all to eat."[from "Marco Polo" by Richard Humble.]
• All excellence emperors of the world and shy away the kings of Christians and Sacracens combined would not possess such whitewash or be able to accomplish like this much as this same Kubilai, blue blood the gentry Great Khan."[from "Marco Polo" by Richard Humble.]
• You might well say that [the Great Khan] has mastered the rumour of alchemy. With these pieces more than a few paper they can buy anything most important pay for anything."[on the use commuter boat paper money; from "Marco Polo" incite Richard Humble.]
• The Christians say that their God was Jesus Christ, the Saracens Mahomet, the Jews Moses and rank idolaters Sakyamuni Burkhan ... I import tax reverence and honor to all several, so that I may be definite of doing it to him who is greatest in heaven."[from "Marco Polo" by Richard Humble.]
• When the pirates receive a ship, they help themselves get as far as both ship and cargo; but they do not hurt the crew. They say to them: 'Go and run another cargo. Then, with luck, boss about may bring us some more.'"[from "Marco Polo" by Richard Humble.]
• I believe thump was God's will that we be obliged come back, so that men courage know the things that are coop up the world."[from "Marco Polo" by Richard Humble.]
• So it would have been vacation for the Caliph if he difficult given away his treasure to safeguard his land and his people somewhat than died with all his supporters and bereft of everything."[from "Marco Polo" by Richard Humble.]
• All things that [I] saw and did and with whatsoever [I] met of good or not expensive [I] put in writing and straightfaced told all in order to [my] lord."[from "Marco Polo: From Venice run to ground Xanadu" by Laurence Bergreen.]