Explorers - 1 - Marco Polo (1255-1324)
Marco Polo, whose travel books that lead the Europeans to come to the East, belonged to a family of businessmen in Venice, Italy. They traded in jewellery, precious stones, pearls and valuable fancy goods. The business was then run by the two brothers Nicolo and Mafia Polo. They went from country to country buying and selling merchandise. As they were very honest, well mannered and pleasant to associate with, wherever they went they were welcomed. The Polo brothers often took the famous “Silk Route” that connected Constantinopal, Crimea and Persia. When once they stayed in Bokhara, Persia, they met a few businessmen from the distant land of China. The Chinese told the Polos about the Empire of Cathay and the good natured Kublai Khan its emperor.
The Polo brothers went to Cathay along with the Chinese. When they saw the great Emperor he gave them a warm welcome. Kublai Khan had a particular interest in Europeans, their states, kings, Christianity, and the Pope. The king requested the Polo brothers to bring a few Christian missionaries to his palace.
The Polo brothers returned to Venice in 1269. After attending to their business matters for two years, they tried their best to persuade a few missionaries to go along with them to Cathay, but they were unsuccessful. However they left for Cathay in 1272 and Marco Polo the son of Nicholo Polo, who was aged 17 then, accompanied them.
They travelled across Persia, Afghanistan, Khotan, Mongolia, the Pamir plateau and the desert Gobi and reached Cathay. The long journey took three and half years.
When they saw Emperor Kublai Khan in his royal court in 1275, the king received them cordially. The king who was very much attracted and pleased by the appearance and behavior of young Marco Polo requested his father and uncle to leave him behind, with the promise that he would be appointed a court officer of a high rank. The elder Polo’s agreed as they saw an excellent prospect for their son.
Within a short period young Marco became the closest associate and the favourite court officer of the emperor. He was lavishly rewarded by him. The Emperor sent Marco to neighbouring states as his envoy several times.
After spending eighteen years in Kublai Khan’s court, Marco was longing to return to Venice. The opportunity dawned when the king of Persia made a proposal, to marry a daughter of Emperor Kublai Khan. The Emperor requested Marco Polo to escort the princess to Persia and have her married to the Persian king. In fact the whole affair was charged to Marco with great confidence.
Accordingly Marco escorted the Chinese princess and her retinue crossing Cochin China, Malacca, Sumatra and Sri Lanka. When they reached Persia he came to know that the Persian king, the bridegroom, had died of an illness. At this moment the dead king’s son-in-law gave consent to marry the beautiful Chinese princess.
When the wedding function was over, Marco gladly left Persia and reached Venice. He settled down there to lead a comfortable life with the wealth he brought. In no time a civil war erupted in Italy and the Genoese army captured Marco in 1298 and threw him into a prison. In 1300 he got his freedom, returned home, got married and led a happy and contented life.
During the time he spent in prison, Marco recounted his tales to a fellow prisoner, a writer of romances named Rustichello. When once out of the prison, Marco handed over to him the records of travel he had kept for nearly eighteen years. Rustichello wrote the book in his own language, Italian, first.
It was translated and published in English as ‘The Description of the World’. Although highly embellished, many of Polo’s descriptions furnished European explorers such as Christopher Columbus with vital information.
Marco Polo passed away peacefully in his home in Venice in 1324.
Marco Polo was the first European to visit a large number of countries in West Asia, South East Asia and far Eastern Asia. When Marco Polo’s travel books were published, they gained popularity in the European countries, especially Spain and Portugal. They most certainly inspired navigators like Christopher Columbus to launch expeditions to the East.
@juanmanuellopez1 @coolguy222 @newageinv @gowealth @blessed-girl @cruis @lexymaine @alokkumar121 @aceandnotes @darlenys01 @rafique1953 @marvyinnovation @wems @ajks @alaisguineasis @amnlive @kimmysomelove42 @praditya @tommyl33 @samryan @vickykarma @brightsun @oppongk @kryp70kn1gh7 @hobo.media @theticket @royer94 @mentalhealthguru @bradley028 @nummulshrma @maxijgcomm @maikelblogo @mrblu @nancymj @petervi @mcoinz79 @missabigail @saludoalalma @mcnestler @moarafatshow @gargi @luis402 @shahzadeh @sumon-ar-vines @naijauser @yantrax @josema.saborido @khan.dayyanz @shapescooper @aceofhearts @marcocosta @rvag5 @fusroj @cashlane @borrowedearth @michaeljn @kchitrah @mitchhunter @nataliaeline @cherlianny @unknownphoton @unclefz @gardengranny @bettyamv @ghostwriter9 @nancybriti @missladybug @shirophantomhive @rvag5 @ankitjnv @marvyinnovation @tommyl33 @gowealth @ustaadonline @daio @brightsun @mzubairch @amit1995 @starapple @treodecimo @edinhazard @maxijgcomm @wasito @mariita52 @maroni55 @nataliaeline @ajtech2596 @keithf @wesleyvanderstel @grainsofsand @mariita52 @naijauser @castleirwell @juanmanuellopez1 @coolguy222 @newageinv @gowealth @blessed-girl @cruis @lexymaine @alokkumar121 @aceandnotes @darlenys01 @rafique1953 @marvyinnovation @wems @ajks @alaisguineasis @amnlive @kimmysomelove42 @praditya @tommyl33 @samryan @vickykarma @brightsun @oppongk @kryp70kn1gh7 @hobo.media @theticket @royer94 @mentalhealthguru @bradley028 @nummulshrma @maxijgcomm @maikelblogo @mrblu @nancymj @petervi @mcoinz79 @missabigail @saludoalalma @mcnestler @moarafatshow @gargi @luis402 @shahzadeh @sumon-ar-vines @naijauser @yantrax @josema.saborido @khan.dayyanz @shapescooper @aceofhearts @marcocosta @rvag5 @fusroj @cashlane @borrowedearth @michaeljn @kchitrah @mitchhunter @nataliaeline @cherlianny @unknownphoton @unclefz @gardengranny @bettyamv @ghostwriter9 @nancybriti @missladybug @shirophantomhive @rvag5 @ankitjnv @marvyinnovation @tommyl33 @gowealth @ustaadonline @daio @brightsun @mzubairch @amit1995 @starapple @treodecimo @edinhazard @maxijgcomm @wasito @mariita52 @maroni55 @nataliaeline @ajtech2596 @keithf @wesleyvanderstel @grainsofsand @mariita52 @naijauser @castleirwell @isabelpereira @nulifeiq @royer94 @yaleal @ushmil @nisiryan0522 @reveurgam @certain @kkins @nurseanne84 @hemi @amar @supportweku-io @whitelist