Almost everyone has heard of Marco Polo. Mostly, we think of the pool game. But what about the real person? Marco Polo lived a fascinating life. He was born in Italy, but ended up traveling all over with his father and uncle. Along the way, he learned some very interesting things, and ended up publishing a book about his adventures: “The Travels of Marco Polo”. Let’s dive deeper into the life of this famous figure.
Marco was born in Venice, Italy, on January 8-9th, 1254. He first met his father and uncle, Niccolo and Maffeo, when he was 15. They were merchants, and they taught Marco the mercantile trade.
The three men started on their journey in 1271, and explored lots of different places on the silk road, until they reached China. They had to travel on foot because their ship was in a state of disrepair.There they met with Kublai Khan, who was the current ruler of the Mongolian empire, and grandson of legendary conqueror Genghis Khan. Niccolo and Maffeo had met him on their previous trip, and they were treated as honored guests.
In China, Marco was shocked by everything from the giant palace, to the technology. He looked up to Kublai Khan because not only was Khan very skilled in battle, but also because he was a good ruler. When Khan conquered different places, he allowed the government to continue to operate on the terms that they bow down to the Mongolian empire. This allowed them to keep their customs and religions. He also welcomed all different cultures and beliefs, as he was a big believer in diversity.
Khan was impressed with Marco’s many abilities, including being able to speak 5 languages. Marco traveled all over China doing missions for Khan, and lived there for 17 years.
After a while, Polo, his father, and his uncle, began to want to go home. They were worried about when Khan would die. Kublai had always been very hospitable towards them, but they thought that their rights might change from the peoples’ when someone else took over. Although he initially refused several times, Khan finally let them leave in 1291, with one last mission: to accompany the beautiful Mongolian princess Kokochin to Persia so she could be married to her husband there.
After taking a boat to drop off Kokochin in Persia, The Polos returned home in 1295. They brought with them many, many riches and treasures. The Poloos had been gone for 24 years, and had traveled almost 15,000 miles.
When Marco arrived, Venice was currently at war. Polo joined the fight, but was captured around 1296. He spent several months in prison, where he told a fellow inmate, Rusticello da Pisa, all about his fantastical adventures. Together, they published his book, which became an instant bestseller. Released from captivity in 1299, Marco went home. In 1300, he married a woman named Donata Badoer, and they had three daughters.
“The Travels of Marco Polo” drew a lot of mixed reviews. Most people thought he was lying, as they couldn’t believe in all his crazy stories. Also, they disliked the way he depicted the Mongolian empire as good and with more advanced technology than the European empire. Basically, they didn’t want the Mongolian Empire to sound better.
Marco Polo’s book has been reprinted many times, but unfortunately the Europeans slid over some of the good things, and focused on some stories that made the Asians not sound good.
In the end, most of Marco Polo’s stories have been deemed true. Marco Polo was actually pretty amazing because he didn’t lie, and told his stories in a completely unbiased way. He didn’t say anything bad, and instead just described what he saw and the stories that he heard. Polo inspired lots of people to explore too. Although nobody really knows about his personal life, as he only talked about his stories and not about him, he is still a well revered person.
I think Marco Polo was a really interesting person, and that his adventures sounded amazing. I hope one day that I can lead a life as amazing as his.
In conclusion, Marco Polo is a very famous explorer who lived such an amazing life, and he is still so well known today.