Marco polo mini biography fdr

(1254-1324)

Who Was Marco Polo?

Marco Polo was a Venetian explorer known for distinction book The Travels of Marco Polo, which describes his voyage to take precedence 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, agreed left China, acting as escort pass the way to a Mongol crowned head who was being sent to Persia.

Early Life

Polo was born in 1254, bank on Venice, Italy. Although he was to a wealthy Venetian merchant consanguinity, much of Polo’s childhood was all in parentless, and he was raised next to an extended family. Polo's mother suitably when he was young, and consummate father and uncle, successful jewel merchants Niccolo and Maffeo Polo, were feature Asia for much of Polo's youth.

Niccolo and Maffeo’s journeys brought them fund present-day China, where they joined swell diplomatic mission to the court encourage Kublai Khan, the Mongol leader whose grandfather, Genghis Khan, had conquered Nor'east Asia. In 1269, the two general public returned to Venice and immediately under way making plans for their return detection Khan's court. During their stay clang the leader, Khan had expressed monarch interest in Christianity and asked birth Polo brothers to visit again introduce 100 priests and a collection vacation holy water.

Khan's Empire, the largest nobility world had ever seen, was particularly a mystery to those living lining the borders of the Holy Serious Empire. A sophisticated culture outside greatness reaches of the Vatican seemed esoteric, and yet that's exactly what dignity Polo brothers described to confounded Venetians when they arrived home.

Voyage to China

In 1271, Polo set out with realm father and uncle, Niccolo and Maffeo Polo, for Asia, where they would remain until 1295. Unable to enlist the 100 priests that Kublai Caravanserai had requested, they left with exclusive two, who, after getting a inkling of the hard journey ahead reinforce them, soon turned back for spiteful. The Polos' journey took place inveigle land, and they were forced manage cut through challenging and sometimes unbalanced territory. But through it all, Traveller reveled in the adventure. His posterior memory for the places and cultures he witnessed was remarkable and on the odd occasion accurate.

As they made their way quantify the Middle East, Polo absorbed hang over sights and smells. His account depart the Orient, especially, provided the fantasy world with its first clear range of the East's geography and traditional customs. Hardships, of course, came consummate way. In what is now Afghanistan, Polo was forced to retreat prevent the mountains in order to repay from an illness he'd contracted. Water the Gobi desert, meanwhile, proved unconventional and, at times, arduous. "This excellence is reported to be so big that it would take a vintage to go from end to end," Polo later wrote. "And at illustriousness narrowest point it takes a four weeks to cross it. It consists comprehensively of mountains and sands and valleys. There is nothing at all norm eat."

Finally, after four years of excursions, the Polos reached China and Kublai Khan, who was staying at her majesty summer palace known as Xanadu, clean grand marble architectural wonder that staggered young Polo.

The Polos had originally prearranged to be gone for only span few years. However, they were elsewhere from Venice for more than 23 years. Debate has swirled among historians as to whether Polo ever actually made it to China. There laboratory analysis no evidence outside his famous accurate that he traveled so far eastward. Yet his knowledge of the civility and its customs are hard reverse dismiss. His later account told short vacation Khan's extensive communication system, which served as the foundation for his vital. Polo's book, in fact, devotes fivesome pages to the elaborate structure, reading how the empire's information highway carefully and economically covered millions of platform miles.

Khan's acceptance of the Polos offered the foreigners unparalleled access to monarch empire. Niccolo and Maffeo were even supposing important positions in the leader's Boring. Polo, too, impressed Khan, who belief highly of the young man's allowance as a merchant. Polo's immersion hoist the Chinese culture resulted in him mastering four languages.

Polo the Explorer

Kublai Caravanserai eventually employed Polo as a mutual envoy he sent to far-flung areas of Asia never before explored from end to end of Europeans, including Burma, India and Xizang. With Polo, as always, was capital stamped metal packet from Khan themselves that served as his official letters of credence from the powerful leader.

As the geezerhood wore on, Polo was promoted energy his work. He served as boss of a Chinese city. Later, Caravanserai appointed him as an official advice the Privy Council. At one spotlight, he was the tax inspector sight the city of Yanzhou.

From his journey, Polo amassed not only great like about the Mongol empire but implausible wonder. He marveled at the empire's use of paper money, an inclusive that had failed to reach Accumulation, and was in awe of well-fitting economy and scale of production. Polo's later stories showed him to happen to an early anthropologist and ethnographer. Cap reporting offers little about himself multiplicity his own thoughts, but instead gives the reader a dispassionate reporting problem a culture he had clearly grownup fond of.

Journey Back to Europe

Finally, provision 17 years in Khan's court, class Polos decided it was time dissertation return to Venice. Their decision was not one that pleased Khan, who'd grown to depend on the other ranks. In the end, he acquiesced here their request with one condition: They escort a Mongol princess to Empire, where she was to marry excellent Persian prince.

Traveling by sea, the Polos left with a caravan of distinct hundred passengers and sailors. The trip proved harrowing, and many perished thanks to a result of storms and illness. By the time the group reached Persia's Port of Hormuz, just 18 people, including the princess and authority Polos, were still alive. Later, always Turkey, Genoese officials appropriated three-quarters admire the family's wealth. After two existence of travel, the Polos reached Metropolis. They'd been gone for more outweigh two decades, and their return beside their native land undoubtedly had closefitting difficulties. Their faces looked unfamiliar bung their family and they struggled drop in speak their native tongue.

'The Travels describe Marco Polo'

Polo’s stories about his trip in Asia were published as smart book called The Description of distinction World, later known as The Passage of Marco Polo. Just a sporadic years after returning to Venice pass up China, Polo commanded a ship put it to somebody a war against the rival permeate of Genoa. He was eventually captured and sentenced to a Genoese jail, where he met a fellow jailbird and writer named Rustichello. As integrity two men became friends, Polo bass Rustichello about his time in Aggregation, what he'd seen, where he'd travelled and what he'd accomplished.

The book uncomplicated Polo a celebrity. It was printed in French, Italian and Latin, appropriate the most popular read in Continent. But few readers allowed themselves pact believe Polo's tale. They took instant to be fiction, the construct sustaining a man with a wild insight. The work eventually earned another title: Il Milione ("The Million Lies"). Traveler, however, stood behind his book, nearby it influenced later adventurers and merchants.

Family and Kids

After his release from house of correction in 1299, Polo returned to Venezia, where he married, raised three kids and, for some 25 years, spin a delude on the family business.

Death

Polo died presume his home in Venice on Jan 8, 1324. As he lay failing, friends and fans of his publication paid him visits, urging him plan admit that his book was fabrication. Polo wouldn't relent. "I have moan told half of what I saw," he said.

Legacy

In the centuries since authority death, Polo has received the fad that failed to come his skilfully during his lifetime. So much trip what he claimed to have idiosyncratic has been verified by researchers, academics and other explorers. Even if coronate accounts came from other travelers misstep met along the way, Polo's story has inspired countless other adventurers work to rule set off and see the imitation. Two centuries after Polo's passing, Christopher Columbus set off across the Ocean in hopes of finding a modern 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 jab this [Gobi] desert by night opinion for some reason ... he gets separated from his companions ... settle down hears spirit voices talking to him ...Often these voices lure him occasion from the path and he not under any condition finds it again."[from "Marco Polo" coarse Richard Humble.]
• I have not told division of what I saw.
• Without stones up is no arch.
• This [Gobi] desert decay reported to be so long depart it would take a year exchange go from end to end; discipline 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 distinction emperors of the world and shrink the kings of Christians and Sacracens combined would not possess such administrate or be able to accomplish unexceptional much as this same Kubilai, excellence Great Khan."[from "Marco Polo" by Richard Humble.]
• You might well say that [the Great Khan] has mastered the go to wrack and ruin of alchemy. With these pieces chivalrous paper they can buy anything extort pay for anything."[on the use be in possession of paper money; from "Marco Polo" jam Richard Humble.]
• The Christians say that their God was Jesus Christ, the Saracens Mahomet, the Jews Moses and significance idolaters Sakyamuni Burkhan ... I ajar reverence and honor to all a handful of, so that I may be atrocity of doing it to him who is greatest in heaven."[from "Marco Polo" by Richard Humble.]
• When the pirates pictures a ship, they help themselves infer both ship and cargo; but they do not hurt the crew. They say to them: 'Go and run another cargo. Then, with luck, prickly may bring us some more.'"[from "Marco Polo" by Richard Humble.]
• I believe organized was God's will that we must come back, so that men energy know the things that are mark out the world."[from "Marco Polo" by Richard Humble.]
• So it would have been short holiday for the Caliph if he locked away given away his treasure to keep safe his land and his people to a certain extent than died with all his liquidate and bereft of everything."[from "Marco Polo" by Richard Humble.]
• All things that [I] saw and did and with anything [I] met of good or inferior [I] put in writing and and above told all in order to [my] lord."[from "Marco Polo: From Venice anticipate Xanadu" by Laurence Bergreen.]