Marco Polo
Most European explorers took little note of the Viking discovery. They were looking
toward Asia, not toward the west.
The trees of North America were valuable to the Vikings who lived on Greenland. Most
Europeans, however, were not interested in trees. They desired gold, silk, perfumes, spices
and jewels. These things came from Asia.
Travel to Asia was very difficult. To get there, it was necessary to cross burning hot deserts
and climb steep mountains. Robbers and bandits were a constant danger.
One traveler to Asia was Marco Polo. He was about 17 years old in 1271 when he left his home
in Venice, Italy. He left with his father, Nicolo, and his uncle, Maffeo, who were Italian
merchants (store owners). The journey to China took three and a half or four years. There
were many dangers. Bandits attacked their caravan and they had to cross steep mountains and
bleak deserts.
They finally reached the summer court of the ruler of China, called the Great Kahn. This ruler
had a lot of wealth and power. The travelers were greeted warmly by Kahn, who liked young
Marco Polo. The emperor sent Marco on many missions, which took him to different parts of
China and Southeast Asia. Nicolo and Maffeo spent their time in or near the court. But, like
Marco, they grew rich because of their friendship with the Great Kahn.
Marco Polo saw more of Asia than any other European until about 600 years later. On his
travels, he listed the towns and cities he visited. He noted their size, their products and the
importance of trade. He was interested in local customs and wrote about them in his diaries.
Marco Polo told stories about incredible things. He reported that on one New Year’s Day
celebration, the Great Khan’s subjects gave him 100,000 white horses. Marco Polo claimed
that 5,000 elephants were in this New Year’s parade. Each elephant wore beautiful trappings
worked with gold and silk.
In 1292, Marco and his father began the journey back to Europe with jewels in their pockets.
They reached Italy in 1295. The jewels and the beautiful silk robes, which the travelers had
brought back from China, amazed people.
Three years later, Marco Polo was captured in a battle between Venice and Genoa. In prison,
he told a fellow prisoner of his adventures. The prisoner wrote them down and Marco sent to
Venice for his notes and diaries. Finally, Marco’s story was published as The Book of Marco
Polo. This remained the best account of Asia for several hundred years.
Though Polo's book exaggerates places and cultures (and some scholars believe he never
went as far east as China but only described places other travelers had been to), his book was
widely published, translated into many languages, and thousands of copies were printed.
Polo's book includes fanciful accounts of men with tails and cannibals seem to be around
every corner. At the time, many people thought Marco Polo was making up the stories. Polo
brought the ideas of paper currency and coal to Europe. He also included second-hand reports
of areas that he had not visited, such as Japan and Madagascar. A typical passage from
Travels reads:
Concerning the Island of Nicobar
When you leave the island of Java and the kingdom of
Lambri, you sail north about one hundred and fifty miles,
and then you come to two islands, one of which is called
Nicobar. On this island they have no king or chief, but
live like beasts. They go all naked, both men and women,
and do not use the slightest covering of any kind. They
are idolaters. They decorate their houses with long pieces
of silk, which they hang from rods as an ornament,
regarding it as we would pearls, gems, silver, or gold.
The woods are filled with valuable plants and trees,
including cloves, Brazil, and coconuts.
There is nothing else worth relating so we will go on to
the island of Andaman...
The influence of Marco Polo on geographic exploration was enormous. Years later, his
stories excited Europeans who began to wonder what the rest of the world was like. His book
was also a major influence on Christopher Columbus. Columbus owned a copy of Travels of
Marco Polo and made notes in the margins.
As Polo neared death in 1324, he was asked to recant what he had written and simply said that
he had not even told half of what he had witnessed. Despite the fact that many claim his book
to be unreliable, it was a sort of regional geography of Asia for centuries. Even today, his book
is considered among the great records of geographic exploration."
I have not told
half of what I
have seen!
Marco Polo
Answer each question in complete sentences.
1. What difficulties did Marco Polo face on his way to Asia?
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2. Who did Marco Polo visit in China?
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3. Why did Marco Polo see more of China than his father?
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4. What were some of the things Marco Polo claimed to have seen?
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5. How did Marco Polo influence the history of America?
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