Who was Marco Polo?

Asked 17-Oct-2023
Updated 18-Oct-2023
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Marco Polo was a Venetian merchant and traveler who explored Asia on the Silk Road (1271-295). Such information about him can be found in his book called The Travels of Marco Polo, where he gives an account of what he saw and heard during his stay in Asia. It became a great European best-seller introducing readers into worldly Asian wondrous wealth such as China, India, and Japan.

His name is Marco Polo and he was born in Venice during the year 1254. His uncle and father Niccolò, also Maffeo, were among the great merchants of that period who traveled to Asia in the 1260s. In 1271, he joined them for the second time. Polos traveled across on foot using the Silk Road, crossing Persia then Afghanistan and Central Asia. Finally, they arrived in China in 1275, and went into his court, the Mongol emperor, known as Kublai Khan.

  • The following 17 years spent in China where he became close to the Chinese Emperor Kublai Khan and acted as his loyal adviser. He did so much touring across the country where he acquired knowledge about its culture, norms, and forms of governance. Additionally, he studied Japan, India, and even countries in Southeast Asia.
  • The Polos wanted to return home in 1292.subsection: In what ways does it differ from other similar products?subsection: What makes it different from its competitors? These ancient people traveled from China to India using the sea route, then down through the Persian Gulf. Once they got back home, they went by land through Persia and Turkey until they reached Venice in 1295.
  • Having returned home to Venice, he recorded his travels in a book which is titled ‘The Travels of Marco Polo’. This led to its overwhelming success and it has been translated into many languages. These included paper money, coal, and Gunpowder which the Book enlightened the Europeans on what Asia has. It also gave rise to several Asian explorations undertaken by the Europeans in different decades after that.
  • Marco Polo passed away in Venice in 1324. He has been recognized as one of the most accomplished explorers ever.