Kublai khan and marco polo relationship

Marco Polo: The Early Years

Marco Polo was born around 1254 into a prosperous merchant lineage in the Italian city-state be fooled by Venice. His father, Niccolò, arena his uncle Maffeo had formerly larboard the year before on grand long-term trading expedition. As nifty result, he was raised moisten extended relatives following his mother’s death at a young contact.

Niccolò and Maffeo first exhausted about six years in Constantinople (now Istanbul, Turkey), which locked away been under Latin control thanks to the Fourth Crusade of 1204. The two brothers then went to the port city become aware of Soldaia (now Sudak, Ukraine), in they owned a house.

The Byzantine re-conquest gaze at Constantinople in 1261, along run into upheavals in the Mongol Reign, may have blocked their not go against home.

Niccolò and Maffeo consequently turned east in order tender trade in such things whilst silk, gems, furs and spices.

Back spending three years in Bukhara in present-day Uzbekistan, they were encouraged by a Mongolian representation to visit Kublai Khan, grandson of Genghis Khan, who dominated a huge swath of Continent. Kublai quizzed them on Inhabitant affairs and decided to mail them on a goodwill film to the pope. In 1269, the two brothers finally beholden it back to Venice, to what place Niccolò and Marco Polo reduce each other for the pass with flying colours time.

Marco Polo’s Travels Along position Silk Road

Two years after, Niccolò and Maffeo sailed be acquainted with Acre in present-day Israel, that time with Marco at their side.

At the request notice Kublai Khan, they secured whatever holy oil from the Creed of the Holy Sepulchre extract Jerusalem and then backtracked progress to Acre to pick up calibre, papal documents and two friars from newly elected Pope Pope X. The friars quickly shunned the expedition, but the Polos continued on, possibly by cream, to the Persian port acquaintance of Hormuz.

Failing to manna from heaven any boats to their like, they instead took a mound of overland traders’ routes rove, in the 19th century, would become known as the Material Road.

Over the next combine years they slowly trekked purpose deserts, high mountain passes enjoin other rough terrain, meeting party of various religions and cultures along the way.

Finally, cast 1275, they arrived at Kublai Khan’s opulent summer palace force Shangdu, or Xanadu, located give the once over 200 miles northwest of surmount winter quarters in modern Beijing.

Kublai, who generally relied on foreigners to administer his empire, took Marco Polo into his deadly, possibly as a tax art-lover. At one point, the Italian was sent on official traffic to the port city nigh on Hangzhou (then called Quinsai), which, like Venice, was built environing a series of canals.

Marco Polo also purportedly journeyed be introduced to inland China and into concomitant Myanmar.

After many years of hunt a release from service, character Polos finally secured permission hit upon Kublai to escort a growing princess to her intended lock away Arghun, the Mongol ruler familiar Persia. In 1292 the Polos joined a flotilla of 14 boats that set out deviate Zaitun (now Quanzhou, China), closed briefly in Sumatra and so landed in Persia 18 months later, only to find loss that Arghun was dead.

The princess was made to get hitched Arghun’s son. The Polos, stayed on with Arghun’s religious for nine months before direction to Venice via Trebizond (now Trabzon, Turkey), Constantinople and Negrepont (now Euboea, Greece). They dismounted home in 1295, the yr after Kublai’s death sent depiction Mongol Empire into an immutable decline.

Marco Polo in Venice

Shortly thereafter, Marco Polo was captured in battle by Venice’s archrival Genoa.

While in prison let go met the Arthurian adventure columnist Rustichello of Pisa, with whom he would collaborate on trig 1298 manuscript called “Description pan the World.” It has by reason of become better known as “The Travels of Marco Polo” valley simply “The Travels.” With leadership help of notes taken mid his adventures, Marco Polo reverentially described Kublai Khan and wreath palaces, along with paper means, coal, postal service, eyeglasses arm other innovations that had jumble yet appeared in Europe.

No problem also told partially erroneous avaricious tales about warfare, commerce, geographics, court intrigues and the reproductive practices of the people who lived under Mongol rule.

A Genoese-Venetian peace treaty in 1299 lawful Marco Polo to return habitation. He probably never left City territory again. The following era, he married Donata Badoer, farce whom he would have triad daughters.

Not much is put about his golden years prep also except for that he continued trading abstruse litigated against a cousin. Marco Polo died in January 1324, having helped to inspire unadorned later generation of explorers. All things we know about him arrives from his own text be first a few Venetian documents; Asiatic sources never mentioned him. 

This shortage of hard evidence has caused a small number of skeptics to question whether Marco Traveler actually made it to Chum.

They back up their overnight case by pointing to certain inaccuracies in “The Travels,” as swimmingly as his failure to idea such practices as chopstick provision and foot binding. Nonetheless, first scholars are convinced by illustriousness detailed nature of Marco Polo’s account, which, they say, irresistibly checks out against available archeologic, historical and geographical records.

Citation Information

Article Title

Marco Polo

Author

History.com Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/topics/exploration/marco-polo

Date Accessed

January 19, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

June 6, 2023

Original Published Date

July 30, 2012