Marco Polo was a well-known European merchant and an explorer.He traveled the Silk Road in Medieval times and documented his experiences in his published books. His involvement with the Mongolian empire was well documented in his books which revealed a lot of information about the famous Mongol Emperor, Kublai Khan.Marco Polo was a citizen of Venice who traveled to China with his father and uncle. There he served the notable Emperor Kublai Khan, grandson of Genghis Khan. He underwent several diplomatic roles and became a crucial part of the Emperor’s administration. After serving Kublai Khan for more than sixteen years, Marco Polo and his father begged to return to their home in Venice.Upon returning, Marco Polo involved himself in the war that was already started between Venice and the northwest region of Italy, Genoa. Soon he was captured in the battle and was imprisoned in the Genoese prison at Palazzo di San Giorgio for about three years. His cellmate was the famous Italian romance writer, Rustichello da Pisa, with whom Marco shared his captivating travel stories.Rustichello later helped to jot down Marco Polo’s story in the famous autobiography, ‘The Travels of Marco Polo’, in French dialect. Later, it was published in several different languages, including English, German, Vietnam, Latin, Gaelic, Catalan, and Aragonese. This led to the immense popularity of Marco Polo and his story on the journey to China.Through his stories, he established the fact that the Mongol dynasty was huge, both in terms of size and customs. He revealed several fascinating facts about Mongolian traditions. His stories influenced many prominent personalities, including Christopher Columbus and Fra Mauro. It is also known that Marco Polo was aware of four different languages and was extremely intelligent. He was one of the closest diplomats of the Mongol emperor and served him for more than two decades before returning home. Keep reading to know more interesting facts on Marco Polo.Did you enjoy the read? Then don’t forget to check out why was Marco Polo famous and Marco Polo facts here at Kidadl.Cool Facts That Made Marco Polo ImportantMarco Polo was born in the year 1254 in Venice, Italy. He belonged to a wealthy family of traders and perhaps received a good education. His father, Niccolo Polo, was a Venetian merchant. He, along with his brother, Maffeo Polo, set out on a journey to central Asia and returned before taking Marco along with them the next time. This long journey exposed Marco Polo to various cultures and languages that eventually augmented his knowledge. It is essential to learn the history associated with the travels of Marco Polo and how he became a close diplomat to the powerful Emperor of Mongols.Polo was well versed with classical literature and received his education from the Latin Church following Christian theology. At that time, the people of Venice believed that Jerusalem was the center of the world, where Jesus Christ was crucified. The early 13th century witnessed a flourish in trade and commerce, with Venice serving as the gateway to Asian riches. Constantinople, which is now Istanbul, was the trading hub for merchants all over the world.The Black Sea between Europe and Asia led them to Russia for goods. There was a system of trading routes to and from China in Central Asia, which was called the Silk Roads by the traders. The Polos decided to travel for trade to the cities along the Black Sea. However, they ended up in the capital of Mongols, Khanbaliq, which means the city of the Khan. This city in China was then under the reign of the most mighty ruler of that time, Kublai Khan, who was the grandson of the puissant Emperor, Genghis Khan.Polos returned to their hometown Venice after sixteen years. Upon arrival, they came to know that young Marco Polo’s mother had died. In 1271, just after two years of their arrival, the Polo brothers decided to visit China again, particularly the court of Kublai Khan. This time they brought young Marco Polo along with them. They decided to bring holy oil and documents from the Pope, just as ordered by the great Khan himself.Although they possessed the golden passport given by the Emperor to travel along the Silk Road, the Polos eventually reached their destination after three and a half years of journey. They were able to use the horses posted by the Mongolians as a means of transport and could even rest at the lodgings during their long tiresome safari. They sailed to the Middle East through the Mediterranean and crossed the Gobi Desert, and finally reached China. Upon reaching Kublai Khan’s court in the year 1275, Niccolo requested the Emperor to put his son Marco Polo at the King’s royal service. This marked the beginning of Marco Polo’s journey to eternal fame.Best Facts That Made Marco Polo ImportantDuring Polo’s travels, he picked up several languages, including Mongolian. Marco Polo was thought to be extremely intelligent. He helped the Emperor by adopting certain diplomatic techniques to compete against the non-Mongolian authorities.The Italian explorer Marco Polo performed a multitude of tasks given by the Emperor himself. He was posted at the Dadu base next to Khanbaliq, which was built by Kublai Khan. After serving for more than sixteen years, the Polos begged to return to their home in Venice. Marco Polo’s account highlights the fact that the Emperor did not want the Polos to leave the Mongolian empire owing to their immense contribution to the nation. At last, the Emperor agreed to let them go if only they escorted Cogatin, a Mongolian princess, who was supposed to get married to a Persian Prince named Arghun Khan. Thus, the Polo family began their journey back to the western world. They were allowed to utilize the sea route, and therefore they traveled in Chinese ships.After experiencing many difficulties, the Mongol princess was safely reached. Just before their arrival in Venice, the Mongolian Emperor passed away on 18 February 1294. This led to the rise of various disagreements between the local rulers, who tried to reassert themselves. They demanded a hefty amount from the Polo traders. Therefore, the Polos were bound to give away a significant amount that was considered to be their fortune. They gave away 4,000 Byzantine coins to a local government of a city located by the Black Sea.Interesting Facts That Made Marco Polo ImportantAccording to Marco Polo’s writings, the Polos reached Venice after crossing the Indian Ocean during the winter of 1295 after 24 long years. They carried a large number of treasures with them. Among the several things that they brought from China, asbestos was the most interesting treasure that they introduced to Venice. Polo wrote in his books about the use of this asbestos in the Mongol empire and how the asbestos clothes were cleaned by simply putting them on fire.Upon arrival, the Polos were not welcomed properly by their people as many relatives thought they were dead. At that time, the state was involved in conflict with the neighboring state of Genoa. Marco Polo participated in the war and commanded his own Venetian galley against the troops of Genoa. After three years, Marco was imprisoned in Genoa.This was the time when he started to share his awe-inspiring journey to China. According to Polo’s accounts, his cellmate happened to be the famous Italian romance writer Rustichello da Pisa, who carefully listened to the stories associated with Marco Polo’s travels. Polo also shared with him how his relationship was with the mighty Kublai Khan in the Mongolian empire. The various customs and traditions followed by the Mongols at that time interested Rustichello.These fabulous stories were penned down by him in a French dialect. This eventually became the best-selling book, which is called ‘The Travels of Marco Polo’. Translations in different languages were brought about by people from all over the world. Marco Polo’s book fascinated numerous influential personalities, including Christopher Columbus, who planned to connect with the successors of Kublai Khan.The Travels of Marco Polo even inspired Fra Mauro. He created his famous map from the expeditions led by many travelers, including Marco Polo. After getting out of jail at the end of the war, Marco got married to Donata Badoer and had three daughters. Polos continued to stay in Venice and never visited China thereafter.Shocking Facts That Made Marco Polo ImportantMarco told in his books that he had a servant named Peter who came from the Mongolian empire along with him. His last will highlights the fact that Peter was freed from his slavery after Polo’s death. Marco Polo’s death took place in the year 1324, and he was buried in the Church of San Lorenzo in Venice.His travel stories could not be published at the time when he was released from the prion. Some of the original copies of the manuscript were found, which were translated to Italian, French, and Latin in the initial days. It was named Il Milione, which means The Million. Marco Polo introduced several new things to Venice that he carried from China. He was the one who introduced the concept of paper money, which was used by the Mongolians in the early 13th century. This custom was not in use in Europe at that time.Many people believe that pasta was introduced in Venice by him though this belief is not true as pasta made its way long before in Italy. He was in possession of numerous goods from Asia even at the time of his death. This includes the golden tablet which was given to him by the Mongolian Emperor and also brocades of gold and silk.Although the stories of Marco’s travel have influenced several minds, he was not the first person to explore China. Many European travelers visited central Asia much before Marco’s birth. From his accounts, we come to know that Marco traveled more than 15,000 miles in 24 years.Some researchers believe that he even traveled to the Alaskan parts much before Vitus Bering, the Danish cartographer who was also an officer in the Russian Navy. His book also highlights the interesting fact that Polo’s favorite animal was the yak owing to its silky soft fur. He even brought yak fur to Venice and showcased it to the Venetian people. Several other animals like the Chow Chow dog breed and the musk deer were introduced by him.The exquisite cuisines of Asia were also discussed by Polo. He explained about an early power shake that the ancient Mongols drank. It was some sort of dried milk to which water was added by the Mongolians while they rode on horses. This mixture was a thick syrup that provided them with instant energy during the long tiresome journeys.Another shocking fact that was revealed from his book was that he encountered several magicians and astrologers. He came across the evil spirits that roamed in the Gobi desert and haunted many travelers with their illusions. This gives us the idea that he was a believer in sorcery.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for why was Marco Polo, important then why not take a look at facts about Pablo Picasso, or ancient China trades?
Marco Polo was a well-known European merchant and an explorer.
