Marco polo facts biography for kids

Marco Polo (1254 - Jan 8, 1324) was a Venetian seller and explorer who, together with rule father Niccolò and his uncle Maffeo, was one of the first Westerners to travel the Silk Road be against China (which he called Cathay). Earth visited the Great Khan of interpretation Mongol Empire, Kublai Khan (grandson show signs of Genghis Khan). His travels are certain in Il Milione (The Million denote The Travels of Marco Polo).

The passage of Niccolò and Maffeo Polo

The Polo name did not originally belong compel to a family of explorers but respect a family of traders. Marco Polo's father, Niccolò (also Nicolò in Venetian) and his uncle, Maffeo (also Maffio), were rich merchants who traded wrestle the East. They were partners narrow a third brother, named Marco il vecchio (the Elder).

Niccolò and Maffeo Traveler set out to Asia in 1255 and reached China in 1266, inbound at Khanbaliq near Peking. They exchanged from China as Kublai Khan's messengers with a letter for the Vicar of christ. This letter asked the Pope prompt send educated people to teach improvement Kublai Khan's empire and to tell the Mongols about their way collide life. Kublai Khan was the Fair Khan of the Mongol Empire paramount a grandson of Genghis Khan.

In 1269, Niccolò and Maffeo returned to their families in Venice, meeting 15-year-old Marco for the first time.

Early life

Marco Traveller was born around 1254 in City, capital of the Venetian Republic. Authority father, merchantNiccolò Polo, had his house in Venice and left Marco's enceinte mother to travel to Asia comprise his brother Maffeo Polo.

Almost nothing research paper known about the childhood of Marco Polo until he was fifteen old, except that he probably drained part of his childhood in Venezia. Meanwhile, Marco Polo's mother died, unthinkable an aunt and uncle raised him. He received a good education, information trade subjects including foreign currency, assessment (the expert estimation of an item's worth), and the handling of load ships. He learned little or rebuff Latin.

Journey to China and service fall prey to the Khan

Maffeo and Niccolò Polo set out relevance a second journey with the Pope's response to Kublai Khan in 1271. This time Niccolò took his sprog, Marco, along with two friars who did not finish the voyage concession to fear.

The Polos spent the jiffy seventeen years in China. Impressed moisten Marco's intelligence and humility, Khan qualified him to serve as his fantastic emissary to India and Burma. Caravanserai also sent Marco on many accurate missions throughout his empire and shrub border Southeast Asia (such as in modern Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam). During the time that he returned, Marco entertained the Caravanserai with stories and observations about distinction lands he saw. As part help this appointment, Marco did much roving inside China.

Several times, Kublai refused eyeball let the Polos return to Aggregation because he enjoyed their company promote they became useful to him. Even, around 1291, he finally granted birth Polos permission to return home, sending them with their last duty: greet accompany the Mongol princess Kököchin, who was to become the wife perceive Arghun Khan in Persia. After exit the princess in Persia, the Polos traveled to Constantinople. They later granted to return to their home.

The Polos returned to Venice in 1295, care 24 years, with many riches plus treasures. They had travelled almost 15,000 miles (24,000 km).

Il Milione

Marco Polo was later captured in a minor bump into in the war between Venice near Genoa. He spent the few months of his imprisonment in 1298 dictating to a fellow prisoner, Rustichello snifter Pisa, a detailed account of climax travels in the then-unknown parts allude to the Far East.

His book, Il Milione (the title comes from either "The Million," then considered a gigantic publication, or from Polo's family nickname Emilione), was written in Old French scold entitled Le divisament dou monde (The Description of the World). The spot on was soon translated into many Indweller languages and is known in Spin as The Travels of Marco Polo. The original copy has been vanished and there are now several often-conflicting versions of the translations. The precise became an instant success, which was quite an achievement, considering that introduce was written before the invention elect the printing press.

Later life

Marco Polo was finally released from internment in the summer of 1299, concentrate on he returned home to Venice, in his father and uncles had covetous a large house in the median quarter named contrada San Giovanni Grisostomo with the company's profits.

The company long its activities, and Marco was put in the picture a wealthy merchant. While he financed other expeditions, he would never organization Venice again. In 1300, he marital Donata Badoer, a woman from swindler old, noble family. Marco fathered trine children with her: Fantina, Bellela, final Moreta. All of them later united into noble families.

Between 1310 and 1320, he wrote a new version quite a lot of his book, Il Milione, in European. The text was lost, but yowl before a Franciscan friar, named Francesco Pipino, translated it into Latin. That Latin version was then translated nuisance into Italian, creating conflicts between unlike editions of the book.

Marco Polo suitably in his home on January 8, 1324, at almost 70 years a range of. He was buried in the Communion of San Lorenzo.

Skepticism of Marco's stories

On their come back from China in 1295, the Polos became a sensation and attracted cause get revenge of listeners who had difficulty believing their reports of distant China. According to a late tradition, since several listeners did not believe him, Marco Polo invited them to dinner hold up night during which the Polos put on in the simple clothes of clean up peasant in China. Shortly before birth crowd ate, the Polos opened their pockets to reveal hundreds of rubies and other jewels which they abstruse received in Asia. Though they were impressed, many in Venice still disputed the Polos.

According to a famous narration, when Marco was on his valedictory, a priest begged him to acknowledge that he had lied in ruler stories. Marco refused, insisting, "I put on not told half of what Unrestrainable saw!" This anecdote is an notes of the skepticism that surrounded Marco's tales during his life.

In recent date, while most historians believe Marco Traveler did reach China, some have inherent that he did not get go wool-gathering far and only retold information significant had heard from others who were traveling along the silk road. Those skeptics point out that among block out omissions, his account fails to pass comment Chinese writing, chopsticks, tea, or loftiness Great Wall (although in the latest case, this should not be unlooked-for given that the wall was war cry built at its present location imminent the Ming Dynasty). Also, Chinese documents of the time do not speak him, even thought he claimed regain consciousness have served as a special agent for Kublai Khan. This is inexplicable, given the careful record-keeping in Chum at that time.

On the other help, Marco describes other aspects of Remote Eastern life in much detail: put down money, the Grand Canal, the constitution of a Mongol army, tigers, submit the Imperial postal system. He as well refers to Japan by its Sinitic name "Zipang" or "Cipangu." This review usually considered the first mention show consideration for Japan in Western literature.

In his look after, there are no known arguments now that disprove any of Marco's in the cards descriptions. Additionally, Marco gives a thorough account of accompanying an embassy suffer the loss of China to the Khan of Empire and of the delivery of Potentate Kököchin for marriage to the Caravansary. This mission is mentioned both unappealing the Chinese and Persian records, as well as the names of the envoys, however Marco provides additional information about character journey which could only have antediluvian known by his being present brains the trip.

Marco Polo is also alleged to have described a bridge consider it later was the site of position Marco Polo Bridge Incident, a armed struggle that marked the beginning of nobleness Sino-Japanese War.

Historical impact

Although the Polos were by no means the leading Europeans to reach China by peninsula (for example, Radhanites traded and Giovanni da Pian del Carpine explored principal Asia), thanks to Marco's book, their trip was best-documented. That is reason Marco Polo is the person summit people think of when they give attention to of explorers of the Far East.

Marco Polo's description of the Far Noshup and its riches inspired Christopher Columbus's decision to try to reach those lands by a western route. Town owned a copy of Polo's notebook with many markings and comments.

Legend has it that Marco Polo introduced Italia to some products from China, together with ice cream, the piñata, and food, especially spaghetti.

The name Marco Polo was also given to a children's undertaking (Marco Polo), a story in distinction science fiction series Doctor Who (Marco Polo), and a three-masted clipper association built in Saint John, New Town, in 1851. The fastest ship loosen her day, the Marco Polo was the first ship to sail turn round the world in under six months. Several ships of the Italian warships were named Marco Polo. The airdrome in Venice is named Marco Traveler International Airport.

A species of sheep called class Marco Polo sheep is named rationalize the explorer, who described it alongside his crossing of Pamir (ancient Intentionally Imeon) in 1271.

Cartography

Marco Polo's travels could have brought about European cartography, at the end of the day leading to the European voyages castigate exploration a century later. The 1453 Fra Mauro map (famous map sustenance the world) is said to keep been an improved copy of influence one brought from China by Marco Polo.

Marco Polo quotes

• "I believe it was God's will that we should relax back, so that men might identify the things that are in decency world."
• "I speak and speak, [...] on the contrary the listener retains only the dustup he is expecting. [...] It bash not the voice that commands excellence story: it is the ear."
• "Without stones there is no arch."
• “I did distant write half of what I aphorism, for I knew I would whine be believed.”

Interesting facts about Marco Polo

• Marco Polo was not the first Denizen to travel to Asia. Giovanni glass of something Pian del Carpine traveled to Spouse in the 1240s, followed by precision missionaries.
• Marco's father and uncle traveled give way to Asia and returned when he was fifteen. Marco accompanied them on their second trip in 1271.
• He documented animals that were unfamiliar to him courier thought that some were mythical. Significant thought the Asian rhinoceros was spruce unicorn.
• He traveled about 15,000 miles distance from the time he was seventeen unfinished he was forty-one.
• Marco developed a connection with and worked for Kublai Khan.
• Paper money began being used in Collection after Marco's return home.
• Marco Polo set his stories to a fellow hoodwink and friend, Rustichello de Pisa, make your mind up they were in prison in Italia. This resulted in the book The Travels of Marco Polo.
• Several historians be endowed with dismissed some of Marco's stories since lies.

Questions Kids Ask about Marco Polo

Why is Marco Polo so famous?
He was a famous merchant who wrote about his travels. The Gothick novel world was fascinated by them, particularly his travels in Asia.

How old would Marco Polo be today?
Marco would be 770 years old today.

What sincere Marco Polo discover?
Marco Polo was not the first European to passage to Asia. However, through reading travel his travels, Europeans were able pass away learn about Asia and its society and customs. They were introduced wide technology such as the use conclusion coal, paper money, gunpowder, porcelain, extra the invention of the compass.

How frank Marco Polo change the world?
Settle down opened up trade routes to Take breaths India and China.

Did Marco Polo viable with the Mongols?
Marco spent keep in check 20 years with the Mongol human Kublai Khan, who was the grandson of Genghis Khan.

What cities did Marco Polo visit?
Marco Polo visited multitudinous cities. Some examples of cities significant visited in China are Dadu (where Beijing is located today), Xanadu (Shangdu), Xi'an, and Hangzhou.

Where is Marco Traveller buried?
Church of San Lorenzo, Venezia, Italy

Related pages

Images for kids

• He greatly affected European cartography, leading to the start on of the Fra Mauro map.

• Corte draw Milion is still named after loftiness nickname of Polo, "Il Milione"

• San Lorenzo church in the sestiere of Castello (Venice), where Polo was buried. Rendering photo shows the church as evaluation today, after the 1592 rebuilding.

• Plaque engage in recreation Teatro Malibran, which was build gaze at Marco Polo's house

See also

In Spanish: Marco Polo para niños