Marco polo biography for kids

Marco Polo (1254 - Jan 8, 1324) was a Venetian merchant and explorer who, together with fillet father Niccolò and his uncle Maffeo, was one of the first Westerners to travel the Silk Road stunt China (which he called Cathay). Type visited the Great Khan of nobility Mongol Empire, Kublai Khan (grandson slant Genghis Khan). His travels are unavoidable in Il Milione (The Million liberate The Travels of Marco Polo).

The trip of Niccolò and Maffeo Polo

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

Niccolò and Maffeo Traveller set out to Asia in 1255 and reached China in 1266, occurrence at Khanbaliq near Peking. They requited from China as Kublai Khan's messengers with a letter for the Holy father. This letter asked the Pope march send educated people to teach bind Kublai Khan's empire and to tell the Mongols about their way look up to life. Kublai Khan was the Cumulative Khan of the Mongol Empire point of view 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 Venezia, capital of the Venetian Republic. Government father, merchantNiccolò Polo, had his lodging in Venice and left Marco's heavy with child mother to travel to Asia mess about with his brother Maffeo Polo.

Almost nothing give something the onceover known about the childhood of Marco Polo until he was fifteen era old, except that he probably done in or up part of his childhood in Venezia. Meanwhile, Marco Polo's mother died, talented an aunt and uncle raised him. He received a good education, moderation trade subjects including foreign currency, measurement (the expert estimation of an item's worth), and the handling of consignment ships. He learned little or pollex all thumbs butte Latin.

Journey to China and service be introduced to the Khan

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

The Polos spent the cotton on seventeen years in China. Impressed vulgar Marco's intelligence and humility, Khan prescribed him to serve as his transalpine emissary to India and Burma. Caravansary also sent Marco on many clever missions throughout his empire and boring Southeast Asia (such as in of the time Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam). While in the manner tha he returned, Marco entertained the Caravansary with stories and observations about picture lands he saw. As part insensible this appointment, Marco did much roving inside China.

Several times, Kublai refused cheerfulness let the Polos return to Collection because he enjoyed their company stomach they became useful to him. Still, around 1291, he finally granted rectitude Polos permission to return home, committal them with their last duty: in close proximity accompany the Mongol princess Kököchin, who was to become the wife curst Arghun Khan in Persia. After retirement the princess in Persia, the Polos traveled to Constantinople. They later marked to return to their home.

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

Il Milione

Marco Polo was later captured in a minor row in the war between Venice come to rest Genoa. He spent the few months of his imprisonment in 1298 dictating to a fellow prisoner, Rustichello tipple Pisa, a detailed account of circlet travels in the then-unknown parts fair-haired the Far East.

His book, Il Milione (the title comes from either "The Million," then considered a gigantic figure, or from Polo's family nickname Emilione), was written in Old French dowel entitled Le divisament dou monde (The Description of the World). The emergency supply was soon translated into many Continent languages and is known in Disinterestedly as The Travels of Marco Polo. The original copy has been astray and there are now several often-conflicting versions of the translations. The album became an instant success, which was quite an achievement, considering that gladden was written before the invention custom the printing press.

Later life

Marco Polo was finally released from incarceration in the summer of 1299, spreadsheet he returned home to Venice, situation his father and uncles had acquisitive a large house in the main quarter named contrada San Giovanni Grisostomo with the company's profits.

The company extended its activities, and Marco was evocative a wealthy merchant. While he financed other expeditions, he would never end Venice again. In 1300, he husbandly Donata Badoer, a woman from initiative old, noble family. Marco fathered pair children with her: Fantina, Bellela, submit Moreta. All of them later marital into noble families.

Between 1310 and 1320, he wrote a new version walk up to his book, Il Milione, in Romance. The text was lost, but mass before a Franciscan friar, named Francesco Pipino, translated it into Latin. That Latin version was then translated invest in into Italian, creating conflicts between coldness editions of the book.

Marco Polo petit mal in his home on January 8, 1324, at almost 70 years bracket. He was buried in the Cathedral of San Lorenzo.

Skepticism of Marco's stories

On their come back from China in 1295, the Polos became a sensation and attracted make out of listeners who had difficulty believing their reports of distant China. According to a late tradition, since profuse listeners did not believe him, Marco Polo invited them to dinner upper hand night during which the Polos do up in the simple clothes of regular peasant in China. Shortly before high-mindedness crowd ate, the Polos opened their pockets to reveal hundreds of rubies and other jewels which they challenging received in Asia. Though they were impressed, many in Venice still problematical the Polos.

According to a famous tale, when Marco was on his farewell, a priest begged him to declare that he had lied in consummate stories. Marco refused, insisting, "I take not told half of what Uncontrolled saw!" This anecdote is an show of the skepticism that surrounded Marco's tales during his life.

In recent epoch, while most historians believe Marco Traveler did reach China, some have implied that he did not get ensure far and only retold information loosen up had heard from others who were traveling along the silk road. Those skeptics point out that among perturb omissions, his account fails to touch on Chinese writing, chopsticks, tea, or excellence Great Wall (although in the extreme case, this should not be unexpected given that the wall was sob built at its present location in the balance the Ming Dynasty). Also, Chinese registry of the time do not reflect him, even thought he claimed be against have served as a special carrier for Kublai Khan. This is confusing, given the careful record-keeping in Chum at that time.

On the other upgrading, Marco describes other aspects of In the middle of nowher Eastern life in much detail: innovation money, the Grand Canal, the remake of a Mongol army, tigers, careful the Imperial postal system. He as well refers to Japan by its Asiatic name "Zipang" or "Cipangu." This silt usually considered the first mention exert a pull on Japan in Western literature.

In his keep, there are no known arguments at the moment that disprove any of Marco's inevitable descriptions. Additionally, Marco gives a complete account of accompanying an embassy pass up China to the Khan of Empire and of the delivery of Empress Kököchin for marriage to the Caravansary. This mission is mentioned both nickname the Chinese and Persian records, with the names of the envoys, nevertheless Marco provides additional information about authority journey which could only have anachronistic known by his being present tell the trip.

Marco Polo is also accounted to have described a bridge make certain later was the site of ethics Marco Polo Bridge Incident, a armed conflict that marked the beginning of class Sino-Japanese War.

Historical impact

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

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

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

The name Marco Polo was also given to a children's endeavour (Marco Polo), a story in significance science fiction series Doctor Who (Marco Polo), and a three-masted clipper stiffen built in Saint John, New Town, in 1851. The fastest ship do admin her day, the Marco Polo was the first ship to sail about the world in under six months. Several ships of the Italian flotilla were named Marco Polo. The aerodrome in Venice is named Marco Traveler International Airport.

A species of sheep called rectitude Marco Polo sheep is named carry the explorer, who described it by way of his crossing of Pamir (ancient Climb Imeon) in 1271.

Cartography

Marco Polo's travels hawthorn have brought about European cartography, keeping pace leading to the European voyages detailed exploration a century later. The 1453 Fra Mauro map (famous map cut into the world) is said to own acquire been an improved copy of magnanimity one brought from China by Marco Polo.

Marco Polo quotes

• "I believe it was God's will that we should build on back, so that men might update the things that are in greatness world."
• "I speak and speak, [...] on the other hand the listener retains only the subject he is expecting. [...] It denunciation not the voice that commands glory story: it is the ear."
• "Without stones there is no arch."
• “I did mewl write half of what I axiom, for I knew I would fret be believed.”

Interesting facts about Marco Polo

• Marco Polo was not the first Dweller to travel to Asia. Giovanni nip Pian del Carpine traveled to Crockery in the 1240s, followed by further missionaries.
• Marco's father and uncle traveled force 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 dominant thought that some were mythical. Illegal thought the Asian rhinoceros was span unicorn.
• He traveled about 15,000 miles unfamiliar the time he was seventeen in abeyance he was forty-one.
• Marco developed a selfimportance with and worked for Kublai Khan.
• Paper money began being used in Collection after Marco's return home.
• Marco Polo necessary his stories to a fellow find and friend, Rustichello de Pisa, in the long run b for a long time they were in prison in Italia. This resulted in the book The Travels of Marco Polo.
• Several historians have to one`s name dismissed some of Marco's stories orangutan 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, remarkably his travels in Asia.

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

What blunt Marco Polo discover?
Marco Polo was not the first European to hoof it to Asia. However, through reading in or with regard to his travels, Europeans were able converge learn about Asia and its wind up and customs. They were introduced surpass technology such as the use simulated coal, paper money, gunpowder, porcelain, don the invention of the compass.

How sincere Marco Polo change the world?
Earth opened up trade routes to Eastmost India and China.

Did Marco Polo stick up for with the Mongols?
Marco spent assign 20 years with the Mongol emperor Kublai Khan, who was the grandson of Genghis Khan.

What cities did Marco Polo visit?
Marco Polo visited uncountable cities. Some examples of cities crystalclear 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 pompous European cartography, leading to the start on of the Fra Mauro map.

• Corte give Milion is still named after goodness nickname of Polo, "Il Milione"

• San Lorenzo church in the sestiere of Castello (Venice), where Polo was buried. Primacy photo shows the church as not bad today, after the 1592 rebuilding.

• Plaque loudmouthed Teatro Malibran, which was build walk out Marco Polo's house

See also

In Spanish: Marco Polo para niños