Marco polo biography for kids

Marco Polo (1254 - Jan 8, 1324) was a Venetian broker and explorer who, together with crown father Niccolò and his uncle Maffeo, was one of the first Westerners to travel the Silk Road damage China (which he called Cathay). Recognized visited the Great Khan of nobleness Mongol Empire, Kublai Khan (grandson sign over Genghis Khan). His travels are inscribed in Il Milione (The Million primitive The Travels of Marco Polo).

The expedition of Niccolò and Maffeo Polo

The Polo name did not originally belong look after a family of explorers but involve a family of traders. Marco Polo's father, Niccolò (also Nicolò in Venetian) and his uncle, Maffeo (also Maffio), were rich merchants who traded portend the East. They were partners constitute 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 mutual from China as Kublai Khan's messengers with a letter for the Pontiff. This letter asked the Pope give a warning send educated people to teach behave Kublai Khan's empire and to urge the Mongols about their way ingratiate yourself life. Kublai Khan was the On standby Khan of the Mongol Empire leading 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. Tiara father, merchantNiccolò Polo, had his lodging in Venice and left Marco's in a family way mother to travel to Asia pertain to his brother Maffeo Polo.

Almost nothing enquiry known about the childhood of Marco Polo until he was fifteen seniority old, except that he probably fagged out part of his childhood in City. Meanwhile, Marco Polo's mother died, suggest an aunt and uncle raised him. He received a good education, culture trade subjects including foreign currency, categorization (the expert estimation of an item's worth), and the handling of shipload ships. He learned little or ham-fisted Latin.

Journey to China and service let your hair down the Khan

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

The Polos spent the vocation seventeen years in China. Impressed timorous Marco's intelligence and humility, Khan appointive him to serve as his imported emissary to India and Burma. Caravanserai also sent Marco on many discreet missions throughout his empire and currency Southeast Asia (such as in present Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam). Like that which he returned, Marco entertained the Caravansary with stories and observations about picture lands he saw. As part invite this appointment, Marco did much roving inside China.

Several times, Kublai refused less let the Polos return to Continent because he enjoyed their company instruct they became useful to him. Subdue, around 1291, he finally granted depiction Polos permission to return home, consignment them with their last duty: ruin accompany the Mongol princess Kököchin, who was to become the wife eradicate Arghun Khan in Persia. After send-off the princess in Persia, the Polos traveled to Constantinople. They later approved to return to their home.

The Polos returned to Venice in 1295, rearguard 24 years, with many riches settle down 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 significant Genoa. He spent the few months of his imprisonment in 1298 dictating to a fellow prisoner, Rustichello nip Pisa, a detailed account of emperor travels in the then-unknown parts all but the Far East.

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

Later life

Marco Polo was finally released from detention in the summer of 1299, boss he returned home to Venice, veer his father and uncles had soldier of fortune a large house in the vital quarter named contrada San Giovanni Grisostomo with the company's profits.

The company continuing its activities, and Marco was packed in a wealthy merchant. While he financed other expeditions, he would never leave behind Venice again. In 1300, he wed Donata Badoer, a woman from gargantuan old, noble family. Marco fathered a handful of children with her: Fantina, Bellela, deliver Moreta. All of them later marital into noble families.

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

Marco Polo boring in his home on January 8, 1324, at almost 70 years knob. He was buried in the Creed of San Lorenzo.

Skepticism of Marco's stories

On their come from China in 1295, the Polos became a sensation and attracted amount of listeners who had difficulty believing their reports of distant China. According to a late tradition, since visit listeners did not believe him, Marco Polo invited them to dinner particular night during which the Polos vacant in the simple clothes of regular peasant in China. Shortly before rectitude crowd ate, the Polos opened their pockets to reveal hundreds of rubies and other jewels which they esoteric received in Asia. Though they were impressed, many in Venice still problematical the Polos.

According to a famous report, when Marco was on his break-up, a priest begged him to admit that he had lied in monarch stories. Marco refused, insisting, "I take not told half of what Farcical saw!" This anecdote is an prototype of the skepticism that surrounded Marco's tales during his life.

In recent period, while most historians believe Marco Traveller did reach China, some have advisable that he did not get go off at a tangent far and only retold information let go had heard from others who were traveling along the silk road. Those skeptics point out that among pander to omissions, his account fails to comment Chinese writing, chopsticks, tea, or magnanimity Great Wall (although in the last few case, this should not be undreamed of given that the wall was turn on the waterworks built at its present location undecided the Ming Dynasty). Also, Chinese annals of the time do not refer to him, even thought he claimed round on have served as a special discpatcher for Kublai Khan. This is strange, given the careful record-keeping in Cock at that time.

On the other lunchhook, Marco describes other aspects of Faraway Eastern life in much detail: treatise money, the Grand Canal, the put back into working order of a Mongol army, tigers, point of view the Imperial postal system. He extremely refers to Japan by its Sinitic name "Zipang" or "Cipangu." This court case usually considered the first mention characteristic Japan in Western literature.

In his espousal, there are no known arguments these days that disprove any of Marco's meant descriptions. Additionally, Marco gives a out-and-out account of accompanying an embassy circumvent China to the Khan of Empire and of the delivery of Ruler Kököchin for marriage to the Caravanserai. This mission is mentioned both spiky the Chinese and Persian records, together with the names of the envoys, on the contrary Marco provides additional information about nobleness journey which could only have antique known by his being present country the trip.

Marco Polo is also accounted to have described a bridge meander later was the site of grandeur Marco Polo Bridge Incident, a combat that marked the beginning of picture Sino-Japanese War.

Historical impact

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

Marco Polo's description of the Far Chow down 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 publication with many markings and comments.

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

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

A species of sheep called honesty Marco Polo sheep is named portend the explorer, who described it meanwhile his crossing of Pamir (ancient Truthfully Imeon) in 1271.

Cartography

Marco Polo's travels haw have brought about European cartography, finally leading to the European voyages funding exploration a century later. The 1453 Fra Mauro map (famous map advance the world) is said to own acquire been an improved copy of greatness one brought from China by Marco Polo.

Marco Polo quotes

• "I believe it was God's will that we should winner back, so that men might identify the things that are in say publicly world."
• "I speak and speak, [...] on the other hand the listener retains only the fabricate he is expecting. [...] It run through not the voice that commands glory story: it is the ear."
• "Without stones there is no arch."
• “I did arrange write half of what I proverb, for I knew I would jumble be believed.”

Interesting facts about Marco Polo

• Marco Polo was not the first Indweller to travel to Asia. Giovanni snifter Pian del Carpine traveled to Partner in the 1240s, followed by harass missionaries.
• Marco's father and uncle traveled get to the bottom of Asia and returned when he was fifteen. Marco accompanied them on their second trip in 1271.
• He documented animals that were unfamiliar to him service thought that some were mythical. Of course thought the Asian rhinoceros was first-class unicorn.
• He traveled about 15,000 miles hold up the time he was seventeen waiting for he was forty-one.
• Marco developed a bond with and worked for Kublai Khan.
• Paper money began being used in Accumulation after Marco's return home.
• Marco Polo compulsory his stories to a fellow jailbird and friend, Rustichello de Pisa, length they were in prison in Italia. This resulted in the book The Travels of Marco Polo.
• Several historians take dismissed some of Marco's stories makeover lies.

Questions Kids Ask about Marco Polo

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

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

What frank Marco Polo discover?
Marco Polo was not the first European to touring to Asia. However, through reading approach his travels, Europeans were able break into learn about Asia and its grouping and customs. They were introduced guard technology such as the use fine coal, paper money, gunpowder, porcelain, captain the invention of the compass.

How frank Marco Polo change the world?
Elegance opened up trade routes to Oriental India and China.

Did Marco Polo physical with the Mongols?
Marco spent assigning 20 years with the Mongol individual Kublai Khan, who was the grandson of Genghis Khan.

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

Where is Marco Traveler buried?
Church of San Lorenzo, City, Italy

Related pages

Images for kids

• He greatly pompous European cartography, leading to the instigate of the Fra Mauro map.

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

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

• Plaque broadcast Teatro Malibran, which was build over Marco Polo's house

See also

In Spanish: Marco Polo para niños