Marco Polo

Marco Polo (September 15, 1254 – January 8, 1324) was a Venetian merchant, explorer, and writer who travelled through Asia along the Silk Road between 1271 and 1295. His travels are recorded in The Travels of Marco Polo, a book that described to Europeans the then mysterious culture and inner workings of the Eastern world, including the wealth and great size of the Mongol Empire and China in the Yuan Dynasty, giving the first comprehensive look into China, Persia, India, Japan and other Asian cities and countries.

Early life

Marco Polo was born in Venice, Italy. The exact date and place of his birth are archivally unknown. Some historians mentioned that he was born on September 15, 1254, but that date is not endorsed by mainstream scholarship. Marco Polo's father, Niccolò Polo, a merchant, was not at home at the time of Marco's birth, having left in 1260 on a long-term trading trip to Asia.

Travels

In 1271, Niccolò and his brother Maffeo Polo returned to Asia with the young Marco. They travelled overland along the Silk Road, and were among the first Europeans to travel the trade route. They passed through much of Asia, and met with Kublai Khan, a Mongol ruler and founder of the Yuan Dynasty.

Later life and death

After returning to Venice in 1295, Marco Polo was captured and imprisoned by the Genoese, who were then at war with Venice. While in prison, he dictated his stories to a cellmate, Rustichello da Pisa, who turned them into the book The Travels of Marco Polo. Marco Polo was released in 1299, returned home to Venice, and died in 1324.

Legacy

Marco Polo's travels have since inspired many explorers. Including Christopher Columbus, who kept a copy of Polo's book with him on his voyages. In a broader sense, Marco Polo introduced Europeans to Central Asia and China.

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