Marco Polo Accomplishments

The Life and Accomplishments of Marco Polo

I. “I have only told half of what I saw” were some of the final words of one of the first

Europeans to travel to Asia, the great Marco Polo. Marco, the son and nephew of merchants Niccolō and Maffeo, was born c. 1254 AD. He lived during the Middle Ages, and spent his childhood in Venice. When he was 6, the aforementioned family members left him for Russia to trade jewels. Marco’s mother died while they were gone and he lived with other members of his family until their return, when he was 16. Others that lived during his life included Osman I, St. Thomas Aquinas and Kublai Khan. Kublai is an especially important figure in Marco’s life since he was the emperor, or Khan, of the

Mongol Empire. As a crucial

While heading back to the capital, the Polo’s went through many regions. 1. They included: Afghanistan, Iran, Kafiristan, Hindu Kush, and other parts of the silk road. a. Marco got sick in Afghanistan so they stayed there for a year. F. They finally were back to the Mongol Capital in May 1275. 1. The Khan was pleased to get the oil.

IV. During Marco’s stay in China, Kublai Khan used Marco as an advisor and government official.

A. For three years, Marco served as a City Governor. 1. He governed Yang-Chou. a. Yang-Chou is just a little south of Shanghai. b. He called it “The most splendid and wonderful city in the world” 2. During his tenure, he travelled to Sri Lanka to retrieve Buddha’s tooth. a. He was able to receive the tooth, but it cost a ton of money. B. He traveled with the Khan to Khanbalik. 1. The Mongols’ were nomadic, so they changed their capital with the season. 2. Niccolō and Maffeo began trading with the native Chinese. a. They became quite wealthy from this.

V. After doing jobs for Kublai Khan for seventeen years, they were homesick and wanted to return to Venice.

A. They only intended to stay for two