" I believe it was God's will that we should come back, so that men might know the things that are in the world, since, as we have said in the first chapter of this book, no other man, Christian or Saracen, Mongol or pagan, has explored so much of the world as Messer Marco, son of Messer Niccolo Polo, great and noble citizen of the city of Venice."
-Marco Polo
-Marco Polo
Marco Polo in his later years Kublai Khan
Marco Polo was born in Venice in 1254 to Niccolo Polo and Nicole Anna Defuseh. His father(Niccolo Polo), and his uncle(Maffeo Polo) brought him on one of their many trips along the silk road all the way to China when he was seventeen. During his travels there, Marco recognized many quirks about each region. These observing and recording habits helped make him one of the most celebrated explorers in history. In Yarkand, his eyes picked out that the people there were prone to goiter, and that Mongolians were able to have many wives. When getting to China where Kublai Khan was the ruler and friend of the Polo brothers, Niccolo presented Marco as a liege of Kublai Khan. Marco was a favorite of Kublai Khan and quickly rose in ranks going on secret missions to China, India and other places for the Khan. Polo observed many things, and a some that caught his eye were the paper currency, coal, imperial mail and asbestos. None of these were found anywhere that he had seen. Since the Mongol Empire controlled all of China, the area was huge and mined about 125,000 tons of iron and salt was produced at about 30,000 tons a year. These numbers dwarfed any others in the world. Marco Polo was amazed at how there was so much prosperity, that everyone wore silk garments and had porcelain china. Marco, Niccolo and Maffeo after staying in the area of the mongol empire for a whole 17 years decided that they should leave before Kublai Khan died because they wanted to be able to get back safely. He agreed, but only if they escorted a Mongolian princess to Arabia on the way. They journeyed by sea for two years, and when they landed, 600 of the crew and passengers had died. it is still undecided how, but the most likely thing were scurvy or native attacks. After dropping her off, they went home, and arrived in 1295 back in Venice. Three years after his arrival, Venice and Genoa had a war and Marco Polo was captured while commanding a galleon. While in prison, one of his fellow prisoners persuaded him to tell his story, and tell is what Marco did. His fellow prisoner was named Rustichello of Pisa. barely anyone actually believed the story and because of that it was given the nickname ll Milione(The Million Lies). At his deathbed he remarked a quote of his which is now very famous, "I have only told the half of what I saw". Marco Polo had many amazing things in his travels, and it would be hard to imagine him doing any more.
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