Who was the first man from Venice to China?

Who was the first man from Venice to China?

Marco Polo, (born c. 1254, Venice [Italy]—died January 8, 1324, Venice), Venetian merchant and adventurer who traveled from Europe to Asia in 1271–95, remaining in China for 17 of those years, and whose Il milione (“The Million”), known in English as the Travels of Marco Polo, is a classic of travel literature.

Who accompanied Marco Polo while he was going to China?

In 1271 CE, then aged just 17, Marco accompanied his father and uncle, Niccoló and Maffeo, on what was the elder men’s second journey to East Asia, visiting the court of the Mongol leader Kublai Khan in China.

Which Chinese dynasty was in power when Marco Polo came from Europe?

A well-known traveler and explorer, Marco Polo headed for China along the Silk Road in the Yuan Dynasty (1271–1368).

Did Marco Polo serve Kublai Khan?

Venetian explorer Marco Polo spent more than two decades in the service of Kublai Khan, one of the greatest rulers in history who reigned over Mongolia for 34 years. Polo traveled extensively with his family, journeying from Europe to Asia from 1271 to 1295 and remaining in China for 17 of those years.

What is the history of Marco Polo?

Marco Polo (1254-1324) was a Venetian merchant believed to have journeyed across Asia at the height of the Mongol Empire. Upon reaching China, Marco Polo entered the court of powerful Mongol ruler Kublai Khan, who dispatched him on trips to help administer the realm. Marco Polo remained abroad for 24 years.

How did Marco Polo described Kublai Khan’s court?

At the court of Kublai Khan As for Kublai Khan himself, Marco would describe him as “well proportioned, neither small, nor large but of medium height”. The grandson of Genghis Khan, he had succeeded in 1260 and conquered the whole of China, after which he formed the Yuan dynasty.

What happened when Marco Polo met Kublai Khan?

He first set out at age 17 with his father and uncle, traveling overland along what later became known as the Silk Road. Upon reaching China, Marco Polo entered the court of powerful Mongol ruler Kublai Khan, who dispatched him on trips to help administer the realm. Marco Polo remained abroad for 24 years.

What did Marco Polo think of the Chinese?

Through it all, Marco Polo marveled at China’s cultural customs, great wealth and complex social structure. He was impressed with the empire’s paper money, efficient communication system, coal burning, gunpowder and porcelain, and called Xanadu “the greatest palace that ever was.”

What did Marco Polo refer to northern China as?

Cathay
Cathay and Mangi 1220–c. 1293) (as Cataya or Cathaia). Rashid-al-Din Hamadani, ibn Battuta, and Marco Polo all referred to Northern China as Cathay, while Southern China, ruled by the Song dynasty, was Mangi, Manzi, Chin, or Sin.

How many years did Marco Polo spend in China?

The Journeys of Marco Polo and Their Impact. Overview. Marco Polo (c. 1254-1324) was a Venetian merchant and adventurer who made an extended, twenty-four year (1271-95), journey with his father Niccolò and his uncle Maffeo into central Asia, including seventeen years spent in Mongol-controlled China.

What were Marco Polo’s early years like?

Little is known about Marco’s early years except that he probably grew up in Venice. He was age 15 or 16 when his father and uncle returned to meet him and learned that the pope, Clement IV, had recently died.

How old was Marco Polo when he reached Cathay?

Marco was about age 20 when he reached Cathay. Although he knew little or no Chinese, he did speak some of the many languages then used in East Asia—most probably Turkish (in its Coman dialect) as spoken among the Mongols, Arabized Persian, Uighur (Uygur), and perhaps Mongol.

Where did Marco Polo travel on the Silk Road?

Their journey took them through Turkey, Iran (Persia), Afghanistan, and Pakistan. Marco became ill in the desert but recovered in the cool regions of Afghanistan. They visited Kashmir and crossed the mountains into China. Following the Silk Road, they crossed the Gobi Desert and arrived at the Mongol summer capital, Shang-tu, in 1275.