It is the year 1298. A writer named Rustichello is in a jail in Genoa, listening to incredible stories from a fellow prisoner from Venice. Rustichello and Marco Polo were captured in sea battles against Genoa. Marco described a twenty-four-year journey, during which he served a rich and powerful ruler in a faraway land we now call China.
Outside of prison, Rustichello was an experienced writer of adventure novels. While the two men were imprisoned, he compiled Marco’s stories into a book called Description of the World, better known today as The Travels of Marco Polo.
Marco Meets his Father
Marco Polo reported that his great adventure began shortly after meeting his father, Niccolò, in 1269. They met for the first time when Marco was fifteen years old. Niccolò and his brother Maffeo were merchants from Venice who had spent years traveling far beyond their home. While Marco was growing up, the brothers journeyed east through Constantinople and continued into lands few Europeans had ever seen.
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The First Journey to China
The brothers had traveled east from Constantinople to trade in markets along the Silk Road. The Silk Road was a network of trade routes connecting Europe, the Middle East, and China. When the brothers attempted to return to Venice, they found a conflict between two local warlords blocking their route.
Instead of returning home, the Polo brothers accepted the invitation of a Mongol governor to travel east to meet Kublai Khan at his palace in faraway China. After a three-year trek, they finally arrived.
Kublai Khan ruled a vast and rich land unknown to all but a few Europeans. He was impressed with the brothers and their Christian faith, so he asked them to return to his palace with 100 Christian scholars.
Kublai Khan gave the brothers a golden tablet to present on their journey home. This special pass announced that they represented the great ruler and guaranteed their safety across his empire.
Marco Travels East
Niccolò and Maffeo Polo returned to Venice to prepare for a second journey to China, but this time, they took along Marco. Before leaving, the Polos visited Pope Gregory. Though the Pope sent gifts for the Khan, he could only provide two friars instead of the 100 requested scholars. Even those two turned back at the first sign of danger, leaving the Polos to journey on alone.
Kublai Khan’s Palace
Rustichello wrote that after a four-year journey across the Silk Road, the trio arrived at the palace of Kublai Khan. According to the text, the outer walls formed a massive loop four miles around, enclosing a grand complex decorated with gold, silver, and beautiful paintings.
Life in China
Marco claimed that Kublai Khan, a Mongol ruler governing China, trusted foreigners more than many of his Chinese advisors. According to Marco, the Khan appointed him to manage a Chinese city for three years. While in China, the Polo family became rich by trading in precious stones and gold.
Kublai Khan did not trust many of his Chinese advisors, so, according to Rustichello’s book, he is said to have sent Marco to help administer a Chinese city for three years. While in China, the Polo family became rich by trading in jewelry and gold.
The Long Journey Home
Marco Polo claimed Kublai Khan would not allow the Polos to return home for seventeen years, but an opportunity arose in 1292. Kublai Khan asked the family to escort a Mongol princess to Persia to be the bride of one of Kublai’s grandnephews. Persia was an ancient kingdom far to the west of China, but closer to the Polos’ home in Venice.
Thirteen ships carrying six hundred passengers left the palace of Kublai Khan, but by the time the party reached Persia, only eighteen passengers remained alive. When they arrived, the Polos learned that Kublai Khan’s royal relative had already died. After leaving Persia, the Polos returned home to Venice in 1295, ending a journey that had lasted twenty-four years.
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Back to Venice
Soon after the Polos returned home, Venice went to war with its rival, Genoa. The two city-states competed for control of key trade routes across the Mediterranean. Marco Polo went to sea to defend his city, but he was captured by Genoa and imprisoned, where he met Rustichello.
A Book That Inspired Europe
Because Rustichello wrote Description of the World before the invention of the printing press, copies had to be made by hand. The book delighted its readers and sparked interest in China and the cultures along the Silk Road. Christopher Columbus owned a copy and studied it closely before setting sail in 1492 in search of what he believed was China.
Was Marco Polo Telling the Truth?
Others argued that Marco Polo made up parts of his account based on gossip and rumors he heard. After all, Marco Polo reported seeing unicorns and described a battle that occurred years before he left Venice. He failed to mention the Great Wall of China, tea, foot-binding, or even chopsticks. The Chinese have no records of the Polo family, so it is unlikely he served as a high-ranking official.
Others argued that Marco Polo exaggerated or repeated stories he heard from others. After all, Marco Polo reported seeing unicorns and gave a first-hand description of a battle that occurred years before he left Venice. Marco failed to mention the Great Wall of China, tea, or rice. The Chinese have no records of the Polo family, so it is unlikely Marco could have been a governor.
Il Milione
Many people described Marco Polo’s book as Il Milione (“The Million”) for they claimed that it contained a million lies. As an old man, Marco was asked if he invented the stories in his book. His answer was that he barely told half of what he saw.
Resources
Download this lesson as a worksheet with activities
Editable File (Microsoft Word)
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Mr. Donn has an excellent website that includes a section on Chinese History.