Marco Polo By Ciara Corbin

Basic Information:  Name: Marco Polo  Date of Birth: September 15, 1254  Native Country: Italy  Country Explored For: No specific country  Areas Explored: China and Central Asia  Purpose of Exploration: He was a voyager and merchant merchant  Dates of Exploration:  Name of Ship: Dummas  Why he is Famous: His travels through Asia  How he Died: natural causes  Where he Died: Venice, Italy  When he Died: January 8, 1324

Background Information:  Marco Polo’s family was wealthy.  All of the members in his family were successful merchants and well respected.  The Polo family spent most of their time traveling.  Marco’s family owned a few shops and warehouses.  They sold a lot of silks, spices, jewels, and other trinkets.  Marco Polo was taught to be a merchant from his father and uncle.

Marco’s trip to China:  In 1271, Marco Polo went to China with his father and uncle.  It took Marco 3 years to get to China.  To get to China they had to follow a road called the Silk Road. a road called the Silk Road.  The Silk Road linked Europe to Asia to Asia  Marco Polo’s route took him from Venice, Italy to China. from Venice, Italy to China.  To get to China he had to go through Armenia, Georgia, Persia and Armenia, Georgia, Persia and Afghanistan. Afghanistan.  He had to go over the Pamir Mountains and across the Mountains and across the Taklamakan and Gobi Deserts. Taklamakan and Gobi Deserts.

Meeting Kublai Khan:  When Marco Polo got to China, he met Kublai Khan.  Kublai Khan was a Mongol emperor who conquered China in  Marco worked for Kublai Khan for 17 years.  His job was to travel around the Mongol empire as an ambassador and tell Kublai Khan what was going on in his land.

Marco’s Abilities:  One of the reasons Kublai Khan hired Marco Polo was because he had very good writing skills.  Marco’s journals helped Kublai Khan learn more about his empire.  Marco Polo could speak, read and write in Italian and French.  Marco was also good at planning journeys, keeping accounts and he was a very well trained merchant.

Going Back Home:  When Kublai Khan started to get older, the Polo’s asked for permission to go home because they were homesick.  They were also afraid that the next emperor would not be so nice to them.  Kublai Khan said yes, but first they had to complete one more task.  Khan wanted the Polo’s to take Kokachin, a Mongol princess, to the Middle East so she could get married. a Mongol princess, to the Middle East so she could get married.

Going Back Home Continued… Going Back Home Continued…  The ships they went back home on were called Chinese junk ships.  Chinese junk ships were the most hi-tech ships Kublai Khan had.  It took eighteen months to drop the princess off in the Middle East.  They had to go through the China Sea, past Indonesia and Malaya.  Only 18 out of 600 passengers made it through the tough journey.

Marco’s Book  A few months after Marco came home from China, he went to jail.  In jail he met an author named Rusticello.  Marco and Rusticello wrote a book about his travels called II Milione.  At first, people did not believe the stories that Marco told in the book.  It took many years for people to believe his strange tales to believe his strange tales about his travels in Asia. about his travels in Asia.  Marco Polo’s book became famous and inspired an famous and inspired an explorer named Christopher explorer named Christopher Columbus to travel. Columbus to travel. A page from Il Milione A page from Il Milione

Major Events:  1254 Marco was born.  1260 Marco’s father and uncle traveled to the Black Sea.  1260 Marco’s father and uncle got trapped in the Civil War, so they headed east to China.  1269 After they met Kublai Khan Marco’s dad and uncle came home.  1271 Marco, his father and his uncle set off to China.  1275 The Polo family gets to China

Major Events continued…  Marco is hired by Kublai Khan and he explores China.  1292 Marco, his father, and his uncle start heading home  1292 They also escort a princess to Persia.  Marco reaches Venice in 1298  1298 Polo is captured in war  Marco plans his book describing his travels.  1324 Marco Polo passes away at age 70

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