Marco Polo

1. Marco Polo By Ciara Corbin

2. 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 • Dates of Exploration: 1271-1292 • 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

3. 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.

4. 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. • The Silk Road linked Europe to Asia • Marco Polo’s route took him from Venice, Italy to China. • To get to China he had to go through Armenia, Georgia, Persia and Afghanistan. • He had to go over the Pamir Mountains and across the Taklamakan and Gobi Deserts.

5. Meeting Kublai Khan: • When Marco Polo got to China, he met Kublai Khan. • Kublai Khan was a Mongol emperor who conquered China in 1271. • 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.

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. 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 about his travels in Asia. • Marco Polo’s book became famous and inspired an explorer named Christopher Columbus to travel. A page from Il Milione

10. 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

11. Major Events continued… • 1275-1292 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 • 1298-1299 Marco plans his book describing his travels. • 1324 Marco Polo passes away at age 70

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