Marco Polos Influence On The World - 1637 Words

â€Å"I have not told half of what I saw† were the final words of the great Venetian explorer Marco Polo; however, in recent times, Marco Polo’s exploits have been doubted more and more. (Pedriali, 161) Most often cited as evidence that Marco Polo’s travels may not have been as truthful as reported is the 1998 book Did Marco Polo go to china? by Dr. Frances Wood. Through new research done by Dr. Hans Ulrich Vogel of University of Tà ¼bingen in Germany, it has been shown that Marco Polo was mostly truthful in his memoirs, but it has also proven that some things were exaggerated thanks to his ghostwriter Rustichello da Pisa, Marco Polo himself, or later copyists. Marco Polo was a 13th century Venetian merchant explorer who is said to have traveled with his father and uncle to the Far East lands of China, Mongolia, India, and others. During this time the Mongols, known as the Golden Horde, were in control of much of Asia. Although this power was beginning to dissolve by the time the Polos’ set off on this journey, it was seen clearly that the Mongols still held power in the region. The Mongol leader, Khubilai Kahn, was a glistening example of this power (Jackson, 1998). Polo is said to have served under him as an envoy for a time before his return to Venice. While in Venice, after being captured by the Genoese during a small conflict between the Genoese and the Venetians, Polo and his Ghostwriter, Rustichello da Pisa, wrote his memoirs, The Travels of Marco Polo. This manuscript is aShow MoreRelatedSignificance Of Marco Polo s Voyages1136 Words   |  5 PagesExplain the significance of Marco Polo’s voyages to the â€Å"Eastâ⠂¬  for our understanding of world history. The silk routes, has for many centuries, connected the world through a series of overland and maritime routes reaching from China, India, the Middle East and Europe. One of the most significant narratives of the voyage is told through Marco Polo, who had a significant impact on the relationship between the east and Europe and on world history. Polo’s voyages vastly enhanced European knowledge aboutRead More marco polo Essay1031 Words   |  5 Pages Marco Polo nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Marco Polo was born in c.1254 in Venice. He was a Venetian explorer and merchant whose account of his travels in Asia was the primary source for the European image of the Far East until the late 19th century. Marco’s father, Niccolo, and his uncle Maffeo had traveled to China in 1260 - 1269 as merchants. Despite Marco’s enduring fame very little was known about the personal life of Marco Polo. It is known that he was born into a leading Venetian family ofRead MoreThe Incredible Journey of Marco Polo Essay870 Words   |  4 Pagesis obvious that Marco Polo had a successful journey. Not only was he able to document his journey to China, but he was also able to spread his experience throughout Europe, thereby immortalizing his name. Marco Polo took the long journey to China with his father and his uncle which changed his life forever. From becoming an ambassador of the Chinese Empire to telling his story while a prisoner of war, Marco Polo†™s journey was incredible. Though this seems undisputable, Polo’s journey may notRead MoreChristopher Columbus s Voyage Preparations And His Religious Beliefs1401 Words   |  6 Pageschronology of Europeans exploration dates way back before Columbus and the Age of Exploration in the 15th century. In actuality, the Age of Exploration started with the iconic Venetian explorer Marco Polo and his own exploration in the East. Evidence indicates that in the late Middle Ages, the Venetian explorer Marco Polo voyaged to Asia (1271- 1290) in hopes of discovering a route into Asia’s silk and spice trade. During that era, the spice and silk trade was the world’s biggest industry: it establishedRead MoreThe Travels Of Marco Polo1158 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"The Travels of Marco Polo† begins with the journey taken by Marco Polo’s father and his uncle, in which they go to present day china and meet Kublai Khan. The Polo’s family were the first Eu ropeans that Khan got to meet. The Polo’s represent the ideals of Europeans and Khan was very interested about their way of life. He wanted to know everything they knew about European politics, religion, and their justice system, â€Å"And then he inquired about the Pope and the Church, and about all that is doneRead MoreMarco Polo, the outsider; Ibn Battuta, the insider Essay1267 Words   |  6 Pagestravelling was not that easy. Yet, two men, the Italian tradesman Marco Polo and the Moroccan Jurist Ibn Battuta became famous for having managed to perform extremely long distance journeys away from their home country. At the end of their long travels, both men shared their experiences with the world via the books, The Travels of Marco Polo and The Travels of Ibn Battuta. An analysis of those two texts reveals two things. On one hand, Marco Polo remained a cultural outsider to the people he met duringRead MoreInvisible Cities By Italo Calvino1395 Words   |  6 PagesItalo C alvino’s (1923-1985) novel Invisible Cities consists of a number of dialogues between traveller Marco Polo and the Tartar Emperor Kublai Khan. Traveller Marco Polo tells Kublai Khan tales of the numerous cities of his empire, which the Khan himself will never visit. The men play with the notion that an understanding of the world’s cities will inform the emperor on how to govern his realm (Bloom 2001). Each city cannot be compared, as they are all radically different from one another. CalvinoRead MoreThe World Of The Eastern Hemisphere1497 Words   |  6 Pagesthe original explorers whose triumphs and success stories inspired future travelers to discover the unknown world of the Eastern hemisphere. During the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, Europe was in need of an intervention, something to bring life to the dull communities throughout the continent. Marco Polo brought exactly this, and contributed so much more with his travels across the world, bringing back religious morals, new spices, new languages, and new commercial goods that were never heardRead MoreThe Impact of Expectations Upon Marco Polo and Hernan Cortes2059 Words   |  9 Pagesthe great unknown, only to come out basked in glory as some of the great heroes of their day. Among the grandest are Marco Polo, who provided little known information about the Far East to Europeans, and Hernan Cortes, the great Spanish conquistador who is given credit for the defeat of the Mexica Empire. These two famous explorers are also ideal case studies to analyze the influence of expectations, interests, and of reality on the accounts of the places and people that these men encountered duringRead MoreThe Importance Of Christopher Columbus2256 Words   |  10 Pageslive on was discovered? Explorers have wandered the face of the Earth since the beginning of time, claiming their territories, deepening their roots, expanding their borders, and securing their land. Humans have explored the most distant parts of the world and are still discovering new territories as we explore our universe and space. The desire to discover is rooted in all of us whether it is for fame, fortunes, or for satisfying curiosity. As a result, great explorers have discovered and destroyed