MARCO POLO , BIOGRAPHY OF MARCO POLO ,

                                                              

Marco Polo: The World's Greatest Explorer

                      
 During the thirteenth century, a merchantnamed Marco Polo returned home to Italy after spending 24 years living in the MongolianEmpire. He had the bad luck of getting arrested inGenoa, while they were at war with his hometown of Venice. He was a prisoner for two years, and he justso happened to share his cell with a famous writer named Rustichello da Pisa. The two of them shared stories with one another-as you do, when you’re stuck in a prison cell with absolutely no form of entertainment. Rustichello was so captivated by the storiesof Marco Polo’s journey, that he knew it would make a great book. So they spent those two years in captivitywriting the manuscript together. When they were finally released from prison,they published The Travels of Marco Polo, and it became an overnight best-seller. Marco Polo became the first European to documentso many details about the Mongolian and Chinese Empires.

The western world had a difficult time believingthat it was possible that there could be a civilization out there that was actually moreadvanced than theirs. His stories were so fantastic, people assumedthat it must be a work of fiction. For the rest of his life, Marco Polo was calleda liar. It would take hundreds of years before theworld would know that every single story he told was absolutely true. And yet, even today, there are some skepticswho find it hard to believe that one man could have seen and done so much in his lifetime.

 He has gone down in history as being one ofthe greatest explorers in the world. The Beginning Of An Epic JourneyMarco Polo was born into a wealthy Venetian family in the year 1254. He was expected to follow the family tradeof becoming a merchant. His father, Niccolo, and his uncle, Maffeo,were traveling most of Marco’s young life. Unlike a normal job, merchants were expectedto leave home for years at a time. They traveled the world, and gathered popularitems like spices, pearls, gold, and gem stones that were plentiful in certain countries. Then, they sold their goods in other countrieswhere they were far more valuable. They would earn enough money to last for years,only to go back on a new journey once again.

At that time, travelers would return to Europeclaiming that they had seen amazing creatures in the far-east. Many of these were complete works of fiction. There were stories about a country full ofhuman-dog hybrids, fire breathing dragons, and mystical unicorns. Christians believed that the Garden of Edenwas somewhere hiding in the middle east, and that Jerusalem was located in the exact centerof the world...which was flat, of course. The vast majority of people either fully believedthese fairytales, or chose to take everything with a grain of salt. The only people who knew the truth about whatwent on in foreign countries were the ones who had seen these places with their own eyes. And at a time when traveling meant going ona journey that required sailing, walking, or horseback-riding, people could only goso far before they ran out of money, food, and water. So the only people who traveled the worldwere the merchants.

They had generations of their family’s mapsand personal experiences behind them. It took an entire lifetime to prepare forthe journey. Marco Polo grew up learning to read, write,and speak multiple languages. While his father and uncle were gone, hismother passed away, and he spent a lot of his time at home, eagerly waiting for hisfather and uncle’s return, so that they could go on an adventure. By the time Niccolo and Maffeo finally returnedto Venice, Marco Polo was 15 years old. They explained to the boy that they had livedin Constantinople for several years before finding themselves ushered into China, atthe heart of the Mongolian Empire. The leader, Kublai Khan, was interested inmeeting them, because he had never seen European men before. The Khan was impressed by their ability toread and write in so many languages, and he believed that they could be very useful tohim. The Polo brothers were treated as esteemedguests, and they were given luxuries beyond their wildest dreams.

He asked them to return to Italy on a missionto meet with the Pope. Kublai Khan had request for the Polo brothersto bring back 100 priests to the Mongolian Empire. Kublai Khan was a Buddhist, but he was veryaccepting of all cultures and religions. He wanted Christians to come into his Empireto help diversify academic knowledge of the kingdom. Unfortunately for the Polos, they returnedto find that the Vatican was arguing over who would become the next Pope. Niccolo and Maffeo brought back gold and gemstonesthat were hidden in the lining of their clothes, and they were able to sell them all for asmall fortune. For two years, they prepared to return toMongolia, and taught Marco all about what to expect on the journey. Without the help of the Pope, they could onlyconvince two priests to come with them. When Marco was 17, his father and uncle packedup the caravan, and they set off on a journey across the land that would take them 3 years.

 Traveling to ChinaTraveling from Italy to China was no small task. The Polos had planned to take a boat there,but they realized that after years of being away, the family ship had fallen into disrepair,and there would be no way for them to sail. They had no choice but to go on foot. If they went straight through the desert,they would never make it. So they had to go on a journey where theywere able to stop at small cities and oases along the way. They would have taken camels, horses, anddonkeys to help carry the supplies. They ate dried meat and water, and once theyreached a town or city, they would barter with their goods to trade for fresh fruitsand vegetables in the marketplaces. All along the way, they carried goods thatthey could sell for a profit in the next country. The journey would have been exhausting, andthey would be exposed to the elements. But there were also countless numbers of banditswaiting to steal from traveling caravans. Marco Polo mentions the Tartars, who wereknown to kill men without mercy. But the Polo family was gifted with goldenpassports, which provided them protection from the Great Khan. It was written that if anyone were to messwith the Polos, they would have to face the wrath of the Khan’s entire army. Because of this, he never mentions going throughvery many hardships during that journey, except for the fact that the two priests could nothandle it.

They were forced to turn back and return toItaly. The Polos had to cross over the Pamir Mountainsin South-Central Asia. He described the bitter cold, and how theirfires could never be as hot as they were back home. Their next big challenge was the Gobi Desert,where they periodically came across the skeletons of dead animals and humans who had not survivedthe harsh conditions. He often heard the “singing sand dunes”. He described it as sounding like differentinstruments playing all at once, and sometimes, it sounded like the dunes were whisperinghis name. It was enough to drive a man mad. There were stories of men wandering into thedesert to try to find the source of the music, but they never returned. Now, this story truly sounds supernatural,because it was as if was some vengeful spirit trying to lure men to the deaths.

This is actually a very real phenomenon, though. These musical notes come from the sound ofvibrations of sand sliding down the dunes. These play musical notes, “G, E, or F”,which some people have describe as sounding similar to a cello. Once Marco Polo reached China, he had becomevery ill, and was afraid that he may die. But he found mountains that were said to havemagical healing powers. He climbed the mountain, breathed in the freshair, and found that it truly did heal him. He wrote that in Tibet, parents wanted theirdaughters to have sex with as many men as possible before they got married, so thatthey could prove how desirable they would be as wives. Since he was a young European man, these parentswere practically throwing their daughters at him to have a foreigner review their daughter’ssexual abilities. He mentions that Tibet was a great place tobe for a boy of 17 to 20 years old. Of course, this story caused a bit of controversy,and it was one of the many examples of stories that people found too far-fetched to believe. But it is actually based on a real custom. Now, just before we end into the second halfof todays video let me tell you about Vincero watches.

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 Thanks to Vincero Watches for sponsoring,and lets get back to it. Life in the Mongolian EmpireYears before Marco Polo was born, a powerful leader named Genghis Khan united the MongolianEmpire. Once all of the Mongol tribes were lead bya single leder, they began to conquer surrounding territories in Asia, Eastern Europe, and theMiddle East. Mongolian warriors were trained since theywere toddlers to ride on horseback, and the men spent their entire lives preparing forbattle. They had the strongest army in the world,with millions of soldiers prepared to fight for the Khan. In each new generation, the strongest heirwas chosen to be the new Khan. Marco Polo and his family were going to seeKublai Khan, who was arguably one of the greatest rulers the empire had ever seen. After traveling over 10,000 miles, Marco,Niccolo, and Maffeo Polo all arrived at Kublai Khan’s summer palace, called Xanadu.

They were greeted as esteemed royal guests. Even though he had heard so many stories fromhis father and uncle, it could never compare to experiencing the real thing. Marco Polo was completely blown away by thewealth and magnificence of the Mongolian Empire. Xanadu was a massive palace that had its ownpark, with lush gardens and exotic species of animals living on the land. Even in the 1200’s, the Chinese had advancedsystems of heating and cooling that had never been seen in Europe before. Pipes in the ground heated the polished hardwoodfloors, which kept the royal court warm in the winter. Engineers had constructed impressive bridgesand buildings. They were years ahead of Europe with theirsanitation systems, as well. Every single person was clean, smelled great,and dressed in luxurious silk robes, shimmering with golden threads. For Marco Polo, it was like he had died andgone to heaven.

The Khan threw a celebration for the Polofamily’s arrival with a feast. They fed over 40,000 guests, and Marco Polocould fill his cup with unlimited drinks from a massive silver wine fountain. He was incredibly impressed by Kublai Khan. Polo looked up to him with almost a god-likereverence, because he was an example of the perfect ruler. The Great Khan had incredible skill in battle,like his ancestors before him, but he was also educated, and level-headed when it cameto making diplomatic decisions. Instead of attempting to rule every singlecountry that he conquered, Kublai Khan allowed existing government structures to continuefunctioning on their own, so long as they agreed to bow down to the Khan, and pledgetheir allegiance to the Mongolian Empire. This mean that every territory was allowedto keep their religions, languages, and culture. Kublai Khan celebrated diversity, and he believedthat one day, the Mongolian Empire may spread across the entire planet. Because of this, it was very important tohave advisors like the Polo family in his court to help him negotiate with foreign nations. Marco Polo became one of Kublai Khan’s trustedadvisors, and he was able to live among the royal court. Since he could speak 5 languages, he was veryuseful in diplomacy and negotiations. He was eventually trusted to be in chargeof the Mongolian salt trade, and brokered deals for sending the mineral to other lands.

At that time, salt was incredibly valuable,even though it was relatively easy to produce. He described in great detail about how theworkers made salt from boiling sea water in giant vats, which is a technique that is stillused in China today. Along with all of these responsibilities,Marco Polo was allowed to enjoy all of the best entertainment that the empire had tooffer. There were musical performances, horse races,theater, and wrestling matches. Men of high standing were allowed to havetheir own harem, as well. The most beautiful women in the empire werebrought to Xanadu. He wrote about how the women were skilledin playing musical instruments, and how they were all graceful and polite. Keep in mind that he was just 20 years oldwhen he arrived, and he already had so much experience being the most popular guy in Tibetduring his journey to China. While it’s not included in his book, thereis one Chinese court record from that time that is believed to be about Marco Polo. A foreign man was arrested, because he waswalking with women alone at night without an escort. This was illegal, but the young man was totallyunaware of the law, and he had diplomatic immunity. So, they let him go.

But not all of the women in the MongolianEmpire were there for men’s entertainment. Marco Polo witnessed Kublai Khan’s niece,Princess Khutulun, battle for her right to choose her own husband. She set out a challenge that if any man coulddefeat her in wrestling, they would win her hand in marriage. However, no one was every able to defeat her,and she acquired a massive fleet of 10,000 horses. She was allowed to remain unmarried, and foughtalongside her father in battle. Even without Polo’s help to keep her memoryalive, Khutulun’s story was so incredible, that it had been passed down by word of mouthin China for hundreds of years. Returning Home to VeniceScholars believe that the Polos would have been afraid of what would have happened tothem after Kublai Khan’s death. Since they were foreigners who were not officialcitizens of the empire, they may not have the same rights and privileges once he passedaway. They claim that they were home sick, and humblyrequest to return to Italy.

 The Khan found them to be very useful, andat first, he did not want to see them go. But he eventually relented, saying that theycould leave, as long as they escorted a woman named Princess Kokachin to meet her new husbandin Persia. She was also called “The Blue Princess”,and she was remembered for her legendary beauty. This time, they did not have to go throughthe harsh mountains and desserts. They were able to take a boat to Persia, butover 100 people died on the journey. Only 18 survived, including the Polos andthe princess. By the time he returned to Italy, Marco Polohad been gone for 24 years, and he was a bachelor in his 40’s. During the war between Genoa and Venice, MarcoPolo was arrested, and the government illegally seized the majority of the wealth they hadacquired in their time away. He was able to hide some of his gold and gemstones,but he truly was lucky that his book was a best-seller. Otherwise, he may have ended up broke afterall of those years away. As we mentioned before, Marco Polo told thestories to Rustichello. And yet he never describes himself, or verymuch of his personal life.

Throughout the entire book, Marco Polo isacting more like a journalist, or a non-biased observer. He passed no personal judgement, and he simplyexplained the things he was seeing in a very matter-of-fact way. After publishing The Travels of Marco Polo,the author got mixed reviews. Some people congratulated him for his accomplishments,while others accused him of being a liar. Many of his stories challenged the Christianbeliefs about the outside world. And, by comparison, the Mongolian Empire seemedfar superior to Europe in a number of ways. They were wealthy, powerful, well-educated,open-minded, and had the strongest army in the world. These stories made some Europeans feel inadequateby comparison, and they clung on to their ethnocentric worldview. In modern times, scholars have poured overthe original manuscript of Marco Polo’s book, and compared the details to ancientChinese documents. They were able to confirm nearly every detailwas correct, which proves that he was telling the truth all along. For the rest of his life, Marco Polo triedto ignore the haters, and he went on living his life. He got married to a Venician noblewoman, andthey had three daughters together. In the records of his oldest daughter’sdowry, it was documented that he passed on the golden passport that he received fromthe Khan as her wedding gift. In 1324, Marco Polo was on his deathbed, surroundedby his family.

A priest showed up to read him his last rites,and he urged Polo to confess if he had truly lied about his stories, as a way to cleansehis soul. His dying words were that he only told a fractionof all of the stories about his amazing experiences. And if he had given away all of his storiesin the book, it would blow everyone’s minds, but no one would have believed him, anyway. As the years went on, there would be severalnew editions of Marco Polo’s book. Priests re-wrote his stories with a Christianslant so that they could bolster Europe’s superiority. They highlighted certain stories, like thewomen in Tibet, as examples of the East’s sinfulness and depravity. They still could not stand the idea that Chinawas somehow better than Europe. Unfortunately, future generations would seethis altered manuscript, and take it as a sign that white people needed to reform foreignnatives with Christianity. Future explorers, like Christopher Columbus,used this altered version of Marco Polo’s book as a guide for his own journey. However, he often got it wrong, believingthat they landed in an entirely different country. Without the ability to speak the language,Columbus assumed he had landed in India, and immediately set out to enslave the nativepeople.

He colonized the land for conquest and greed,rather than attempting to assimilate or understand the Native American language and culture. People love the story of Marco Polo, but noone truly knows what he looked like. There are only artist’s interpretationsof how they imagined him in their mind. And even though he had so many stories totell, we know very little about the actual man. We don’t really know what he did on a day-to-daybasis, or anything about his personality. Despite the fact that we know so little aboutwho he truly was, he is still considered to be one of the most admired people in history-not just for his discoveries, but because lived his life to the fullest extent. He was able to experience seeing a new worldthat was unlike anything that Europe had seen before, and he became the real-life hero ofevery story about that one special person who is invited into a magical world. And that, on its own, is what dreams are madeof.