Week 12 Essay

          This week I learned about many different interesting things: Genghis Khan, Kublai Khan, and Marco Polo along with his family. Although these were all fascinating, I will be writing about Marco Polo for many reasons. One of these is I think he influenced the most throughout history out of all the people I learned about this week. 

          Marco Polo’s story begins with his father and uncle. They were merchants from Venice who had to take a different road due to war. During their travels on this new road they were captured and imprisoned for three years. Finally they were found by Kublai Khan’s soldiers. The soldiers convinced the travelers to visit Kublai Khan before they went back to Venice. Kublai had always wanted to meet some Europeans.

          Kublai Khan was the grandson of Genghis Khan and the fifth great Khan. Unlike his grandfather, Kublai was a very fair and kind ruler. He believed that a king and his subjects should live in harmony together, living off of each other. He was very smart and was known as the wise Khan. This is another reason why I chose Marco Polo; because Kublai Khan plays a major part in his story.

          Kublai welcomed the travelers warmly, and listened intently to what they told him about their religion and Venice in general. Kublai was fascinated and asked the travelers to go back to Venice with a letter to the Pope asking if he could send 100 learned men to come and teach the Mongolian people. Also, Kublai asked if the Travelers would bring some oil from the Holy Land, or Jerusalem, back to China when they came back.

          The men did this, and they also brought back one of their sons, Marco Polo. His father and uncle had been gone for a long time, and when they came back, Marco was 15. When they came back Marco met his father for the first time. They all went back to China to see the king.

          Kublai welcomed the travelers as warmly as before and he presented them with many gifts.

          Kublai liked Marco and even appointed him to his Privy Council! Marco went on many missions and adventures, exploring the world for the king. Marco liked this too. He enjoyed learning about different parts of the world and how they did everything.

          Marco was amazed with everything he saw. He said that the palace was the grandest thing he ever saw. He also thought that some things in China were a little strange. For example, using paper money instead of gold and silver. Coal was also something that Marco had never seen before that he was attracted to. After 17 years of being in China, Marco could speak four different languages!

          Marco, his father, and his uncle eventually wanted to go back to Venice, but they feared that, since Kublai was getting old, they would not be able to leave China with all their riches if a new Khan arose. They decided that it would be best to leave as soon as possible. When they told Kublai, he refused. He said that they were too important to leave.

          Plans changed though, because when a Mongol princess was leaving for Persia to marry a prince, she requested that the Polos go with her. Finally, Kublai had to agree, and after Marco and his family went to Persia, they headed straight for Venice.

           The trip back took 2 years, and it was so rough and hard that only 18 of the 600 passengers survived! It was also very difficult for the Polos when they got back after 24 years of being gone. None of them could speak Italian very well, so they could not blend in. Also, war broke out in Venice right when they got back.

          Marco became the captain of a galley ship, but this responsibility did not last long because he was captured for a year. In prison, he told the other prisoners about his many adventures, and one wrote about them. When the war ended in peace and Marco was set free, he published this book and named it The Travels of Marco Polo.

          It is still a very famous book to this day, but it is so amazing that many people did not believe it. It was nicknamed, The Million Lies, but Marco insisted it was all true, and that he did not even tell all that he had seen and done. Even on his deathbed, people tried to make him confess that all he wrote was fake, but it was real, so he would not.

          Marco Polo is very well known throughout the world and he has influenced many travelers. One of these explorers was the famous Christopher Columbus, who had The Travels of Marco Polo on board his ship! Marco Polo also influenced the fun pool game, “Marco Polo”.

          Today, Marco Polo is known as a very famous explorer, who traveled around Europe and Asia. He discovered many things and influenced many explorers, books, and even games. I think that he is a very fascinating person to learn about, and I want to do so any way I can.