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The Travels of Marco Polo. 1. Marco – The Storyteller. He often told of adventures to faraway places such as China. Marco had traveled to China and the Indies ; the islands off the China coast.
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Marco – The Storyteller • He often told of adventures to faraway places such as China. • Marco had traveled to China and the Indies; the islands off the China coast. • He told stories about meeting Kublai Khan, China’s ruler, and seeing amazing things – white bears, black stones that burned, and a place where night lasted all winter and day lasted all summer.
“Marco Millions” • People in his hometown of Venice, Italy laughed and called him Marco Millions because he told so many tales. • Few Europeans had ever been to Asia, so they could not prove Marco was wrong. • They thought his stories could not be true but many were.
Marco’s Travels • Marco left his home in Venice, Italy in 1271 with his father Niccolo and his uncle Maffeo. • They were caravan traders who traveled the Silk Road and were interested in the riches of the east. • Four years after beginning their journey, the Polos reached China.
Trade Routes to the East • Europeans carried on a busy trade with the people of Asia. • Europeans wanted: gold, jewels, silk, perfumes, furs, jade, ivory, and especially spices. (pepper, cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg) • They used the spices to make their food taste better and to hide the bad taste of spoiled meat.
Silk Road • About 4,000 miles long, the Silk Road was a series of trade routes connecting the east to the west. (Asia to Europe) • The trade route was traveled by caravan traders and bandits who made travel much more dangerous. • The Silk Road was physically difficult for travel. • Caravans needed their own defense forces so forts and walls were built along the Silk Road for protection.
Genghis Khan • When Genghis Khan unified the region as the Mongolian Empire, the Silk Road became an important path for communication. • Travel across the Silk Road was safe for a time under Mongol control. • Cultural diffusion - The movement of customs and ideas from one culture to another.
Marco’s Adventures • Marco’s father introduced his son to China’s ruler, Kublai Khan. • Kublai Khan asked Marco to explore his kingdom. • Marco spent seventeen years working for the Khan and discovering new and mysterious things.
Kublai Khan • Kublai Khan was China’s Mongol ruler. • Marco described his palace as having walls covered with gold and silver. • One hall was so big that “a meal might be served for more than 6,000 men.”
Marco’s Return to Europe • He came home with the items that created quite a buzz in Europe… • Compass • Gunpowder • Vast array of colored silk • Noodles
The Travels of Marco Polo • Upon returning to Venice, Marco became the captain of a Venetian ship. • Venice and Genoa, two Italian city-states, were involved in battle. • Marco was captured and thrown into prison. • While there his stories were written down. • Two hundred years later, The Travels of Marco Polo was published.
Trade Routes to the East • For most European traders travel to Asia and back was too hard and took too much time. • In 1453 trade with the Far East was stopped by Muslim Turks after they captured the city of Constantinople. • A new trade route to China would have to be found.
A New Trade Route? • Kingdoms in Europe began to explore the possibility of a water route to Asia. • They were not willing to give up the luxury goods they had become accustomed to. • Portugal was the first to search for a faster water route to China by sailing around Africa.
Reasons for Exploration • It was long before Spain, England, and Italy joined Portugal in the search of new lands. • Why? Claiming new lands would: • Increase their territory – establish colonies • Increase their wealth – trade goods • Spread their religion- Christianity
