During the thirteenth century, a merchant
named Marco Polo returned home to Italy after spending 24 years living in the Mongolian
Empire. He had the bad luck of getting arrested in
Genoa, while they were at war with his hometown of Venice. He was a prisoner for two years, and he just
so 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 stories
of Marco Polo’s journey, that he knew it would make a great book. So they spent those two years in captivity
writing 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 document
so many details about the Mongolian and Chinese Empires. The western world had a difficult time believing
that it was possible that there could be a civilization out there that was actually more
advanced than theirs. His stories were so fantastic, people assumed
that it must be a work of fiction. For the rest of his life, Marco Polo was called
a liar. It would take hundreds of years before the
world would know that every single story he told was absolutely true. And yet, even today, there are some skeptics
who 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 of
the greatest explorers in the world. The Beginning Of An Epic Journey
Marco Polo was born into a wealthy Venetian family in the year 1254. He was expected to follow the family trade
of becoming a merchant. His father, Niccolo, and his uncle, Maffeo,
were traveling most of Marco’s young life. Unlike a normal job, merchants were expected
to leave home for years at a time. They traveled the world, and gathered popular
items like spices, pearls, gold, and gem stones that were plentiful in certain countries. Then, they sold their goods in other countries
where 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 Europe
claiming 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 of
human-dog hybrids, fire breathing dragons, and mystical unicorns. Christians believed that the Garden of Eden
was somewhere hiding in the middle east, and that Jerusalem was located in the exact center
of the world...which was flat, of course. The vast majority of people either fully believed
these fairytales, or chose to take everything with a grain of salt. The only people who knew the truth about what
went on in foreign countries were the ones who had seen these places with their own eyes. And at a time when traveling meant going on
a journey that required sailing, walking, or horseback-riding, people could only go
so far before they ran out of money, food, and water. So the only people who traveled the world
were the merchants. They had generations of their family’s maps
and personal experiences behind them. It took an entire lifetime to prepare for
the journey. Marco Polo grew up learning to read, write,
and speak multiple languages. While his father and uncle were gone, his
mother passed away, and he spent a lot of his time at home, eagerly waiting for his
father and uncle’s return, so that they could go on an adventure. By the time Niccolo and Maffeo finally returned
to Venice, Marco Polo was 15 years old. They explained to the boy that they had lived
in Constantinople for several years before finding themselves ushered into China, at
the heart of the Mongolian Empire. The leader, Kublai Khan, was interested in
meeting them, because he had never seen European men before. The Khan was impressed by their ability to
read and write in so many languages, and he believed that they could be very useful to
him. The Polo brothers were treated as esteemed
guests, and they were given luxuries beyond their wildest dreams. He asked them to return to Italy on a mission
to meet with the Pope. Kublai Khan had request for the Polo brothers
to bring back 100 priests to the Mongolian Empire. Kublai Khan was a Buddhist, but he was very
accepting of all cultures and religions. He wanted Christians to come into his Empire
to help diversify academic knowledge of the kingdom. Unfortunately for the Polos, they returned
to find that the Vatican was arguing over who would become the next Pope. Niccolo and Maffeo brought back gold and gemstones
that were hidden in the lining of their clothes, and they were able to sell them all for a
small fortune. For two years, they prepared to return to
Mongolia, and taught Marco all about what to expect on the journey. Without the help of the Pope, they could only
convince two priests to come with them. When Marco was 17, his father and uncle packed
up the caravan, and they set off on a journey across the land that would take them 3 years. Traveling to China
Traveling 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 they
were able to stop at small cities and oases along the way. They would have taken camels, horses, and
donkeys to help carry the supplies. They ate dried meat and water, and once they
reached a town or city, they would barter with their goods to trade for fresh fruits
and vegetables in the marketplaces. All along the way, they carried goods that
they could sell for a profit in the next country. The journey would have been exhausting, and
they would be exposed to the elements. But there were also countless numbers of bandits
waiting to steal from traveling caravans. Marco Polo mentions the Tartars, who were
known to kill men without mercy. But the Polo family was gifted with golden
passports, which provided them protection from the Great Khan. It was written that if anyone were to mess
with the Polos, they would have to face the wrath of the Khan’s entire army. Because of this, he never mentions going through
very many hardships during that journey, except for the fact that the two priests could not
handle it. They were forced to turn back and return to
Italy. The Polos had to cross over the Pamir Mountains
in South-Central Asia. He described the bitter cold, and how their
fires 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 survived
the harsh conditions. He often heard the “singing sand dunes”. He described it as sounding like different
instruments playing all at once, and sometimes, it sounded like the dunes were whispering
his name. It was enough to drive a man mad. There were stories of men wandering into the
desert 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 of
vibrations 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 become
very ill, and was afraid that he may die. But he found mountains that were said to have
magical healing powers. He climbed the mountain, breathed in the fresh
air, and found that it truly did heal him. He wrote that in Tibet, parents wanted their
daughters to have sex with as many men as possible before they got married, so that
they could prove how desirable they would be as wives. Since he was a young European man, these parents
were practically throwing their daughters at him to have a foreigner review their daughter’s
sexual abilities. He mentions that Tibet was a great place to
be 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 half
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and lets get back to it. Life in the Mongolian Empire
Years before Marco Polo was born, a powerful leader named Genghis Khan united the Mongolian
Empire. Once all of the Mongol tribes were lead by
a single leder, they began to conquer surrounding territories in Asia, Eastern Europe, and the
Middle East. Mongolian warriors were trained since they
were toddlers to ride on horseback, and the men spent their entire lives preparing for
battle. They had the strongest army in the world,
with millions of soldiers prepared to fight for the Khan. In each new generation, the strongest heir
was chosen to be the new Khan. Marco Polo and his family were going to see
Kublai 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 from
his father and uncle, it could never compare to experiencing the real thing. Marco Polo was completely blown away by the
wealth and magnificence of the Mongolian Empire. Xanadu was a massive palace that had its own
park, with lush gardens and exotic species of animals living on the land. Even in the 1200’s, the Chinese had advanced
systems of heating and cooling that had never been seen in Europe before. Pipes in the ground heated the polished hardwood
floors, which kept the royal court warm in the winter. Engineers had constructed impressive bridges
and buildings. They were years ahead of Europe with their
sanitation 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 and
gone to heaven. The Khan threw a celebration for the Polo
family’s arrival with a feast. They fed over 40,000 guests, and Marco Polo
could 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-like
reverence, 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 came
to making diplomatic decisions. Instead of attempting to rule every single
country that he conquered, Kublai Khan allowed existing government structures to continue
functioning on their own, so long as they agreed to bow down to the Khan, and pledge
their allegiance to the Mongolian Empire. This mean that every territory was allowed
to keep their religions, languages, and culture. Kublai Khan celebrated diversity, and he believed
that one day, the Mongolian Empire may spread across the entire planet. Because of this, it was very important to
have advisors like the Polo family in his court to help him negotiate with foreign nations. Marco Polo became one of Kublai Khan’s trusted
advisors, and he was able to live among the royal court. Since he could speak 5 languages, he was very
useful in diplomacy and negotiations. He was eventually trusted to be in charge
of 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 the
workers made salt from boiling sea water in giant vats, which is a technique that is still
used in China today. Along with all of these responsibilities,
Marco Polo was allowed to enjoy all of the best entertainment that the empire had to
offer. There were musical performances, horse races,
theater, and wrestling matches. Men of high standing were allowed to have
their own harem, as well. The most beautiful women in the empire were
brought to Xanadu. He wrote about how the women were skilled
in playing musical instruments, and how they were all graceful and polite. Keep in mind that he was just 20 years old
when he arrived, and he already had so much experience being the most popular guy in Tibet
during his journey to China. While it’s not included in his book, there
is one Chinese court record from that time that is believed to be about Marco Polo. A foreign man was arrested, because he was
walking with women alone at night without an escort. This was illegal, but the young man was totally
unaware of the law, and he had diplomatic immunity. So, they let him go. But not all of the women in the Mongolian
Empire 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 could
defeat 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 fought
alongside her father in battle. Even without Polo’s help to keep her memory
alive, Khutulun’s story was so incredible, that it had been passed down by word of mouth
in China for hundreds of years. Returning Home to Venice
Scholars believe that the Polos would have been afraid of what would have happened to
them after Kublai Khan’s death. Since they were foreigners who were not official
citizens of the empire, they may not have the same rights and privileges once he passed
away. They claim that they were home sick, and humbly
request to return to Italy. The Khan found them to be very useful, and
at first, he did not want to see them go. But he eventually relented, saying that they
could leave, as long as they escorted a woman named Princess Kokachin to meet her new husband
in Persia. She was also called “The Blue Princess”,
and she was remembered for her legendary beauty. This time, they did not have to go through
the harsh mountains and desserts. They were able to take a boat to Persia, but
over 100 people died on the journey. Only 18 survived, including the Polos and
the princess. By the time he returned to Italy, Marco Polo
had been gone for 24 years, and he was a bachelor in his 40’s. During the war between Genoa and Venice, Marco
Polo was arrested, and the government illegally seized the majority of the wealth they had
acquired 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 after
all of those years away. As we mentioned before, Marco Polo told the
stories to Rustichello. And yet he never describes himself, or very
much of his personal life. Throughout the entire book, Marco Polo is
acting more like a journalist, or a non-biased observer. He passed no personal judgement, and he simply
explained 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 Christian
beliefs about the outside world. And, by comparison, the Mongolian Empire seemed
far 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 inadequate
by comparison, and they clung on to their ethnocentric worldview. In modern times, scholars have poured over
the original manuscript of Marco Polo’s book, and compared the details to ancient
Chinese documents. They were able to confirm nearly every detail
was correct, which proves that he was telling the truth all along. For the rest of his life, Marco Polo tried
to ignore the haters, and he went on living his life. He got married to a Venician noblewoman, and
they had three daughters together. In the records of his oldest daughter’s
dowry, it was documented that he passed on the golden passport that he received from
the Khan as her wedding gift. In 1324, Marco Polo was on his deathbed, surrounded
by 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 cleanse
his soul. His dying words were that he only told a fraction
of all of the stories about his amazing experiences. And if he had given away all of his stories
in the book, it would blow everyone’s minds, but no one would have believed him, anyway. As the years went on, there would be several
new editions of Marco Polo’s book. Priests re-wrote his stories with a Christian
slant so that they could bolster Europe’s superiority. They highlighted certain stories, like the
women in Tibet, as examples of the East’s sinfulness and depravity. They still could not stand the idea that China
was somehow better than Europe. Unfortunately, future generations would see
this altered manuscript, and take it as a sign that white people needed to reform foreign
natives 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, believing
that 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 native
people. 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 no
one truly knows what he looked like. There are only artist’s interpretations
of how they imagined him in their mind. And even though he had so many stories to
tell, we know very little about the actual man. We don’t really know what he did on a day-to-day
basis, or anything about his personality. Despite the fact that we know so little about
who 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 world
that was unlike anything that Europe had seen before, and he became the real-life hero of
every story about that one special person who is invited into a magical world. And that, on its own, is what dreams are made
of.
