Marco Polo was an extraordinary man who had the opportunity to travel to central Asia and China, where few Europeans had gone at the time. In contrast to popular belief Polo was not actually the first European to go to China. However he was the first European to actually document his trip and write specific details about his experiences. There are many events recorded in Marco Polo's life that can give us a partial overview of who he was and what exactly he had done. However, he claimed that “I have not told half of what I saw, for I knew I would not be believed” (Marco Polo, n.d.). We can still understand parts of his life through what he had experienced in his youth, what he worked on for Kublai Khan, his imprisonment, his own family, his death, and the legacies he left behind.
To begin with, Marco Polo was born sometime between September 15 and September 16 in the year 1254. He was born in Venice, Republic of Venice so he was Italian. Marco’s father, Niccolò and uncle, Maffeo had travelled to Asia and met Kublai Khan. When they returned from Asia in 1269 they went back to their families, then a few years later met Marco for the first time. They never met Marco before this because they left for a trading voyage before Marco was even born. At the time when they all met, Marco was being raised by his aunt and uncle because his mother had died while his father and uncle where gone. Marco, his father, and his uncle all went on a trip together back to Asia when he was seventeen years old, in 1271. He had gained knowledge about travel and being a merchant from what his father and uncle had explained to him and also his early education that was primarily based on the skills necessary to become a merchant. He had learned many of the ne...
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...iter. Marco shared his stories of the time he had spent in Asia like where he had traveled and exactly what he had seen there. His adventures and explorations had been physically written on paper by his companion Rustichello and later were turned into his book, The Travels of Marco Polo. When Rustichello’s writings were actually turned into a book, the book was translated into three different languages, French, Italian, and Latin. It became extremely popular in Europe and when he was released from prison in 1299, he was considered famous for his tales of excitement and exploration in Asia. Many people knew of his famous tales of Asia, but a minimal amount of people actually believed his stories. His book was given the title of Il Milione, or “The Million Lies”. Marco moved past people claiming that his book was fiction and eventually got married and a three children.
Zheng He worked his way up as eunuch to have high standing with the emperor. He traveled much of the Indian, Southeast Asian, Malaysian, and West African world. If it were not for Zheng He’s voyages, China would not have as large of a role in the history of oceanic travel and naval force. Zheng He’s fleet also is significant and makes one ponder how in that time they were able to produce such massive ships. Although Zheng He was not an explorer and his voyages were imperialistic, an intimidation tactic, and tributary relationship based, his expeditions were important to history, as is he. Our world would undoubtedly, be different if it were not for the voyages of Zheng
There is a debate whether or not Marco Polo truly went to China. The side that does not believe Marco Polo traveled to China has this view because Marco Polo did not mention the Great Wall. In addition, the Chinese culture was not noted of. Being a foreigner, Marco Polo did not write about these strange things such as foot binding, calligraphy and etcetera. Not only that, but Marco Polo did not catch onto and learn the Chinese language due to the time he was there. Also, Marco Polo was not mentioned or documented about directly in the Chinese writings. However, three Venetians were written about.
Exploration is an activity that is held in high esteem because of the mental challenge that comes with willingly surrendering the safety of certainty to venture into unknown land. This act is seen as reflecting the utmost courage. Although this may be true, it is important to realize that more often than not, explorers had certain expectations regarding the places they were traveling to. This fact was strongly reflected in the nature of their accounts. In Marco Polo’s case, his father and uncle had observed “many things worth of admiration… in the progress of their journey,” which took place several years before Marco Polo set off from Venice . Marco Polo surely heard about the great things they had come across. He came in knowing that, despite the risks of such long travel, the things that he would see would be unlike anything that he had ever met before. Perhaps, this was Polo’s motivation. It is never explicitly stated, but it may be that Polo was driven by curiosity. He merely wanted to learn more about the great culture he had heard about.
Much of Christopher Columbus’s early life is of a mystery. Even his nationality was a point of debate for many years. He has been claimed by the Spanish, Portuguese, French, Norwegians, and Jews (Hurst 1) but many historians have now agreed that he was born of Italian origin. Columbus was born in 1451, in Genoa Italy, to a family of weavers. Genoa was a major mercantile center like its counterpart, Venice. Going by the motto “In the name of God and Profit”, Genoa hosted profitable trade lines to the Near East that were cutoff when the Turks captured Constantinople in 1453 (Hurst 2)”. Columbus would have been exposed to the religious calamity firsthand at an early age leading to him leaving his place of birth.
Christopher Columbus was a famous navigator and explorer who was born in 1451 in Genoa, Italy. Columbus wanted to claim land for Spain so he could be rich and spread religion. He originally set out to find the East Indies for many reasons. One was that he hoped to establish trade routes and colonies in order to gain wealth. Another was that there were now bigger guns that could be strapped on ships so he felt that his voyage had more of a chance of being successful. The main reasons for his exploration was that he wanted to find a western route to Asia to find the riches that Marco Polo talked about in his book. So basically he was not courageous, he was just greedy. He intended on arriving in Japan on his first voyage, but instead, he arrived at the Bahamas archipelago. He ended up making numerous voyages and claiming the lands he visited for the Spanish Empire. Columbus continued voyages creating the first lasting European conta...
Christopher Columbus began many of his adventures with preexisting sources and models from well-known philosophers and explores, mixture of inventions, misrepresentations and concealment (Bodmer,10). Despite his knowledge of geography and cosmology, he used models that were complex and contradicting, providing factual and mythical reports of what he could expect to find on the islands he would soon explore. The most detailed information which was creditable based on objectivity and accurate accounts were described by Marco Polo. The book ‘Travels’, would become a resource used by Columbus to compare his discoveries, for here it would reveal actual and potential problems that were identified by Marco Polo (Bodmer, 13,14). According to Polo, land that was located beyond the reach of commercial expeditions would belong to the first man who could reach them, according to the rules of the imperialistic pattern of appropriation (Bodmer, 16). As Columbus’s imagines of finding lands rich ...
It is thought by many that Christopher Columbus was a skilled sailor on a mission of greed. Many think that he in fact did it all for the money, honor and the status that comes with an explorer, but this is not the case entirely. Columbus was an adventurer and was enthused by the thrill of the quest of the unknown. “Columbus had a firm religious faith and a scientific curiosity, a zest for life, the felling for beauty and the striving for novelty that we associate with the advancement of learning”. He had heard of the legendary Atlantic voyages and sailors reports of land to the west of Madeira and the Azores. He believed that Japan was about 4,800 km to the west of Portugal. In 1484, Columbus wanted support for an exploratory voyage from King John II of Portugal, but he was refused. In 1485, Columbus took his son Diego and went to Spain to get some help.
Accompanied by 27,000 men on 62 large and 255 small ships, the Chinese eunuch Zheng He, led 7 naval expeditions to Southeast Asia, Middle East and east coast of Africa in the span of 28 years during the Ming Dynasty. The scale of Zheng He’s fleet was unprecedented in world history. The large treasure ships used during the expeditions were purported to be 440 feet long and 180 feet wide (Dreyer, p. 102). Throughout his travels, Zheng He brought Chinese tea, porcelain and silk products to foreign countries and also brought back exotic goods to the Ming court such as spices, plants and leather. Although his voyages fostered commercial trades and cultural exchange between China and foreign countries, the goal of his expeditions stemmed from the political motivation to maintain the tributary system and his voyages had important political implication of causing Neo-Confucian opposition and suspension of the expedition.
... [New ed. New York: Liveright ;, 2003. Print. This source tells the reader about the tales of Marco Polo's travels, but it also goes in depth into the troubles that Marco Polo faced once he did return. This sources tells the reader about the people the critics who questioned Marco's work. This source also tells the reader about the challenges the Polos faced, trying to return to Venice after having been away for so long.
Sensenig, Pearl L. "Marco Polo: An Inspiration to Christopher Columbus and The Age of Discovery". Sensen01.cwk@millersv.edu
He went around the world 600 years ago, has allowed China to acquire and friendly international relations, commercial and forwarded through all these trips the image of China, powerful and impressive.
When comparing the Chinese and Western historical development, the similar key events would have very different outcomes due to their different backgrounds. During the fifteenth century, Zheng He was commissioned to lead the “treasure ships” for seven voyages down the Western Seas. And, Prince Henry sent expeditions to explore the western coast of Africa. China and Portugal, the both ends of the Eurasian continent, almost simultaneously began marine navigations. They have shared some similar features, but there are actually major differences between the two. This paper will compare and contrast these two remarkable explorers. The focus will be on the ideas and circumstances that influenced their actions, and their importance in shaping history.
Through her he gained access to the work of the georgical Toscana who believed in fact the Atlantic is the quick way to China.” (Beal). He fetched his believes to many of the richest and powerful people of the land. Most question this strange man who is challenging everything geographical knew. Giving this questionable sane man ships for a chance to explore would cost a fortune and it was a gamble one wasn’t willing to take. He was in Spain for over a year before he was heard by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella in 1486 (History). Queen Isabella was found of his personality and knowledge of great travels. He promised to convert other lands to Christians and many valuable riches to his queen and there country if in return they granted him three ships and 10% of the income. His salesman like brashness earned his place in court. “August 3, 1492 Christopher Columbus and 90 men on three 80 foot ships: Santa Marie Pinta, and Nina, set sail the Spanish port Polos to begin his expedition west through the sea of unknown darkness and violence. (Mann
Jules Gabriel Verne was born on February 8, 1828 in Nantes, France. Born to lawyer, Pierre Verne, and housewife, Sophie Allotte; Verne was the eldest of the two boys and three girls (Press 7). At a very young age, Verne was interested in new experiences and travel. Verne would go on sailing trips with his father and brother, on one of these trips the boat sunk and Verne was stranded on a small island. Verne has to wait until low tide to be able to reach the main shore and his family (The UnMusuem–Jules Verne). The article “Jules Verne” in Space Sciences describes Verne’s first thirst for his own adventure. The article says, “At twelve years of age, Verne ran off to be a cabin boy on a merchant ship, thinking he was going to have an adventure. However, his father caught up with the ship before it got very far.” Soon after this expedition, Verne kept his adventure in his mind. This, with the ongoing political, scientific, and religious revolutions, later sparked his creativity for complex and innovative stories (Press 3).
...gers he , Ibn Battuta overcame them. Ibn Battuta traveled primarily in Muslim-ruled lands, in comparison to Marco Polo. Both men dictated accounts of their travels after they had returned home Polo, while in prison in the year of 1928 and Ibn Battuta, to a Moroccan scribe, since neither were trained, both Marco Polo and Ibn Battuta judged those they ran into by their own values. Both travels financial records exposed the great variety in Eurasian cultures during the year 1354- 1355. “When a man is riding through this [Gobi] desert by night and for some reason ... he gets separated from his companions ... he hears spirit voices talking to him ...Often these voices lure him away from the path and he never finds it again." This was one of the quotes he had written. This quote describes some part of his travels. He had moved away from people he loved for a few years.