Who was Marco Polo?

Who was Marco Polo?

Marco Polo (1254 – 1324), together with his father Niccolo and his uncle Maffeo, was one of the first Westerners to travel the Silk Road to China.
The Polos, who were traders, were looking for new areas for trade, reached the court of the Great Khan of the Mongol Empire, Kublai Khan (grandson of Genghis Khan). It was on their second journey to China, in 1271, that they took along Marco. He became a confidant of Kublai Khan, who took Marco into his service and bestowed many favours on him. The Polos stayed at the court of Kublai Khan for 20 years until 1292. During this period, Marco Polo traveled the whole of China, and his experiences have become part of his writings which is one of the greatest travelogues ever written. This, translated, is what has come to be known as ‘The Travels of Marco Polo’.
The Polos were by no means the first Europeans to reach China by land route. But due to Marco’s book, their journey which was very well documented, became the first to have gained wide publicity, and had far-reaching influences. Marco Polo’s description of the Far East and its riches inspired Christopher Columbus to try to reach lands by a western route. Among Columbus’s belongings was a copy of Marco Polo’s book.
Marco Polo’s return journey
According to Marco’s travel writings, the Polos requested permission from the Khan, many times, to return Europe. But Khan valued them so much that he would not let them go. Finally, in1291, Kublai Khan entrusted Marco with his last duty-to escort the Mongol princes Koekecin (also spelt as Cocacin) to her betrothed, Arghun of the Ilkhanate in Persia. The party sailed out from the southern port city of Quanzhou. They went on to Sumatra, and then to Persia, via Sri Lanka and India. Marco Polo visits included Mylapore, Madurai and Alleppey, which he nicknamed Venice of the East. In 1293 or 1294, the Polos reached the Ilkhanate, ruled by Gaykhatu after the death of Arghun. They left Koekecin with new Ilkhan, and moved on the Trabzon from where the sailed to Venice.