Marco Polo

In the thirteenth century, large parts of Asia were controlled by the Mongol Empire. One of this empire's most famous leaders was Kublai Khan and his capital Khanbalik (modern day Peking). Two of the first Europeans to visit him were Niccolo and Maffeo Polo. These two merchants were brothers and they came from Venice. Venice was a great sea - port in the thirteenth century. The most important source of her wealth was goods imported from Asia which were sold in Europe. These goods were for rich people in Europe - silk cloth from China, precious stones from India, spices from south - East Asia. In 1271 Niccolo and Maffeo made a second journey to Khanbalik. This time, Niccolo`s seventeen year - old son, Marco, went with them. They went by the ancient `silk` road, stopping at the great trading centres - Mosul, Baghdad - and over the great Persian desert and Khurasan to Samarkand. Their caravan climbed slowly up to the land of the Pamirs. Then they passed through the `oasis` cities of Yarkand and Khotan, and the mysterious lake of Lop Nor. Then the road went on, for 2500 kilometres over the Great Gobi Desert, to the Great Wall of China. It was the year 1275 when they reached the Great Wall. The journey was difficult and often very dangerous but Kublai Khan sent an escort of honour to protect them. Kublai Khan liked Marco very much. He had an ability to learn languages and customs, and Kublai gave the boy a special diplomatic job. As a result Marco spent the next 21 years in Asia as Kublai Khan`s special representative. During that time Marco visited: Malaya, Sumatra, Tibet, India, Sri Lanka, and Burma. Finally, though, Marco, along with his father and uncle, left China in 1292. When they returned to Venice three years later, Marco was 41 and had been away for 24 years. But that wasn't the end of his adventures. Soon after, during a war between Venice and Genoa, he was captured and put in prison. There, he told another prisoner (a writer called Rustichello) about his life in Asia. Rustichello later wrote a book called "The Travels of Marco Polo" which made Marco famous all over the world.