Marco Polo Research Paper

Messer Marco Polo was an Italian nobleman and traveler. He began his travels as a 17 year old and he spent 26 years of his life exploring the “great wonders and curiosities” (p.33) of the Far East in the 13th century. In his travels he documents the many intriguing customs and features of the new terrain. He comes to find out that this area he is exploring is just as clueless of Europeans as the Europeans are of them. On page 35 it says that the Great Khan had never met a Latin until he hosted Marco, his father Niccolo and uncle Maffeo.
Along his journey Marco Polo sails to the Greater Indian region which was ruled by 5 brothers. According to him the area on the gulf known as Maabar, was the wealthiest province in the world. This was where …show more content…
Kublai Khan is said to be “the mightiest man” (p. 113) and this is shown by the level of respect the Khan holds in his empire and his great wealth. Kublai Khan is the 6th Great Khan of the Tartars and much like European rulers he reached this position by outlasting his relatives in a power struggle. Kublai Khan also shares a similarity with the early leaders of the Roman and Greek empires because he was a valiant soldier before he became emperor. His efforts as a soldier put him in high regard amongst his people. In his stay with Kublai Khan, Marco Polo describes the Khan’s great hospitality and acceptance towards foreigners but also describes his strong position in his own empire. In the city of Taidu it is said that there are hostels there for merchants who are visiting the empire to conduct commerce and each nation has an assigned hostel. The Great Khan pays for all of the expenses of any visiting ambassadors including housing and even provides them with prostitutes for their sexual needs. Kublai Khan is also very generous to his own people as he is known for providing a yearly relief of food and clothing to his citizens in Khan-balik. This generosity is why “all the people hold him in such esteem that they revere him as a god.” (p. 158). This type of reverence is similar to the reign of Julius Caesar in the Ancient Roman Empire. Regardless of the amount of power that Kublai Khan displayed he still had troubles …show more content…
I think that the most impressive thing about this journey was the fact that he did not have the technologies we have now as he made this great trek. For one he wasn’t in a comfortable mode of transportation such as a plane or a train or even a van. He was exposed to many dangers such as foreign diseases and beasts while not having the present day tools to battle these elements. However, his reports are very credible because of his lengthy stay on his journey. He also was able to give an insider’s report on one of the greatest leaders of all-time when he is able to stay Kublai Khan’s court. At the time Polo’s book served as a document that informed the European world of the unfamiliar Far East. Reading it today we can see the differences and similarities between the two areas while at the same time comparing those similarities and differences of then to the ones in the present

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