Who Was Marco Polo?

He was the son of a wealthy Italian businessman, Niccolo Polo, who travelled to the far East in the 13th century.  Niccolo had travelled throughout the near and far East as part of his business dealings, including a prolonged stay at the court of Kublai Khan (it was forbidden to leave the Mongol ruler's court without the Emperor's permission).

Marco Polo, who had been born in 1254, set off travelling with his father (bearing goods to sell to the Mongols) at the age of 17 in 1271.  It took them four years to reach the East and the Mongol court.  They passed along the Silk Road much of the route.

In 1275 Marco took up employment in Kublai Khan's administration.  He travelled widely around China, speaking Chinese and acting as an administrator for the invading power in the China.  Increasingly, though the Polo family felt that there would be chaos after Kublai Khan's death and they managed to secure his permission to leave in 1292.  It took them three years to get back to Italy.

In 1298 Marco Polo was taken captive in Genoa (wars between Italian city states).  He was cellmate with a writer of romances (Rustichello), who was fascinated to hear Polo's life history, and got him to write it all down.

The resulting travelogues were widely read and famous since.  Some of the stories they contain are considered far-fetched and may have been exagerated.  But Marco Polo does provide the first Western accounts of many aspects of China and Chinese life that were hitherto unknown in the west.

Marco Polo died in Italy in 1324.