Download Marco Polo, His Exploration, and How it Affected Renaissance Italy

Marco Polo, His Exploration, and How it Affected Renaissance Italy
Brian Berry
Box #31
Atlantic Baptist University
Renaissance to Reformation
Dr. Dennis Bustin
HI3413
November 23, 2009
1
Marco Polo, His Travels, and Their Effect on Italian Renaissance
The Renaissance was a time of great discovery on many levels. It
brought along with itself a longing to learn more about one’s self and what
he can accomplish. It was a time of Kings and other great leaders. It was a
time where the Papacy was the absolute, ultimate word of God. It was a
time for powerful leaders to earn immense wealth and form armies. It was a
time of military conquests to gain even more wealth and power for a king
and his country. It was a time of wondering what existed beyond the
boundaries of the Holy Roman Empire. It was a time of exploration of
faraway lands and bringing back valuable resources to farther enrich ones
country. Marco Polo was such an explorer.
Marco Polo was born the son of Niccolo Polo in Venice, Italy on the
eighth day of January in the year 1254 during the beginnings of the Italian
Renaissance.1 His family was well respected throughout Venice. This was
due to the connections the Polo family had to nobility.2 From an early age
Marco was exposed to the business of trade as his father and uncle owned a
successful trading business in the heart of Venice. This is most likely one of
the reasons the Polo family was well respected by other merchants and the
nobility. Marco did not see much of his father during his early years because
1
Benedetto L.F., The Travels of Marco Polo, George Routledge & Sons, Broadway House,
Carter Lane, London, 1931, P. vii
2
Bergreen, Laurence, Marco Polo from Venice to Xanadu, Vintage Books
U.S.A 2007, P. 25
2
Niccolo and Maffeo had embarked on a trade mission to the Far East during
the majority of Marco Polo’s formative years.3 In their absence, Marco Polo
would learn from other merchants how dangerous, uncomfortable, and
unsanitary these trade missions could be. Without any sort of method of
refrigeration, and salt in short supply, the ships would be rank with the smell
of rotting produce, some that the merchants may have been trying to sell,
the rest of it may have been food for their own personal consumption. This
would bring the elements of food poisoning, other ill effects due to rotten
food, and possibly starvation. Despite hearing of all the negative aspects of
trade and travel, Marco Polo was still heavily interested in the field of trade.4
As stated earlier, Marco Polo’s father Niccolo and uncle Maffeo had gone on
an expedition to the Far East that had lasted ten years. They had gone to
China and met with Kublai Kahn who enjoyed their company thoroughly. The
Great Kahn was very interested in learning about Christianity so after ten
years Kublai Kahn allowed them to return to Italy and bring back a larger
company a long with them so that more of the people living under the Khan
Empire might hear the Good News. Eventually when he was seventeen
years of age in the year 1271, Marco Polo became old enough to accompany
his father and uncle on merchant journeys.5 This was during the time when
there was immense interest in the goings on of the Far East and what could
3
4
5
Bergreen, Laurence, Marco Polo from Venice to Xanadu p. 25-27
Ibid, p. 25
Wood, Frances, Did Marco Polo Go To China?, Westview Press, U.S.A., 1996 p. 6
3
be obtained by making a venture in that direction. Marco, his father, and his
uncle, along with some others set off to find a land route towards the Far
East, their destination, China.6
The trip, as expected at that time, was quite slow and tedious at
times. Especially since Maffeo and Niccolo Polo were looking for a land route
to get to China, so they could only take advantage of wind and sails quite as
much as sea fairing merchants could. Maffeo, Niccolo, and the rest of their
company could only travel as fast as they could walk or sail. Niccolo Polo
and company had been commissioned by the Pope to go and evangelize.
Niccolo and Maffeo Polo, along with the rest of their party were Bible
believing Christians so one of their objectives was to tell the Good News to
the people of the Far East as they went along their journey.7 After visiting
the Pope in Rome, they would depart on their journey. They first traveled
from Rome to Acre. After spending some time in Acre they traveled to the
Eastern coast of Italy to a place that was called Negropoint at the time.
From there they boarded a ship that would take them up the coast to
Venice. Niccolo and Maffeo went back to check up on Niccolo’s family before
heading out to the Far East. Niccolo and Maffeo would return to his
homestead to find Marco’s mother dead.8 Niccolo and Maffeo were
undoubtedly saddened by this event, but none the less the mission had to
6
7
8
Bergreen, Laurence, Marco Polo from Venice to Xanadu, P. 25
Benedetto L.F., The Travels of Marco Polo, P. 7
Ibid, P. 8
4
continue. They took Marco, who up til now was the orphaned son of Niccolo
with them at this point and sailed on out of Venice across the Mediterranean
Sea toward modern day Turkey and Arabia. Then the Polo trio, along with
the rest of their traveling unit, began the land crossing toward China. In
order to get there from Turkey they had to cross regions of vast desert and
mountain ranges along a route called the Silk Road, the way which Niccolo
and Maffeo had come years earlier. Marco and his companions had to deal
with arid desert climates, highwaymen, and other merchants in places along
their journey inconvenient weather patterns such as snow, flooding, and that
tended to be the norm in Asia. Due to these inconveniences it would take
the group an entire year to make the journey from Venice to the Great Kahn
in Peking, China9
Upon arrival in China in 127510 the group along with Marco, Maffeo,
and Niccolo would meet up with an ambassador of the Mongol empire who
would introduce the group of traveling merchants to Kublai Kahn.11 The
Great Kahn welcomed them all and treated them quite well. He treated the
group of them so well that they became virtual prisoners in his court, only
under much better circumstances. Kublai Kahn allowed them to spread the
gospel throughout his domain. The Great Kahn took Marco Polo, and
9
Bergreen, Laurence, Marco Polo from Venice to Xanadu, p. 31
Martin, Geoffrey, All Possible Worlds: A History of Geographical Ideas, 2005, p. 46.
10
11
Bergreen, Laurence, Marco Polo from Venice to Xanadu, p. 31
5
probably most of the rest of the Italian merchants (excluding Niccolo and
Maffeo Polo) by surprise with his kindness and hospitality which he lavished
upon them. He would allow them to eat at his table without hesitation; this
was very different from what Marco Polo would have expected. In Italy an
average merchant such as himself would almost never find himself dining
with the Pope or the Holy Roman Emperor, yet Kublai Kahn dined with
foreigners. These dinners that The Great Kahn would have with his newly
acquired friends were more like feasts.12 During these fests Kublai Kahn
would inquire of his Italian guests about a number of different aspects of
their western culture. Marco Polo and company filled him in on topics such
as Western customs, culture, Kings, The Holy Roman Emperor, Christianity,
the Pope, and the operations of the Church.13 It can be assumed that the
Italian merchants answered his questions to the best of their ability. Marco
Polo would then go on to inherit an important position in Kublai Kahn’s
administration. Marco Polo and the rest of the group would stay with the
Kahn for seventeen years. During that time Marco became quite acquainted
with many aspects of Chinese culture and customs. Marco Polo was exposed
to many different spices, gunpowder, and silk. All of which were very much
sought after in Italy and the rest of Europe. Marco Polo would be sure to
bring this knowledge back to Italy once he received the chance.14
12
Bergreen, Laurence, Marco Polo from Venice to Xanadu, p.32
Ibid. 32-33
14
Wood, Frances, Did Marco Polo Go to China?, p. 10
13
While
6
Marco was living with Kublai Kahn he was able to attain a prestigious
position in the administration of The Great Kahn. One of the perks that this
position of authority offered was the ability for Marco Polo to explore the
territories on the outskirts of Kublai Kahn’s vast empire and beyond. One of
the places Marco was privileged to visit while on assignment for Kublai Khan,
was India.15
During his stay in India, Marco Polo took diligent notes that would
eventually be useful for those who would come after him, and good reading
for those who had a general interest in his travels. He notes that horses do
not keep very well in India due to the warm climate and must be imported
quite often because their shelf life is in India is not very long because of the
hot, humid climate, and the inability of the horse to be able to physically
handle the conditions. Due to the immense costs of importing horses from
other areas, horse ownership was usually reserved for the king and those
who could afford it. Marco notes that the security of India is good and the
King welcomes and protects merchant travelers such as themselves. This is
probably one of the main reasons the Polo’s and company stayed in India for
a time. The hygiene of the Indian people is very good considering they see
a religious significance to being clean, they do not eat bread nor do they
drink wine. Marco also notes that the Indian people practice idolatry and
polygamy. Marco writes about the customs of Indian pre-marriage and
15
Ricci, Aldo, Benedetto, L.F. The Travels of Marco Polo, p. 180-181
7
marriage practices, citing how in the Indian culture of that time it was highly
recommended that women have much experience with several different men
before they got married, Marco points out that if it was known that there
were merchants traveling through an Indian town then the elder women of
that town would bring out the young girls so that the girls might gain the
necessary experience. Since Marco Polo answered to a higher power, he did
not participate in that dangerous, unhealthy act. Marco would then go on to
explore other lands of the Far East after his time in India.16 At one point he
made a trip north as far as Russia.17
After his adventuresome era of exploration Marco Polo would
eventually make his way from the Far East back to Venice. He arrived in
Venice during a time of turmoil and upheaval. The trading towns of Venice
and Genoa were at war to decide once and for all who would be the
dominant trading port in Italy and the Mediterranean region. Being a
Venetian, Marco Polo would end up joining up with the Venetian army in
their fight to eradicate the Genoese. Marco’s individual effort would
unfortunately be cut short after he was captured by Genoese solders and
soon imprisoned in 1298.
18
While in prison in Genoa, Marco Polo would
befriend fellow inmate Rustichello.19 Marco soon found out that Rustichello
was an expert in writing in the vernacular language of the time. With that
16
17
18
19
Ricci, Aldo, Benedetto, L.F. The Travels of Marco Polo, p. 180-181
Ibid p. 389
Martin, Geoffrey, All Possible Worlds: A History of Geographical Ideas, p. 46.
Ibid, p. 46.
8
knowledge Marco Polo dictated his notes that he had taken throughout his
time in the Far East. Rustichello would then write them down in book
form.20 This book which would eventually become The Travels of Marco
Polo was then published so that others who would come after him could
learn about the Far East and a little bit about what it had to offer before they
set out on their own. On the other hand if one was an armchair explorer he
could sit down and read The Travels of Marco Polo at his own leisure and
have the same sort of experience without having to worry about braving the
elements. The Travels of Marco Polo would introduce the European world
to the Far East on a much wider scale. This primary source that Marco Polo
produced would influence future big name explorers like Christopher
Columbus to view the world through an open ended lens and change the
future course of the Italian renaissance from focussing on local feudalism to
focusing on expansion of knowledge of the world outside Italy and how to
get the most out of it.
Once The Travels of Marco Polo was published, it
“sold like crazy”21 in Italy and Western Europe shortly after its release.
People were having their eyes opened to the fact that the world was bigger
than their Europe alone. Europe as a whole was beginning to dream larger
than life. The Travels of Marco Polo planted the seeds of exploration
which would give birth to the seeds of imperialism in the not too distant
future, out of which would come forth some of the most powerful empires in
20
21
Martin, Geoffrey, All Possible Worlds: A History of Geographical Ideas, p. 46
Bustin, Dennis, November 2009
9
the world. Had it not been for Marco Polo’s journal of his travels, the world
and society may not have progressed as quickly as it has to this day, all it
took was for one man to step out of the |Renaissance Italy” box and
broaden his horizons in order to affect virtually the entire known world at
that time. However, as time would have it, Marco Polo would eventually
have to succumb to the same end that all of humanity faces. Marco Polo
would die in 1324 at the age of seventy. It was a life well lived and he
accomplished much. When asked by a close friend prior to his death to
recount his travels. Marco Polo admitted that in his journals he had
recorded less than half of what he actually saw.22 Marco Polo left much
unsaid so that other explorers may go see the Far East for themselves and
come up with their own opinions instead of just taking his word for it.
In conclusion, Marco Polo was born in Venice in the year 1254. He
was born to a well to do merchant family. His father Niccolo and uncle
Maffeo were very profitable in the area of trade and had been to the Far
East. They convi came back to collect him unbeknownst to his father after
he found Marco’s mother had died during his time away. Marco would
accompany his father and uncle on their second missionary / trading journey
to the Far East where he would meet and become good friends with Kublai
Kahn with whom the three Polo’s and the rest of their crew would stay with
for seventeen years. During those seventeen years Marco Polo would earn
22
Martin, Geoffrey, All Possible Worlds: A History of Geographical Ideas, p. 46.
10
the favour of the Kahn and because of this Kublai Kahn would place Marco
Polo in a position of authority in his council. This position allowed Marco Polo
to continue to explore the various regions of the Far East. Eventually Marco
Polo would return to Venice, only to be caught in the middle of a trade war
between his home town of Venice and their biggest trade rival Genoa. Marco
Polo joined his fellow countrymen in the Venetian army. Marco Polo was
eventually captured and imprisoned by the Genoese army. It was in prison
where he would meet a fellow inmate named Rustichello, who had excellent
writing skills that surpassed those of Marco Polo. After learning of this,
Marco Polo then persuaded Rustichello to copy down his journal entries as he
dictated. This book, which would eventually be titled The Travels of Marco
Polo, sold extremely well in Italy and Western Europe. People were allowing
their eyes to be opened to the possibilities the Far East had to offer. In turn
this would shift the future focus of Renaissance Italy from trade to
imperialism as more parts of the world were being discovered by big name
explorers like Columbus, Diaz, and De Gama, who were no doubt influenced
by Marco Polo’s writings. This would lead to the rise of some of the largest
and most dominant empires the world would ever see. Society would be
forever changed because one man, Marco Polo, dared to step outside the
box and go explore where few had gone before.
11
Marco Polo, Exploration, and its Effect on the Italian Renaissance
Bibliography
(All Sources Used and Consulted)
Bergreen, Laurence, Marco Polo from Venice to Xanadu, Vintage Books
U.S.A 2007
Burckhardt, Jacob, The Civilization of the Renaissance in Italy, Penguin
Books, 1990
Garin, Eugino, Renaissance Characters, University of Chicago Press, 1991
Hofele, Andreas & Von Koppenfels, Werner Renaissance Go-Betweens:
Cultural Exchange in Modern Europe, Walter de Gruyter and Co,
Berlin 2005
Martin, Geoffrey All Possible Worlds: A History of Geographical Ideas,
2005
Ricci, Aldo, Benedetto, L.F. The Travels of Marco Polo George Routledge
and Sons Ltd. Broadway house, Carter Lane, London, 1931.
Rubies, Joan-Pau, Travel and Ethnology in the Renaissance: South
India Through European Eyes 1250-1625 , Cambridge University
Press
Wood, Frances, Did Marco Polo Go To China?,Westview Press, U.S.A.,
1996