Chances are if you heard the name Marco Polo, you associate him with his 12 year trading expedition to China. He was a Venetian merchant, Italian explorer, and writer, who left his hometown of Venice in 1271 with his father, and his uncle, Niccolò and Maffeo Polo. Most of what historians know about that journey was recorded in Marco’s travelogue titled, ‘The Description of the World’. It tells of the people and places he visited, the things he saw and heard, and the art of trading in the ancient world.
However, Marco Polo was not the first trader from Venice to visit China. Other Venetian traders had already made trips from Europe, usually through the Levant, then down through Persia, and as far as India. But due to the challenging nature of the sea route, none had ventured to the extreme east. Part of the reason for Marco and his father’s success was their use of shortcuts and alternative routes, such as the Mongol Empire tribal lands. This not only opened up trade routes to the Far East, but shared insightful and valuable information.
On their way to China, Marco Polo and his family passed through many cities and countries, such as Iraq, Armenia, Afghanistan, and Uzbekistan. They also traveled by land and sea, which provided them with an unprecedented opportunity to observe the customs, rituals, and beliefs of the people of this region. They gathered and documented important insights gained through their travels, that hadn’t been documented before. It also enabled them to establish important trade connections with faraway lands such as China.
The Polos encountered Kublai Khan, the leader of the Mongol Empire, in 1275. During their visit, they gained the Khan’s favor and were gifted with titles and property. Toward the end of their journey, the Polos presented the Khan with hand-crafted items, gemstones, books, and art. As a reward, the Khan granted the Polos permission to trade in China, provided that they become his envoys. This enabled the Polos to make connections with merchants from China, and to be the first Venetian merchants to open up the trade route to the Far East.
Their trip to China was only the beginning of their journey. After their initial return to Venice with exotic items, the Polos set off once again to trade in China. During this second trip they ventured further west, and opened up the sea route from Venice to China. This eventually led to more exchanges of goods, and contributed significantly to the Venetian economy. In addition, they also spread the knowledge they gained, and created the first maps of the Far East.
Marco Polo’s trading expedition to China was a major milestone in the history of global trade. Not only did it establish trade routes between Europe and the Far East, but it opened up a whole new world of opportunities for Venetian merchants. Through his writings, we are able to gain a unique insight into the customs and cultures of these distant lands, and the trading habits of the time.
Role of Religion
Venice, like many European cities, was highly guided by religious beliefs. Christianity was the primary faith, and for centuries had held a significant sway over the city’s leaders, merchants, and citizens. So, when it came to embarking on an overseas trading mission, a religious presence had to be established. Marco Polo played a key role in this by introducing Christianity to the Khan and his court, and presenting them with religious texts and art.
Also during his travels, Marco found ample opportunities to spread the teachings of Christianity. He visited numerous churches and interacted with churched priests, who often provided him with insight about the faith and its customs. This was both a religious mission and a trading mission, aimed at establishing firm connections between Venice and its far-off destinations.
Many of the people that the Polos encountered during their travels embraced Christianity and welcomed the teachings of the faith. The Polos themselves embraced many of the customs they encountered, including the spiritual culture of Taoism, a belief system strongly rooted in nature and ancestor reverence.
This unique spiritual and cultural exchange between Europe and China also highlighted the importance of religious tolerance, an idea that eventually spurred the Age of Exploration, allowing Europeans to explore further and reach even more distant lands.
Economic Benefits
Marco Polo’s journey to China was a huge success in terms of economics, revolutionizing the way goods were traded in the ancient world. His journey opened up a sea route that allowed goods to travel between Europe and China, which increased profits and allowed traders to expand their business. It also enabled traders to obtain rare and valuable items such as silk, which brought in more customers and even higher profits.
The Polos also drew attention to the wealth of countries the Far East, which allowed European merchants to find new sources for spices, tea, porcelain, ivory, and precious gems. The Polos’ journey also drew attention to the Mongol Empire, a powerful kingdom that was ripe for trading opportunities. This, in turn, sparked the interest of other European explorers and traders, leading to a blossoming of trade between the two continents.
Marco Polo’s journey also highlighted the significance of cultural diplomacy, as he managed to maintain a positive relationship between Venice and the Khan during their travels. They even developed a reputation of professionalism and fairness in their trades, which further solidified their bond. This positive relationship led to an influx of new trading partners, which generated unprecedented wealth for Venice.
Finally, the Polo’s journey brought to light the issue of safety. While many traders preferred to go ashore and traverse land routes, where there was a greater risk of robbery or attack, the Polos chose to trek the expansive and unfamiliar sea route. Through their experience, they gained an understanding of the importance of safe travels, and provided guidance to other traders about how to safely cross the seas.
Impact on Other Traders
As the success of his journey spread, many European traders began to realize the potential of the seas as an alternate trading route. This opened up a wider world of possibilities, and led to other European merchants following the Polos’ lead. This spurred a renewed interest in exploratory sailing, and led to the opening of new trade routes to the Far East.
The global trading network also began to expand beyond Europe and Asia. The Mongol Empire quickly gained notoriety as a powerful trading player, and traders from Venice and other European cities began to establish relationships with Asian merchants. This brought to light new goods and products that had not been discovered before, and increased the number of trades worldwide.
Marco Polo’s travels to China also inspired many other traders and sea captains to set out on their own journeys to explore new lands and seek out profitable trades. Many of these traders wrote about their travels, and some even kept crew logs and mission statements. This enabled historians to learn more about the trading habits of the time, and better understand the emergence of the global trade network.
Finally, the Polo’s journey spurned the development of trade-focused currencies, such as the Venetian Ducat. The Ducat served as a convenient way of trading goods across the seas, and became a widely accepted form of payment in the Middle Ages. This encouraged more traders to bring their goods to market, and to explore new places in search of more profitable trades.
Legacy and Impact of MarcoPolo
Marco Polo’s travels to China established him as a major trading figure, and his reputation as a knowledgeable and experienced trader was cemented. His success inspired other merchants and sea captains to follow his lead, and seek out new trading opportunities in the Far East. His writings also shared insights about cultural customs and beliefs, and provided details about trading habits of the time.
Because of the success of the Polo family’s trading mission, trading between Europe and the Far East has flourished, and the Venice economy has benefited significantly. Venice eventually developed into one of the most prosperous maritime cities in Europe, becoming a wealthy hub for global trade. Marco Polo’s journey also gave rise to a new era of exploration and trading, which led to increased globalization and has played an important role in shaping the global economy.
Today, Marco Polo is remembered as a brave and ambitious explorer, who helped to open up new horizons for European merchants. He was the first Venetian merchant to make the journey to China, and the insights he gained have helped to shape our understanding of global trade.
Conclusion
The trading expedition of Marco Polo and his family to China was a major landmark in the history of global trade. Not only did they establish a direct trade route between Europe and the Far East, but they provided valuable insights to other merchants and explorers. Their journey also opened up a wealth of opportunities for other traders, including the development of trade-focused currencies and the expansion of the global trading network. Through their journey, Marco Polo and his family have made an invaluable contribution to the history of international trade.
