You have learnt about Mapungubwe, the first state in southern Africa. It existed from 1220 to 1300. Mapungubwe had trade routes across Africa and across the Indian Ocean. At this time, the continent of Europe was very isolated and knew very little about the rest of the world. This began to change with the travels of an explorer named Marco Polo. Marco Polo travelled in Asia at the same time in history when Mapungubwe was a powerful African state that was part of an international trade route.

Marco Polo was born into a rich family in a country called Italy in Europe. He was born in 1254 and he died in 1324. He travelled from Europe across Asia between 1271 and 1295. He remained in China for 17 of those years.

European explorer Marco Polo and his travels

Marco Polo travelled to China with his father and uncle on the Silk Road, which is an overland route to China. The Silk Road was a network of overland trade routes used to carry goods between China, other parts of Asia, and southern Europe. The trade route was called the Silk Road because Chinese silk cloth was so widely traded on it. 

Maro Polo worked for Kublai Khan, the Emperor of China, for 17 years. When he left, Polo sailed home instead of going overland. He brought back things that Europeans wanted, such as spices, ivory, coal, jewels, porcelain and silk. 

Marco Polo returns to Italy

When Marco Polo and his fellow travellers arrived home, none of their friends and relatives recognised them as they had been away for so long. They were dressed in thick, rough, dirty clothing and sometimes spoke the Chinese language to one another. They found it hard to convince people that they were members of the Polo family. In order to show who they were, they gave a dinner for all their relatives and old friends.

This is a story that was told about Marco Polo’s home-coming party:

When the guests arrived they were greeted by the travellers, who were dressed in gorgeous Chinese silk robes. After the first course of the meal, the travellers dressed in crimson silk. After the second course, they changed their clothes to crimson velvet. At the end of the dinner they appeared in the usual clothes of rich Italians.

‘Now, my friends,” said Marco Polo, ‘I will show you something that will please you.” He showed the rough coats which he and his travellers had worn when they returned to Italy. He cut the inside seams open, and took out bags filled with rubies, emeralds and diamonds. It was the finest collection of jewels the guests had ever seen. The guests were now sure that Marco Polo was indeed who he claimed to be.’ (Adapted from http://www.middle-ages.org.uk/marco-polo.htm)

Marco Polo’s book about his travels

Marco Polo was an extraordinary storyteller. His travels were recorded in a book called The Travels of Marco Polo. Many of the stories he wrote about are believed to be stories that other people told him, and not only things he experienced himself.

Before Marco Polo wrote down his travel story, most Europeans did not know about the great civilizations in Asia. Marco Polo’s book gave Europeans lots of new information about China. His stories told of Chinese inventions like gunpowder, printing, paper money and the compass.

Marco Polo returns to Italy

European traders who read The Travels of Marco Polo were surprised to read about the advanced way in which the Chinese lived. His book made Europeans more interested about the East. Marco Polo’s travel stories encouraged thousands of European traders to find out more about China in the centuries to come. They wanted to travel to the East themselves.

The new information recorded by Marco Polo was widely used in the late 15th and the 16th centuries, during the age of the great European journeys to explore other parts of the world. You will learn about these journeys in our next history topic, The Explorers.

EXTENSION ACTIVITY 1

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