Marco Polo: Prince of Medieval Travellers

Kublai Khan meeting Marco Polo / Image Credit

Rightly called the prince of Medieval travellers, Italian traveler Marco Polo (1254-1324) was a Venetian merchant whose travel account, the Book of Ser Marco Polo, is an invaluable reservoir of history, geography and the economic history of India during the period.

In 1271 Marco Polo set out on a trading expedition to Cathay (China). He was warmly received by the Tartar emperor Kublai Khan and spent 17 years at his court. While he was on his way from China to Persia as an escort to the princess of Kublai Khan’s family, a bride for the ruler of Persia, he visited South India in 1292-93.

Marco Polo returned to Italy in 1295. He has no intention of writing a book. But luckly for us he met a professional author, Rustichello da Pisa, also known as Rusticiano, in prison where he found himself in 1298 due to his participation in the war against Genoa. He dictated Rusticiano of Pisa the story of his adventures. Marco Polo’s account of the states of the south India and the beliefs, manners and practices of the people of South India is amazingly accurate.

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