Born in 1254 in Venice, Italy, Marco Polo was the son of a prosperous merchant family. At the age of 17, young Marco accompanied his father, Nicolo, and his uncle, Maffeo, on a three-year journey to China that took the travelers through Persia, Afghanistan, and other countries. In 1275 the three Polos were warmly received at the imperial court of the Mongol warlord Kublai Khan in China. Marco, in particular, became a favorite with the Great Khan, who employed the young man on public missions that sent him to various parts of the empire. The Polos remained in China 17 years. Returning to Venice in 1295, they resumed their business as merchants there. In 1298 Marco Polo became involved in a sea battle between the rival Venetian and Genoese fleets; the Venetians suffered defeat and Marco was taken prisoner. While captive, he dictated the stories of his travels to Rustigielo, a fellow prisoner and a scribe from Pisa. Divisament du Monde, more familiarly known to Western readers as The Travels of Marco Polo, circulated after Marco’s release in 1299 and became an instant success. Impressing even those who doubted its veracity, the travel narrative charmed believers and skeptics alike with its detailed accounts of life in the Far East.
