Diana Dubitskaya

902
Mrs. Weissman
6/9/14

Age of exploration
Europe benefited the most because of Marco Polo with his encounters with

the Chinese. Some reasons for this is that he was the first to travel to China and

explore it. After him living there for a while, he went back to Europe and he

introduced China to everyone. He introduced some ideas Chinese had, knowledge

they had, species and other things. As a result, everyone wanted to find routes to

China and trade with it.

Marco Polo was born in 1254, in Venice-Italian city-state. His family was

very powerful back at that time, they had very powerful and extensive trade

contacts. Marco Polo had a standard education. He had a knowledge of classical

authors and the basic beliefs of the Catholic church, he also knew a bit of French

and Italian. In 1260, Marco Polos father and his uncle traveled all the way to the

capital in China. Marco Polo was influenced by his father and his uncle and aslo

decided to travel with them. When Marco Polos dad and uncle traveled to China,

they requested trade and missionary contract. Second trip they made was in 1271,

they took Marco Polo with them, and to addition to that they also carried a letter

from pope. Marco Polo was only 17 when he traveled with his dad and uncle all
the way to China. Many years after this trip to China, Marco Polo was an assistant

of a romance novel writer and then he composed his own book called The travels

of Marco Polo, or, Description of the world. In this book it says that Marco

Polo spend 17 years living in China. While he lived in China, he did not only had

some small businesses going on, but he also became a governor of Yangzhou- a

large southern Chinese port city. He became a governor of that city because of the

Emperor Mongol Yuan. When Marco Polo was in China, he was very amazed and

curious about everything there. Everything was very different from the way it was

in Europe. The roof is very lofty, and the walls of the Palace are all covered with

gold and silver. The are also adorned with representations of dragons [sculptured

and gilt], beasts and birds, knights and idols, and sundry other objects. And on the

ceiling too you see nothing but gold and silver painting. [On the each of the four

sides there is a great marble staircase leading to the top of the marble wall, and

forming and approach the place.] (Murray, page 1). This quote here supports my

thesis because before Marco Polo going there and living there, nobody knew how

it was there.

Marco Polo brought a lot of things from China to Europe. He brought back a

lot of knowledge and some Chinese culture. In the Middle Ages, Marco Polo

named the caravan of traders a silk road. After the silk road everyone start to know

what's China is like and what is in there. China had everything Europe and every
other country wanted, thats why they traded with China the most. But it is hard to

trade with China because you had to go through a long process to make China

trade with you, in addition to that, you also had to pay to China so they will trade

with you. Hitherto, all European nation, including your own, countrys barbarian

merchants, have carried on their trade with our Celestial Empire at Canton. Such

has been the procedure for many years, although our Celestial Empire possesses all

things in prolific abundance and lacks no product within its own borders. There

was therefore no need to import the manufacturer of outside barbarians in

exchange for our own produce. But as the tea, silk and porcelain in which the

Celestial Empire produces are absolute necessities to European nations and

yourselves, we have permitted, as a signal mark of favour, that foreign hongs

should be established at Canton, so that your wants might be supplied in your

country thus participate in our benefice This quote supports my thesis statement

because it shows how hard it was to trade with China and what they had to go

through to do so. China also wanted its own beneficence from the trade because as

it says in this quote, Chian had everything they need themselves and they had no

reason to give their goods to anyone.All over the country there is a kind of a black

stone existing in beds in the mountains, which they dig out and burn like firewood.

If you supply the fire with them at night, and see that they are well kindled, you

will find them still alight in the morning; and they make such fine fuel that no
other is used throughout the country. It is true that they have plenty of wood also,

but they dont burn it, because those stones burn better and cost less. (Murray,

page 2). Since he brought all his journals back to Europe, everyone found out what

they use to make fire, and they most likely to start using their method too.

[Moreover with the vast number of people and the number of baths they maintain-

for every one has such a bath at least three times a week, and in winter if possible

every day, whilst every nobleman and man of wealth has a private bath for his own

use- the wood would not suffice for the purpose.] (Murray, page 2). When

describing all this, Marco Polo wanted to say that they were very clean and they

all, well majority was able to bath at least 3 times a week. Comparing to Middle

Ages in Europe, they had enough water to takes bathes, where in Europe, European

people could only take a bath once a year! This would make people want to go

there, at least to take a bath, but people were interested in everything, so Marco

Polo was very famous because of his journals. He also made everyone to know that

in China they had paper money. China also had a lot of silk, and gold. Their silk

was in great quantities, from which they make gold and other stuffs, they lived by

manufactures and trade- this was also mentioned in Marco Polos journals.

According to Marco Polo, there were a lot of philosophers and leeches, diligent

students of nature.
 After Marco Polo traveled to China and lived there for a while, he wrote a

book about his experiences living there, and brought it back to Europe. China was

affected by this as well as Europe. After people read Marco Polos book, they got

really interested by China and East in general,(mostly China). Even though people

did knew about China from the silk road, they didn't knew much. Interested in how

the China is, people started trying to find routes to China, and CHristopher

Columbus also as well wanted to go there. Marco Polo brought back paper, paper

currency, porcelain, raw silk, ivory, jade, spices, and noodles. When people in

West got all of this things, they improved it for 100 years and this is the reason

why they have now those things they have. Marco Polo also brought tea from

China, but in fact, he didn't bring it right away when he went back to Europe, but it

came much later, so its one of the long time effects. China also was influenced by

Europe, when Marco Polo traveled to China, he tried to introduce Christianity to

them. They both trade with each other, but as I mentioned before, it was hard for

Europe to trade with China without giving anything what Chinese would like to

have.

Europe benefited the most because of Marco Polo with his encounters with

the Chinese. The both benefited from each other, but according to what I found,

Europe benefited the most. The did trade with each other, but in fact, Europe did
got more things from China the China got from Europe, and Marco Polo played a

huge role in this trade ruintine.