Page 24 - English Reader - 6

They travelled from Venice to Asia Minor, then crossed the Black Sea into the Crimea.

From there they made their journey across the deserts of Persia and Afghanistan to the highland
of the Pamirs. Then they crossed the Great Gobi Desert and reached Peking. The journey took four

years.
To us this seems a very long time for a journey. But in those days people probably thought themselves

lucky that they were able to get anywhere at all as there were many cases of the travellers being
killed on the way or captured and sold as slaves.

The Polos went to the court of Kublai Khan, grandson of the famous Mongol invader, Genghis Khan.
He was the ruler of a vast empire with its capital at Peking.

Kublai Khan received the travellers with
great kindness. Niccolo and Maffeo had
already made a trip to China some years
ago and were known to the Emperor.

Marco Polo set himself the task of learning
the Mongol language. The Emperor was so
pleased with him that he took him into his

service. He trusted Marco greatly and sent
him to many far away places on his behalf.

One trip was made in 1287 to Burma and
another, some time later, to Ceylon. The trip to Ceylon was undertaken to bring the sacred tooth of
the Buddha for the Emperor. Later, Marco was made the governor of an important city.

In 1290, fifteen years after coming to Peking, Marco Polo asked the Emperor’s permission to go back
home. But Kublai Khan refused to let him go. A lucky chance, however, helped him.

The marriage of a princess of Kublai’s family had been arranged with his grand-nephew Arghun, the
viceroy of Persia. Arghun had sent some of his Persian nobles to arrange the matter and to bring the
bride, the Lady Kokachin, to Persia for the marriage.

Now that the noblemen were due to return with the bride, they were afraid of the dangers and risks
of the journey. They wanted to take some trusted and experienced travellers with them as guides. So
they requested Kublai Khan to allow the Polos to go with their party. Kublai Khan had to agree, but

he made Marco promise that he would come back to him after the journey.

The party decided to travel by sea, but troubles began soon after the journey started. Wind carried
the ships to Indo-China and then to Sumatra. They were delayed there for many months. After
months’ sailing they reached Ceylon and touched India and East Africa before they reached Persia.
The Princess arrived safe and sound; but two of the three Persian noblemen who had started with
her died on the way. What was worse, Arghun himself died some time before the party reached
Persia.

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