Niccolò and Maffeo Polo facts for kids
Niccolò Polo (born around 1230, died around 1294) and Maffeo Polo (born around 1230, died around 1309) were Italian merchants from Venice. They are most famous for being the father and uncle of the great explorer Marco Polo.
Before Marco was born, Niccolò and Maffeo started their trading business. They set up shops in important cities like Constantinople and Sudak in Crimea. They also had a trading post in the western part of the huge Mongol Empire in Asia.
Together, these two brothers traveled all the way to what is now China. After their first big trip, they went back to Europe for a short time to deliver a message to the Pope. Then, they started another amazing journey across Asia, this time taking Niccolò's son, Marco, with them. Marco later wrote all about their adventures in his famous book, The Travels of Marco Polo.
First Big Journey
Niccolò and Maffeo left their home in Venice, leaving baby Marco behind. They traveled to Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul), where they lived for several years. In Constantinople, they had special rights because Venice had helped create the Latin Empire there in 1204. This meant they had diplomatic protection and didn't have to pay as many taxes.
However, the brothers felt the city was becoming unsafe. So, they decided to move their business northeast to Soldaia in Crimea around 1259 or 1260. This was a smart move! In 1261, Michael VIII Palaeologus took Constantinople back. He burned down the Venetian area and brought back the Byzantine Empire. Many Venetians were hurt or had to flee on crowded ships.
Their new home, Soldaia, was a busy trading city on the northern edge of the Black Sea. When the Polos arrived, it was part of the Golden Horde, a new Mongol state. Since they couldn't go back west to Constantinople, they decided to travel east and hoped to return home later.
The Polos continued their journey to Sarai, which was the main camp of Berke Khan, the ruler of the Golden Horde. Sarai was more like a huge tent city back then. The Polos stayed there for about a year and became business partners with Berke Khan.
Eventually, they decided to leave Crimea. This was either because of a war between Berke and his cousin Hulagu Khan or because of problems between Berke Khan and the Byzantine Empire. They moved further east, crossing the Tigris River. They walked for 17 days through the northern part of the Arabian Desert. During this time, they saw no towns, only a few Tatar nomads with their tents and animals.
Finally, they reached Bukhara. The brothers realized they couldn't go any further east, nor could they go back the way they came. So, they decided to stay in Bukhara for three years.
While in Bukhara, Niccolò and Maffeo met a messenger from Hulagu, the ruler of the Ilkhanate. This messenger was on his way to meet Kublai Khan and invited the brothers to join him. In 1266, they arrived at the court of Kublai Khan, the powerful leader of the Mongol Yuan dynasty, in Dadu (which is now Beijing).
In his book, Marco Polo explained how Kublai Khan welcomed his father and uncle. The Khan sent them back with a Mongol ambassador named Koeketei. They carried a letter from the Khan asking the Pope for 100 educated people to teach his people about Christianity and Western ways. They also brought oil from the lamp of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem.
The Khan also gave them a paiza. This was a golden tablet about a foot long and 3 inches wide. It was like a special pass that allowed the holder to get lodging, horses, and food anywhere in Kublai Khan's lands. Koeketei left them partway through the journey. The Polos then traveled alone to Ayas, a port city in the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia. From there, they sailed to Acre, which was the capital of the Kingdom of Jerusalem.
There was a long delay before a new Pope was chosen after Pope Clement IV died in 1268. This held up the Polos' mission to fulfill Kublai's request. Teobaldo Visconti, who was a papal representative in Acre, suggested they return to Venice. So, the two brothers went back to Venice in 1269 or 1270. There, Niccolò was reunited with his son Marco, who was now about 15 or 16 years old. Marco had been living with his aunt and another uncle since his mother had passed away when he was young.
Second Big Journey
As soon as he was chosen in 1271, Pope Gregory X (who was the former Teobaldo Visconti) received the letter from Kublai Khan. Niccolò and Maffeo delivered it. Kublai Khan had asked for 100 missionaries and some oil from the lamp in Jerusalem.
The two Polos, along with 17-year-old Marco Polo, set off for Mongolia again. They were joined by two Dominican friars, Niccolò de Vicence and Guillaume de Tripoli. However, the two friars got scared and did not finish the journey. The Polos, though, reached Khanbaliq and gave the Pope's gifts to Kublai Khan in 1274.
It is generally believed that the Polos used the Northern Silk Road for their journey, though a southern route is also possible. The Polos then spent the next 17 years living in China. Kublai Khan really liked Marco because he was a great storyteller. Marco was sent on many important missions throughout the Khan's empire. He handled diplomatic tasks and also entertained the Khan with interesting stories and observations about the places he visited.
According to Marco's travel stories, the Polos asked several times if they could return to Europe. But the Great Khan enjoyed having them so much that he would not let them leave.
Finally, in 1291, Kublai Khan gave Marco his last important job. He was to escort the Mongol princess Kököchin to her future husband, the Ilkhan Arghun. The group traveled by sea, starting from the southern port city of Quanzhou. They sailed to Sumatra, and then to Persia by way of Sri Lanka and India.
In 1293 or 1294, the Polos reached the Ilkhanate. By this time, Gaykhatu was ruling after Arghun had passed away. They left Princess Kököchin with the new Ilkhan. After that, they traveled to Trebizond and sailed from that city back to Venice.
