From Thence They Spent One Year On Their
Journey To The Court Of Kublai-Khan, And Were Three Years On Their Journey
Back To Venice.
But as they remained some time at the residence of
Kublai-khan, one year may be allowed for that circumstance; and this first
journey may therefore be allowed to have occupied nine years in all.
Kublai-khan reigned supreme emperor of the Mongals from 1259 to 1294, in
which last year he died at eighty years of age. If, therefore, Nicolo and
Maffei had set out upon their first journey in 1250, they must have arrived
at the imperial residence of Cambalu, or Pekin, in 1255, at the latest, or
four years before Kublai-khan ascended the throne. Their first journey
commenced while Baldwin II. was emperor of Constantinople, who reigned from
1234 to 1261. The khan of Kiptschak, or the western division of the vast
empire of the Mongals, at the time of this journey, was Bereke, who ruled
from 1256 to 1266. Holagu-khan, who was then at war with Bereke, did not
begin to reign till 1258. Hence it follows, that they could not have
commenced their first journey at the very earliest before 1258, or 1259
rather; as it is not to be supposed that Holagu would enter upon a
dangerous war in the first year of his reign. Upon the whole, therefore,
the date of 1260, for the commencement of the first journey, as already
observed, is perfectly consistent with the chronology of history.
The year of their return to Venice, 1269, is agreed upon on all hands; and
as Marco was born in the first year of their absence, he would then be
about nine years of age. Ramusio, who dates the commencement of the first
journey in 1250, supposes Marco to have been fifteen years of age at the
return of his father and uncle, which is absurd; as, if the era assumed by
Ramusio were possibly true, he must then have been in his nineteenth year.
According to the opinion of Mr J. R. Forster, the commencement of the
second journey in which Marco was engaged, must have been in 1271; and he
founds this opinion on the circumstance, that Gregory IX. had then been
elected pope, from whom they carried letters for Kublai-khan. But it will
appear from the travels themselves, that the three Polos had commenced
their journey previously to the election of that sovereign pontiff, and
that they were detained some time in Armenia, in consequence of an express
sent after them for the purpose, that they might there wait for his final
instructions. They may, therefore, have commenced this second journey in
1270. We only know, however, that they set out from Venice for a second
journey into Tartary, soon after their return from the first, in 1269; and
that they carried young Marco along with them. On his appearance at the
court of Cambalu, Kublai-khan took a fancy to the young Venetian, and
caused him to be instructed in four of the principal languages which were
spoken in the extensive dominions of the Mongals.
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