DOCSLIB.ORG

About Kublai Khan and Marco Polo

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
About Kublai Khan and Marco Polo CK_4_TH_HG_P087_242.QXD 10/6/05 9:02 AM Page 162 V. China: Dynasties and Conquerors navigators could use it to be sure they were traveling in the right direction. The compass did not reach Europe until the 1200s. It was one of the navigational devices that enabled Europeans to embark on their voyages of exploration in search of an all-water route to Asia. Paper money came into use in China during the Song dynasty. The Chinese, Teaching Idea as well as other peoples, had been using metal coins for centuries, but the Chinese Ask students to write an expository were the first to use paper currency. Two other inventions converged to make the piece about why they think the Chinese use of paper currency possible. First, the Chinese had invented the process of invented paper money instead of con- making paper in 105 CE, and then, during the Tang dynasty in the 700s CE, they tinuing solely to use coins. Historians had learned how to print from large blocks of type—the words for a page were believe the Chinese switched to paper carved into a single block of wood the size of the page, then inked, and paper money because there was not enough applied. In the 1040s, the Chinese had invented the use of movable type for print- copper, bronze, and iron to make coins ing. The characters for individual words were carved into small pieces of wood and for the entire population. Also, paper assembled to make a page, then inked, and paper applied. Europeans would not money was easier to carry around and employ movable type until the time of Gutenberg, about 1450. Marco Polo, who to use for large transactions. traveled and lived in China for 20 years in the 1200s, noted in the journal of his travels that: The coinage of this paper money is authenticated with as much form and ceremony as if it were actually of pure gold or silver. To each note a num- ber of officers, specially appointed, not only subscribe their names, but affix their seals also . All his [Khan’s] subjects receive it [paper money] without hesitation, because, wherever their business may call them, they can dispose of it again in the purchase of merchandise. Polo’s readers received this news with surprise because paper currency was unknown in Europe. Teaching Idea The military use of gunpowder was another invention of the Song dynasty. Make sure students understand the Gunpowder was first used in the Tang dynasty to make fireworks. In order to importance of gunpowder in subse- fight off the Mongols from Central Asia in the 1100s, the Chinese developed rock- quent history. Gunpowder enabled the ets that were propelled by gunpowder. Europeans to conquer and dominate the native peoples of the Americas (who Mongol Invasions had not discovered it). It was used by In about 1200, the Mongols, nomadic warriors of Central Asia, set out to con- slave-raiders in Africa to capture quer the world. By 1294, their four khanates, as their units of organization were slaves. Without gunpowder, the “shot called, extended across southern Russia from Korea and the Pacific Ocean to the heard ‘round the world” would not have Black Sea, reached into the Arabian Peninsula, and included almost all of China been fired. Gunpowder has played a and some of Southeast Asia. crucial role in all wars the United States has ever fought. Chinggis Khan and the “Golden Horde” Chinggis [CHIN-giz KHAN] (also spelled Ghengis) Khan—which means “ruler of the universe”—started the Mongols on their world conquest. His army of well-disciplined, well-trained horsemen was known as the “Golden Horde,” Teaching Idea because the early khans—“khan” is a title similar to the European title of Students may enjoy hearing Coleridge’s “king”—lived in gold-colored tents. Fierce nomadic fighters, the Golden Horde poem “Kubla Khan,” which describes a struck terror in the hearts of their opponents. “pleasure dome” Khubilai Khan had Khubilai Khan and the Yuan Dynasty built for himself. (See More Resources.) Khubilai [KOO-bil-eye] (also spelled Kublai) Khan was Chinggis Khan’s grandson, and it was he who took the Mongol Empire to its greatest expanse. 162 Grade 4 Handbook CK_4_TH_HG_P087_242.QXD 10/6/05 9:02 AM Page 163 While his grandfather had conquered northern China, Khubilai Khan conquered southern China and began the Yuan dynasty. The Mongol Empire and the Yuan dynasty did not endure much beyond Khubilai Khan’s death in 1294. Natural dis- asters and internal problems, but mainly an armed revolt, led to the downfall of the Mongols. In 1368, the Ming established their dynasty in China. While the Mongol Empire lasted, it enforced peace, much like the Pax Romana of the Roman Empire, which students in Core Knowledge schools should have learned about in Grade 3. The arts flourished and the development of the Marco Polo in the court of Chinese novel and drama are dated to the Yuan dynasty. Because there was peace, Khubilai Khan the great Silk Road was safe and trade increased. In addition to silk and porce- lains, the Chinese exported their ideas and inventions. It was during this time that papermaking and gunpowder reached Europe and the Middle East. In return, new crops and foods were sent along the trade routes to Asia. Khubilai Khan con- Teaching Idea tinued the sea trade with Southeast Asia. Perhaps his most permanent achieve- Many editions of The Travels of ment was the building of a capital city, which he called Khanbalik and which is Marco Polo are available, in print and today known as Beijing. on the Internet. Consider sharing selections with students by reading Marco Polo aloud. (See More Resources.) Marco Polo described Khanbalik [khan-BAH-leek] in great detail in his work The Travels of Marco Polo, Venetian. Polo was a merchant from the Italian city-state Teaching Idea of Venice and an explorer who set out bound for China in 1271 with his father Ask students if they have ever played and uncle. They reached the court of Khubilai Khan in Khanbalik in 1275. For 17 the game “Marco Polo.” Have them years, Marco Polo served the khan as a governor of a province and as a diplomat relate the game and its name to the in China, India, and Southeast Asia before returning to Venice in 1295. Along explorer Marco Polo. Who else might with the Crusades, Marco Polo’s account of his life in China and what he saw a game of “hide-and-seek” be named helped spur European interest in an all-water route to Asia. Christopher after? Encourage students to name Columbus, for example, was fascinated by Polo’s book, and his desire to sail to explorers they have studied in previ- the Indies described by Polo led to the European discovery of America. 37 ous grades and any astronauts whose Ming Dynasty names they know. The Ming dynasty, meaning “bright” or “luminous,” was in place from 1368 to 1644. This dynasty marked the return of power to ethnic Chinese after a peri- Name Date Yuan, Ming, and Qing Dynasties, 1279–1912 od of non-Chinese rule by the Mongol emperors. During this period, China expe- Study the map of the Yuan, Ming, and Qing Dynasties. Use it to answer the questions below. rienced stable and efficient government, which allowed the country to prosper. N W E RUSSIA S The Ming had the Grand Canal rebuilt to encourage trade, and the Great Wall was EUROPE Venice C A S BLACK SEA P I KhanbalighKhanbaligh A N (Beijing)(Beijing) S E A extended to keep out invaders. The population of China increased to perhaps 160 KOREA MEDITERRANEAN SEA PERPERSIAIA TIBETTIBET EAST CHINA JAPAN million by the year 1600. Most people were farmers, but small industries like SEA AFRICA ARABIA INDIA ARABIAN BAY OF SEA BENGAL VIETNAM SOUTH porcelain manufacture thrived in China’s cities. The arts—both visual and liter- CHINA Yuan Dynasty at its greatest extent, 1294 SEA Ming and Qing Dynasties, 1368–1912 Route of Marco Polo, 1271–1295 0 500 1000 miles INDIAN ary—were important. In addition to landscape painting, artists began to paint 0 500 1000 kilometers OCEAN portraits. 1. Which dynasty extended north to Russia, west to the Black Sea, and south to Vietnam? It was also during the Ming dynasty that European traders began to come to Yuan Dynasty 2. Find the route of Marco Polo and color it red. What two cities did he travel to and from? China, and not long after, Christian missionaries arrived to attempt to convert the Venice and Khanbaligh (Beijing) Chinese to Christianity. 3. Which two dynasties occupied the same region? Ming and Qing e Knowledge Foundation Purpose: To read and interpret a map featuring the Yuan, Ming, and Qing Dynasties Copyright ©Cor Forbidden City Master 28 Grade 4: History & Geography During the Ming dynasty, Khubilai Khan’s capital was renamed Beijing and Use Instructional Master 28. was greatly enlarged. A new imperial palace was built as a walled city within a city and was named the Forbidden City. The palace was finished in 1420 and History and Geography: World 163.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Gengis Kan Y La Formación Del Imperio Mongol Por Arturo Galindo García
    GenGis Kan y la formación del imperio monGol por Arturo Galindo García fuentes primarias: Ramírez Medellín, L. (2011): Historia secreta de los mongoles , Miraguano Ediciones. Raymond Beazley, C. (1903) The Texts and Versions of John De Plano Carpini and William De Rubruquis, As Printed for the First Time by Hakluyt in 1598 , Together with Some Shorter Pieces Raymond Beazley, C & Hakluyt Society. obras de consulta: De Nicola, B. (2006-7): Las mujeres mongolas en los siglos XII y XIII un análisis sobre el rol de de la madre y la esposa de Chinggis Khan , en Acta Historica et Archaeologica Mediaevalia, Universidad de Barcelona. Turnbull, S. (2003): The mongol Warrior: 1200 – 1350 , Osprey Publishing. Weatherford, J. (2006): Genghis Khan y el inicio del mundo moderno , Ediciones Crítica. Palazuelos, E. (2001): El poder sin metáfora: el imperio de Genghis Khan , Siglo XXI de España Editores. Aigle, D. (2004): Loi mongole vs loi islamique. Entre mythe et réalité , en Annales Histoire Sciences sociales , Éditions de l’École des hautes etudes en sciences sociales. la conquista y destrucción del imperio jorasmio por Borja Pelegero fuentes primarias: Juvaini, A., Genghis Khan. The history of the world conqueror. Boyle, J., A., (Trad.) Manchester University Press. Manchester, (1958) 1997. Ramírez, L., (Trad.). Historia secreta de los mongoles . Miraguano Ediciones. Madrid, 2000. Rashid al-Din, Histoire des Mongols de la Perse. Quatrèmere, M., A., Oriental Press. Amsterdam, 1968. fuentes secundarias: Akhinzanov, S., M., «Kipcaks and Khwarazm» en Seaman, G.; Marks, D., Rulers from the steppe. State formation on the Eurasian periphery. Ethno - graphics Press. Los Angleles, 1991. Barfield, T ., The perilous frontier: nomadic empires and China .
    [Show full text]
  • Power, Politics, and Tradition in the Mongol Empire and the Ilkhanate of Iran
    OUP CORRECTED PROOF – FINAL, 08/08/16, SPi POWER, POLITICS, AND TRADITION IN THE MONGOL EMPIRE AND THE ĪlkhānaTE OF IRAN OUP CORRECTED PROOF – FINAL, 08/08/16, SPi OUP CORRECTED PROOF – FINAL, 08/08/16, SPi Power, Politics, and Tradition in the Mongol Empire and the Īlkhānate of Iran MICHAEL HOPE 1 OUP CORRECTED PROOF – FINAL, 08/08/16, SPi 3 Great Clarendon Street, Oxford, OX2 6D P, United Kingdom Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. It furthers the University’s objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide. Oxford is a registered trade mark of Oxford University Press in the UK and in certain other countries © Michael Hope 2016 The moral rights of the author have been asserted First Edition published in 2016 Impression: 1 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of Oxford University Press, or as expressly permitted by law, by licence or under terms agreed with the appropriate reprographics rights organization. Enquiries concerning reproduction outside the scope of the above should be sent to the Rights Department, Oxford University Press, at the address above You must not circulate this work in any other form and you must impose this same condition on any acquirer Published in the United States of America by Oxford University Press 198 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016, United States of America British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data Data available Library of Congress Control Number: 2016932271 ISBN 978–0–19–876859–3 Printed in Great Britain by Clays Ltd, St Ives plc Links to third party websites are provided by Oxford in good faith and for information only.
    [Show full text]
  • The Mongol and Ming Empire
    Zhu Yuanzhang a peasant leader, created a rebel army that defeated the Mongols and pushed them back beyond the Great Wall It could be cruel if you were not a Mongol. Mongols had more privileges than Chinese people. The Mongols held more government jobs. And If you were Chinese you had to pay a tribute to the Mongols at the end of each month They restored the civil service system They were able to delegate responsibility to lower levels of government to reduce corruption They improved new ways for farming and restored the canal to improve trading What advantage would riding on horseback have during warfare? Section 2 Unit 12 The Mongols were nomadic people who grazed their horses and sheep in Central Asia In the early 1200’s, a brilliant Mongol chieftain united tribes. This chieftain took the name Genghis Khan meaning “universal ruler” Mongol forces conquered a vast empire that stretched from the Pacific Ocean to Eastern Europe Genghis Khan demanded absolute loyalty His army had the most skilled horsemen in the world He could order the massacre of an entire city The Mongols and the Chinese would often attack each other by launching missiles against each other from metal tubes filled with gunpowder Although Genghis Khan did not live to complete his conquest of China his heirs continued to expand the empire. The Mongols dominated much of Asia The Mongols allowed people they conquered to live peaceful lives as long as they paid tribute to the Mongols In the 1200’s and 1300’s the sons and grandsons of Genghis Khan established peace and order.
    [Show full text]
  • The Golden Horde State in the System of International Relations
    136 GOLDEN HORDE REVIEW. № 1. 2015 УДК 94(470) THE GOLDEN HORDE STATE IN THE SYSTEM OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS I.М. Mirgaleev (Sh. Marjani Institute of History, Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Tatarstan) The present article examines the place of the Golden Horde in the system of international relations of the 13th–14th centuries as well as directions of its foreign policy. To determine the place of the ulus of Jochi in the international system the author suggests to disclose the subject through illumination of such important issues as: – the Mongol conquests and creation of the Chingisid state entities, the establishment of a new international order. – formation of the ulus of Jochi as an independent State and its role in the Chingisid States’ relations, the kurultai of 1269. – international activities of the Golden Horde State during the period of its might. – interstate coalitions in the global geopolitics and national interests of the ulus of Jochi in international systems. – The role and place of the Golden Horde in the international life of the second half of the 14th – early 15th centuries. The program activity of the Jochids in a new geopolitical situation of the late 14th – early 15th centuries. The author believes that the establishment of the Golden Horde State occurred in three phases (1207–1241, 1242–1259, 1260–1269). The Jochids’ policy towards their neighbors and other Chingisid states formed during this time. Both the Distemper of the 1360–70’s in the ulus of Jochi and destruction of all other Chingisid States resulted in the Golden Horde’s loss of its place in the system of international relations.
    [Show full text]
  • Maria Paleologina and the Il-Khanate of Persia. a Byzantine Princess in an Empire Between Islam and Christendom
    MARIA PALEOLOGINA AND THE IL-KHANATE OF PERSIA. A BYZANTINE PRINCESS IN AN EMPIRE BETWEEN ISLAM AND CHRISTENDOM MARÍA ISABEL CABRERA RAMOS UNIVERSIDAD DE GRANADA SpaIN Date of receipt: 26th of January, 2016 Final date of acceptance: 12th of July, 2016 ABSTRACT In the 13th century Persia, dominated by the Mongols, a Byzantine princess, Maria Paleologina, stood out greatly in the court of Abaqa Khan, her husband. The Il-Khanate of Persia was then an empire precariously balanced between Islam, dominant in its territories and Christianity that was prevailing in its court and in the diplomatic relations. The role of Maria, a fervent Christian, was decisive in her husband’s policy and in that of any of his successors. Her figure deserves a detailed study and that is what we propose in this paper. KEYWORDS Maria Paleologina, Il-khanate of Persia, Abaqa, Michel VIII, Mongols. CapitaLIA VERBA Maria Paleologa, Ilkhanatus Persiae, Abaqa, Michael VIII, Mongoles. IMAGO TEMPORIS. MEDIUM AEVUM, XI (2017): 217-231 / ISSN 1888-3931 / DOI 10.21001/itma.2017.11.08 217 218 MARÍA ISABEL CABRERA RAMOS 1. Introduction The great expansion of Genghis Khan’s hordes to the west swept away the Islamic states and encouraged for a while the hopes of the Christian states of the East. The latter tried to ally themselves with the powerful Mongols and in this attempt they played the religion card.1 Although most of the Mongols who entered Persia, Iraq and Syria were shamanists, Nestorian Christianity exerted a strong influence among elites, especially in the court. That was why during some crucial decades for the history of the East, the Il-Khanate of Persia fluctuated between the consolidation of Christian influence and the approach to Islam, that despite the devastation brought by the Mongols in Persia,2 Iraq and Syria remained the dominant factor within the Il-khanate.
    [Show full text]
  • The Fate of Medical Knowledge and the Neurosciences During the Time of Genghis Khan and the Mongolian Empire
    Neurosurg Focus 23 (1):E13, 2007 The fate of medical knowledge and the neurosciences during the time of Genghis Khan and the Mongolian Empire SAM SAFAVI-ABBASI, M.D., PH.D.,1 LEONARDO B. C. BRASILIENSE, M.D.,2 RYAN K. WORKMAN, B.S.,2 MELANIE C. TALLEY, PH.D.,2 IMAN FEIZ-ERFAN, M.D.,1 NICHOLAS THEODORE, M.D.,1 ROBERT F. SPETZLER, M.D.,1 AND MARK C. PREUL, M.D.1 1Division of Neurological Surgery, Neurosurgery Research; and 2Spinal Biomechanics Laboratory, Barrow Neurological Institute, St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center, Phoenix, Arizona PIn 25 years, the Mongolian army of Genghis Khan conquered more of the known world than the Roman Empire accomplished in 400 years of conquest. The recent revised view is that Genghis Khan and his descendants brought about “pax Mongolica” by securing trade routes across Eurasia. After the initial shock of destruction by an unknown barbaric tribe, almost every country conquered by the Mongols was transformed by a rise in cultural communication, expanded trade, and advances in civiliza- tion. Medicine, including techniques related to surgery and neurological surgery, became one of the many areas of life and culture that the Mongolian Empire influenced. (DOI: 10.3171/FOC-07/07/E13) KEY WORDS • Avicenna • Genghis Khan • history of neuroscience • Mongolian empire • Persia EPORTS ABOUT THE HISTORY of medicine in Asia are golica” and secured the fabled trade routes between scarce. This article provides an overview of the fate Europe and eastern China known as the Silk Road.8,23 R of Asian medicine, specifically Persian, Indian, and After the initial shock and destruction associated with Chinese scientific, neurological, and surgical knowledge invasion by an unknown barbaric tribe, almost every before and during the Mongolian invasion and hegemony.
    [Show full text]
  • Khanate of the Golden Horde (Kipchak)
    The Mongol Catastrophe For the Muslim east, the sudden eruption of the Mongol hordes was an indescribable calamity. Something of the shock and despair of Muslim reaction can be seen in the history of the contemporary historian Ibn al-Athir (d. 1233). He writes here about the year 1220-1221 when the Mongols (“Tartars”) burst in on the eastern lands. Is this a positive, negative, or neutral description of the Mongols? Why might the Mongols be compared to Alexander rather than, say, the Huns? they eat, [needing] naught else. As for their beasts which they ride, these dig into I say, therefore, that this thing involves the description of the greatest catastrophe the earth with their hoofs and eat the roots of plants, knowing naught of barley. and the most dire calamity (of the like of which days and nights are innocent) And so, when they alight anywhere, they have need of nothing from without. As for which befell all men generally, and the Muslims in particular; so that, should 0e say their religion, the‟ worship the sun when it arises, and regard nothing as unlawful, that the world, since God Almighty created Adam until now, hath not been afflicted for the; eat all beasts, even dogs, pigs, and the like; nor do they recognise the with the like thereof, he would but speak the truth. For indeed history doth not marriage-tie, for several men are in marital relations with one woman, and if a child contain aught which approaches or comes nigh unto it.... is born, it knows not who is its father.
    [Show full text]
  • The Silk Road in the Mongol Era
    THE SILK ROAD IN THE MONGOL ERA THE SILK ROAD IN THE MONGOL ERA W.J. de Graaf Tilburg University Supervisor: Dr. T.G. Leesen Second reader: Dr. K. Pansters June 2018 THE SILK ROAD IN THE MONGOL ERA 2 Abstract This research aims to explain the causes for the success and decline of trade along the Silk Road in the Mongol Empire by examining to what extent religious freedom and political stability played a role. The success of silver as an intercontinental currency demonstrates that, in the time of the Pax Mongolica, intercontinental trade alongside the Silk Road flourished. This thesis examines to what extent the Mongol Empire promoted religious freedom and provided a stable political climate and to what extent that open climate facilitated the intercontinental trade along the Silk Road. The findings regarding religious freedom and political stability urge Central Asia to take note of this research as they are joining China’s new Silk Road Initiative. Keywords: Religious Freedom, Political Stability, Economy, Silk Road, Central Asia, Pax Mongolica, Yassa (law) THE SILK ROAD IN THE MONGOL ERA 3 Contents Abstract ............................................................................................................................... 2 1. Introduction ................................................................................................................. 4 Contextualization of the Research .................................................................................. 4 A. What is the Silk Road? .......................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • China: Yuan Dynasty (AD 1279-1368)
    China: Yuan dynasty (AD 1279-1368) The emperors of the Yuan dynasty were Mongols, descendants of Ghenghis Khan (1162-1227), the 'Universal Leader' as his name translates. Ghenghis had conquered part of northern China in 1215, having already united the various nomadic tribes of the steppe land. He divided his empire into four kingdoms, each ruled and expanded by a son and his wife. Ghenghis' grandson, Kublai Khan (reigned 1260-94), was ruler of the eastern Great Khanate. He completed the conquest of China by defeating the Southern Song in 1279. He ruled as emperor, giving his dynasty a Chinese name, Yuan, meaning 'origin'. He moved the capital to Dadu (now Beijing), shifting the central focus of the empire away from Central Asia. Under the Mongols, the élite was formed by military officers, rather than the scholar- officials of previous dynasties. Though the bureaucracy was still necessary for administering the country, many scholar-officials retired, rather than serve a foreign regime. These yi-min, or 'leftover ones', dedicated themselves to painting and other literary pursuits. Generally, the Mongol emperors and bureaucrats were not great patrons of the traditional Chinese arts, although there are a few exceptions. Craftsmen were free to develop and exploit new influences, many dictated by the demands of trade. This is especially apparent in ceramics production, the most important example of which is blue-and-white porcelain. Because it was foreign-ruled, the Yuan dynasty was traditionally considered to have been all detrimental, contributing nothing new or good to Chinese culture. In the past few decades, this thinking has undergone a change, resulting in a more objective appreciation of the Mongol period.
    [Show full text]
  • SG#38 the Mongol Empire
    Name_____________________________ Global Studies IR SG#38 The Mongol Empire Genghis Khan. The Mongols had lived in Central Asia as a nomadic people, moving with the seasons to find pastures for their herds of livestock. They became great horsemen and expert fighters as they competed for scarce grazing land. Under their new leader, Genghis Khan, this pattern of living changed. Genghis Khan, or the “Universal Ruler,” took power in 1206, bringing together the Mongol people. He granted land and the people that worked on it to his generals, in return for their military cooperation. By combining his army’s military superiority with this new feudal system, Genghis Khan prepared to conquer most of Asia. The new leader called a gathering of the leaders of all the nomadic tribes, called a quriltai, where he laid down the laws, or yasa, calling for strict discipline. The Rise of the Mongol Empire. Once he had united the Mongols, Genghis Khan moved to expand his empire. He first conquered the Tangut state in northwestern China, and then launched a campaign against the Jin dynasty. This campaign would end 23 years later with the total conquest of the Jin Empire. Meanwhile, by 1222, Mongol armies had conquered Turkistan and Afghanistan and had crossed into northern India, Persia, and Russia. Although Genghis Khan died in 1227, the expansion of the empire continued. His son, Ogodei, transformed the Mongol Empire from a military government to a centralized bureaucratic state, but also conquered other lands. Ogodei continued the invasion of China and conquered most of Persia. The Mongol armies also invaded Russia, Poland, and Hungary.
    [Show full text]
  • India & Mongolia in the Middle Ages – More Than Just a Connection
    Ancient History of Asian Countries India & Mongolia in the Middle Ages – More Than Just a Connection By Mohan Gopal Author Mohan Gopal The Taj Mahal area and traced his lineage to a line of Turkic-Mongol warlords who alternately plagued, plundered, ruled and governed in greater or If there is one monument which conjures up an image of India, it lesser components a vast region which roughly spans the areas of is the Taj Mahal. It was constructed c. 1631 at the behest of Emperor present-day Turkey, southern Russia, the northern Middle East, Shah Jahan as the ultimate memorial and place of eternal rest for his central Asia, northern Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and northern India. beloved wife, Mumtaj. The Taj, as it is commonly referred to, is for The most commonly known name in this lineage was Tamerlane, romanticists across the globe, the ultimate architectural poem of love born in 1336 in central Asia, also known as Timur the Lame, Timur etched in white marble with floral motifs inlaid with precious stones; the Great or Timur the Horrible, depending on which perspective one a monument of perfect geometrical balance and symmetry. In this took – that of his huge territorial conquests or the countless and mausoleum lie the tombs of Emperor Shah Jahan and his beloved endless massacres and lootings which formed the basis of them. queen. Babur chose the former perspective and with pride considered It may come as a surprise to many that this widely admired, loved himself a Timurid, a descendant of the mighty Timur. and romanticized world artefact which has come to be known as a Babur’s mother was Qutlugh Nigar Khanum.
    [Show full text]
  • MARCO POLO Marco Polo, the First European to Travel to MARCO POLO China and Return to Write About His Adventures
    The Life and Times of and Times The Life The Life and Times of MARCO POLO Marco Polo, the first European to travel to MARCO POLO China and return to write about his adventures, was born in Venice in 1254. Marco’s father had MARCO POLO left on a journey to Asia before the boy was born. Marco did not see his father and uncle, Niccolò and Maffeo Polo, until fifteen years later. In 1271 the three Polos left Venice and headed for the court of Kublai Khan in eastern China. The journey took them more than three years—they arrived in 1275. Marco Polo became a favorite of the Great Kahn, and was sent on important missions all over the Mongol Empire. Marco and his father and uncle served Kublai Kahn for 17 years. When they returned to Venice in 1295, Marco became the captain of a merchant ship and was captured and imprisoned in Genoa. While in prison he and another prisoner who was a writer of romances wrote the story of Marco Polo’s adventures. Mitchell Lane PUBLISHERS ISBN 1-58415-264-8 90000 Mitchell Lane 9 PUBLISHERS 781584 152644 by Susan Zannos MitchellLane PUBLISHERS Copyright © 2005 by Mitchell Lane Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher. Printed and bound in the United States of America. Printing 3456789 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Zannos, Susan. The life and times of Marco Polo / Susan Zannos. p. cm. — (Biography from ancient civilizations) Includes bibliographical references and index.
    [Show full text]