Marco Polo series far from historically accurate: experts (2024)

FAQs

How much of the Marco Polo series is true? ›

But according to Mongolian historians, much of the plot plays fast and loose with the facts. Batsukh Otgonsereenen, who spent 10 years researching his book The History of Kublai Khan, told AFP: "From a historical standpoint 20 percent of the film was actual history and 80 percent fiction."

Readers had some reason to be skeptical: Polo and his ghostwriter, Rustichello, were prone to exaggeration and flights of fancy. For instance, the famous traveler often fictitiously inserted himself into battle scenes and court intrigues.

When Kublai Khan conquered China, some changes took place but the Mongol rule was short lived in respect to the long time span of China. During the reign of Kublai Khan's grandson, Genghis Khan, Marco Polo, an Italian merchant became the Khan's ambassador for nearly two decades.

On December 12, 2016, Netflix announced that they had canceled Marco Polo after two seasons. Sources told The Hollywood Reporter that the two seasons resulted in a $200 million loss for Netflix, and the decision to cancel was jointly taken by Netflix and The Weinstein Company.

Temür, also called Öljeitü, (born 1265, China—died 1307, China), grandson and successor of the great Kublai Khan; he ruled (1295–1307) as emperor of the Yuan (Mongol) dynasty (1206–1368) of China and as great khan of the Mongol Empire.

And, since the show's titular character is based on the real Marco Polo, is his mentor "One Hundred Eyes" a real person? Yes, the name "Hundred Eyes" is a historical reference, but the character only slightly resembles the real figure on which he was based.

Judging by the original records of the Chinese and Mongols, there is certainly no evidence whatsoever that Marco Polo actually traveled to China and reached the court of the great Mongol ruler Qublai Khan.

The book notes that Polo failed to mention the Great Wall, the use of chopsticks as eating utensils, tea, foot-binding, Chinese calligraphy or other significant features and that there are no Chinese records of Polo's presence. Thus it is a typical example of an argument from silence.

Why didn't many Europeans believe the stories Marco Polo told in his book? Before his death Polo admitted that he made up most of the tales he told up. Europeans believed the book was actually written not by him but by Kublai Khan. This was due to the fact that he co-wrote the book with a known criminal, Rustichello.

Very impressed with Polo's intellect and character, Kublai Khan appointed Marco Polo to his court as a foreign diplomat. Kublai Khan was the founder of China's Yuan Dynasty. He was very interested in meeting foreigners and provided them with generous hospitality.

Who defeated Kublai Khan? ›

After failed expeditions against Japan and Java, his Mongol dynasty declined toward the end of his reign, and was completely overthrown by the Chinese after his death.

Siro Polo Padolecchia, born in Venice in an ancient noble family, is the last living descendant of Marco Polo.

If you delete a Polo that you recorded, the above steps will remove the Polo permanently for you and all others in the conversation as well as delete it from the Marco Polo servers. If you delete a Polo that someone sent you, it will only be removed from your Polo timeline. The sender will still have access to it.

Marco Polo returned to Venice in 1295 with his fortune converted into gemstones.

Netflix's Marco Polo has reached the end of its road. The streaming giant has opted to cancel the scripted drama after two seasons, The Hollywood Reporter has learned. It becomes the first Netflix original scripted series to not be renewed for a third season.

Although Kublai Khan was the grandson of Genghis Khan, very little is known about his childhood. We do know that Kublai was born in 1215 to Tolui (the youngest son of Genghis) and his wife Sorkhotani, a Nestorian Christian princess of the Kereyid Confederacy. Kublai was the couple's fourth son.

Genghis Khan (1162–1227 C.E.), the founder of the Mongol Empire, is widely regarded as one of the most successful military commanders in world history. In the year 1206 C.E., Genghis—originally known as Temujin—was in his forties, with his greatest military exploits still ahead of him.

According to the History of Yuan, he died of alcoholism on 5 January 1286, eight years before his father Kublai Khan.

Green is considered by some to be the actual rarest eye color in the world, though others would say it's been dethroned by red, violet, and grey eyes.

5–Black Eyes

There's an eye disorder known as aniridia which makes the eye appear to have “no iris.” In truth, there is a small ring of iris tissue but it is so small and the pupil is so large that it can look like the eyes are completely black. It is due to a chromosome mutation.

What are the rarest eyes in order? ›

Of those four, green is the rarest. It shows up in about 9% of Americans but only 2% of the world's population. Hazel/amber is the next rarest of these. Blue is the second most common and brown tops the list with 45% of the U.S. population and possibly almost 80% worldwide.

Polo made no mention of the Great Wall not because he was not there, but because it was not. The Ming Dynasty built the wall that we know mostly in the 16th century, while Polo visited China in the 13th.

Marco described the vast Asian trading network and, in particular, the thriving silk, iron, and salt industries. He also described the foreign concept of paper money as well as Chinese inventions such as porcelain pottery (China).

Greeks travelled to China 1,500 years before Marco Polo and may have built Terracotta Army: researchers. A general view of Museum of Terracotta Warriors in Xi'an, China.

While Marco Polo's book may be able to give us a look into what he witnessed in the many foreign places he went to. However, when he died of old age, he parted with the words, “I have not told half of what I saw.”

A common misconception is that Marco Polo brought back with him tea. Marco Polo, in fact, did not bring tea back with him from his expedition. Tea was only brought back to Europe much later. This probably arose because of Marco Polo's association with the Silk Road.

Marco Polo, (born c. 1254, Venice [Italy]—died January 8, 1324, Venice), Venetian merchant and adventurer who traveled from Europe to Asia in 1271–95, remaining in China for 17 of those years, and whose Il milione (“The Million”), known in English as the Travels of Marco Polo, is a classic of travel literature.

Part four: The Gobi Desert

Marco Polo writes about how this desert…“is reported to be so long that it would take a year to go from end to end; and at the narrowest point it takes a month to cross it. It consists entirely of mountains and sands and valleys.

Thus, in my view, The Travels displays an even-handed perspective. Although Polo frequently lauds Kublai Khan for China's highly developed economy, and rigorously centralized government, he also points out negative aspects of his rule.

It was Marco Polo's book of his travels that introduced Europeans to China and Central Asia. Although he was not the first European to travel to China, he was the first to write about his adventures and so it was his experiences that formed the basis of early European knowledge of the country.

What religion did Marco Polo believe in? ›

He was clearly fascinated by Buddhism and the life of the Buddha, and described certain religious rites in detail.

78 years (1215–1294)

Kublai Khan / Age at death

69 years (1254–1324)

Marco Polo / Age at death

Yet he does not overlook his human weaknesses—above all, an indulgence in feasting and hunting, a complicated and expensive sexual life, a failure to exercise proper supervision over his subordinates, and occasional outbursts of cruelty.

Three years after he returned home, Marco Polo joined the Venetian battle against their enemy, Genoa. He was captured and spent a year in a Genoese prison where he and his cellmate, Rustichello of Pisa, together wrote the famous book of his travels.

Marco Polo was born around 1254 into a prosperous merchant family in the Italian city-state of Venice. His father, Niccolò, and his uncle Maffeo had left the year before on a long-term trading expedition.

Siro Polo Padolecchia, born in Venice in an ancient noble family, is the last living descendant of Marco Polo.

Early life. Marco Polo was born around 1254 into a wealthy Venetian merchant family, though the actual date and location of his birth are unknown. His father, Niccolo, and his uncle Maffeo were successful jewel merchants who spent much of Marco's childhood in Asia.

When you open a conversation, you'll see the Polo timeline along the bottom. This displays all of the Polos you've sent and received. Newer Polos will be on the right side. You'll know if someone has watched the most recent Polo if there's a small circle icon with their profile photo in the lower-left corner.

Does Marco Polo keep your videos? ›

Marco Polo says they can retain all your data indefinitely, unless you delete your account. If you delete your account, your personal information and any scrapbooks you recorded will be deleted plus you will be removed from any Marco Polo groups. The retention periods and retention methods are not provided.

You can save any Polos that you've recorded. Touch and hold the thumbnail of the Polo you want to save. Select Save to Device.

But according to Mongolian historians, much of the plot plays fast and loose with the facts. Batsukh Otgonsereenen, who spent 10 years researching his book The History of Kublai Khan, told AFP: "From a historical standpoint 20 percent of the film was actual history and 80 percent fiction."

For his part, Marco never admitted to a single lie. Even on his deathbed he is said to have remarked, “I did not tell half of what I saw.”

The lack of information that Polo has on Japan, since he was never able to actually travel to it, is supplemented by stories that he has heard, which we have seen before like in the section on India, however for Japan these stories are less believable due to their generic nature.

On December 12, 2016, Netflix announced that they had canceled Marco Polo after two seasons. Sources told The Hollywood Reporter that the two seasons resulted in a $200 million loss for Netflix, and the decision to cancel was jointly taken by Netflix and The Weinstein Company.

Marco, along with his father and uncle, finally left China in 1292 CE after staying an incredible 17 years with the Khan, who only very reluctantly let them leave. The excuse was Marco would escort a princess sent by the Khan to marry a fellow Mongol ruler, Arghun, in Persia.

Marco Polo's father and uncle traveled in 1260 throughout the Mongol empire, all the way to its capital in China. There they requested trade and missionary contacts. And on a second trip in 1271, carrying messages from the Pope, they took along young Marco, who was then only seventeen years old.

Marco Polo (1254-1324) was a Venetian merchant believed to have journeyed across Asia at the height of the Mongol Empire. He first set out at age 17 with his father and uncle, traveling overland along what later became known as the Silk Road.

According to The Travels of Marco Polo, they passed through much of Asia, and met with Kublai Khan, a Mongol ruler and founder of the Yuan dynasty.

Is Marco Polo historically accurate reddit? ›

The Travels included a number of fantastical reports of miraculous events, which were almost certainly fictions or embellishments on misunderstood events. It is difficult to be sure what was truth and what was embellishment in Polo's account.

At the height of the Mongol Empire, Marco Polo served Emperor Kublai Khan in China and returned to Venice to write an account of his experiences that would give Europeans some of their earliest information about China.

Kublai was reportedly adept in Mongolian traditions, having successfully brought down an antelope by the age of nine. Kublai was also exposed to Chinese philosophy and culture early on thanks to his mother, who also ensured that he learned to read and write Mongol (though he wasn't taught Chinese).

After Kublai Khan's death, the dynasty began to weaken. The heirs of Kublai began to fight over power and the government became corrupt. Chinese rebel groups began to form to fight against the Mongol rule. In 1368, a Buddhist monk named Zhu Yuanzhang led the rebels to overthrow the Yuan.

Through it all, Marco Polo marveled at China's cultural customs, great wealth and complex social structure. He was impressed with the empire's paper money, efficient communication system, coal burning, gunpowder and porcelain, and called Xanadu "the greatest palace that ever was."

Marco Polo itself doesn't generate any objectionable content, but like any social app, your child's exposure to risk online depends a lot on who their contacts are. If you know who your child's contacts are and keep an eye on it, they should be fine. But be aware that app features and filters change.

Judging by the original records of the Chinese and Mongols, there is certainly no evidence whatsoever that Marco Polo actually traveled to China and reached the court of the great Mongol ruler Qublai Khan.