Kublai Khan & Marco Polo

Did Kublai Khan and Marco Polo live at the same time?

Yes. Kublai Khan and Marco Polo lived at the same time for 40 years, from 1254 to 1294.^[1][2][3][4]

Kublai Khan · Marco Polo · Born in 1215 · Born in 1254

Kublai Khan

1215–1294

Politics & Leadership

Mongol emperor of China

Marco Polo

1254–1324

Exploration

Venetian explorer of the Silk Road

How Kublai Khan and Marco Polo Are Connected

• The Italian explorer Marco Polo served as Kublai's foreign emissary and lived in his lands for 17 years.^[1]
• Venetians reportedly nicknamed Polo Milione, meaning Million, because he kept saying that Kublai Khan's wealth was counted in millions.^[3]
• Polo's last duty for Kublai Khan was escorting the Mongol princess Kököchin to Persia to marry its ruler, a story confirmed by Persian and Chinese sources.^[3]

World Events During Their Overlap

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