pe was able to furnish the great Kublai Khan was oil from the lampburning at Jesus Christ's supposed tomb in Jerusalem. Yet, in a sense, young Marco, theonly new person in the Polos' party, was himself a fitting representative of the spirit ofEuropean civilization on the eve of the Renaissance, and the lack of one hundred learnedEuropeans guaranteed that he would catch the eye of the Cowan, who was curious about"Latins".12 On the way to the Khan's court, Marco had the opportunity to complete hiseducation. The journey took three and a half years by horseback through some of theworld's most rugged terrain, including snowy mountain ranges, such as the Pamirs, andparching deserts, such as the Gobi. Marco and his party encountered such hazards as wildbeasts and brigands; they also met with beautiful women, in whom young Marco took aspecial interest. The group traveled numerous countries and cultures, noting food, dress,and religion unique to each.13 In particular, under the Khans's protection the Polos wereable to observe a large portion of the Islamic world at close range, as few if any EuropeanChristians had. By the time they reached the Khan's court in Khanbalik, Marco hadbecome a hardened traveler. He had also received a unique education and had beeninitiated into manhood. Kublai Khan greeted the Polos warmly and invited them to stayon in his court. Here, if Marco's account is to be believed, the Polos became greatfavorites of the Khan, and Kublai eventually made Marco one of his most trustedemissaries.14 On these points Marco has been accused of gross exaggeration, and theactual status of the Polos at the court of the Khan is much disputed. If at first it appearsunlikely that Kublai would make young Marco an emissary, upon examination this seemsquite reasonable. For political reasons, the Khan was in the habit of appointing foreignersto administer conquered lands, particularly China, where the tenacity of the Chinesebureaucracy was lege...
