Marco Polo The Travels

Marco Polo The Travels Marco Polo is inarguably the most famous medieval European traveler, despite the heated controversy among modern scholars surrounding his adventurous travels. In The Travels of Marco Polo, Polo has clearly portrayed the character of the 13th century Asian society, which forms the basis of this paper. Various issues have been considered in the paper, such as the government organization and administration by Kublai Khan, the prosperity of the Asian society, their beliefs and last but not least, the values and possessions that people esteemed. At the age of only 17 years old, Marco Polo accompanied his father and uncle in a long and difficult journey from Venice his birth place, to Cathay, China. It was in this journey, started at the end of 1271, that Marco began his account of the escapades during the three and a half long difficult journey, and his account of the Mongols life. Marcos detailed description on the greatest moment when he first met the Great Khan, and the appointment of Marco to high posts in the Khans administration demonstrated Marcos gift in linguistics and languages. His amazement with Chinas vast power, immense wealth, and complex social structure made Marco to travel the more in China, becoming one of the most travelled Westerners on the Silk Road. His journey throughout Asia took 24 years, which made him to reach beyond Mongolia to China (Silkroad 10-14). The following analysis is based upon Polos information, and additional information obtained with reference to his writing. The government of the 13th century Asian Civilization provides an interesting reading, especially from the ruler, Kublai Khan. Kublai Khan was, as Polo describes him, the â€Å"the greater and more powerful than all others†, of the six khans that ruled the Mongol Empire. Being the last khan, a title given to a ruler in the Mongolian languages, Kublai ruled the Mongol Empire from 1260 to 1294, founding the Yuan Dynasty, which lasted until 1368. The Mongols, under the rule of Kublai, implemented divide-and-rule methods in a way that made the Mongols and the Asians to remain separate from Chinese life (Brummett et al 98). By dividing the Chinese population into the Mongols; the northern Chinese and Koreans; the southern Chinese; and the central Asians, it was possible to successfully rule the Mongol minority. While the Mongols and the central Asians enjoyed extensive privileges the southern Chinese were barred from state offices. The government was also reorganized by Kublai, and he established three distinct divisions to supervise the military, to deal with civilian affairs, and the third one to supervise the major officials (EWB 6-10). The prosperity of the Asian society during Marco Polos travels is revealed by many of Polos quotations concerning, for instance, the Greater Hermenia. Polo wrote that the Tartars of the Levant frequented the Armenian country every summer due to the outstanding pasture that was available in plenty for their cattle. The pastures were always abundant for the cattle, and according to Polo, the pastures were in large quantity, never failing the cattle. Also of unique significance is the oil fountain that Polo met on the boundaries towards Georgiana. The plenty oil that sprung from the fountain was in such a large quantity that as Polo put it, â€Å"a hundred shiploads might be taken from it at one time.† Although the oil is was not recommended to be used with food, it was needed for burning and was also used for anointing camels that had the mange. The oil was such a treasure that people came from great distances to obtain it (Armenia ch5). The beliefs of the Asian civilization are of utmost importance when understanding their character. There were various beliefs in the 13th century Asian society, and the existence of the different religious beliefs, for instance, was because of Kublai Khans religious tolerance. Moreover, Kublai supported Confucian rituals and rites at court, and also showed special act of kindness to Buddhism. His tolerance was further demonstrated by his decision not to alienate Daoist interests, as well as protecting Muslims and professing an interest in Christian beliefs (Polo 134). The monastery of St. Barsamo is a very important example in portraying part of the beliefs of the 13th century Asian society. The many monks who came to the monastery involved themselves in knitting girdles, which they placed on the altar of the monastery as the service continued. The monks have been likened to the â€Å"Brethren of the Holy Spirit† Polo, and he writes that they present the girdles to their friends and to other people, since the monks belief was that the girdles could remove bodily pain. Every monk, henceforth, just like the â€Å"Brethren† is religiously fervent to have them. Polos description of how the one-eyed man prayer caused the mountain to move is very significant in understanding the Christians and their behaviors, as they converted the Saracens after the miracle had been performed (Armenia, Ch12) Polos travels reveal various possessions that people esteemed. One of these was the manufactures promoted under the Mongols. The Mongols were good stewards at accumulating wealth, which they did through various ways, such as sacking of cities, promoting trade, and by taxation. A variety of objects were found in the tombs of the influential Mongolians, especially from the 13th and 14th centuries. These included items such as gold cups, leggings, robes. Of these commodities, hundreds of craftsmen were located into northern China, others located in the steppe regions north of the Yellow River. Marco Polo described them as â€Å"they live by commerce and industry†¦just as we have woolen clothes of many different types, so have they of cloth of gold and silk† (Waugh 34). Marco Polos narrative was of tremendous use in understanding the 13th Century Asian civilization. From all the discoveries that he made, and all the documented information regarding the behaviors, culture, and way of life of the Asian community, it was possible for one to not only understand the civilization, but also appreciate the lifestyle. There were numerous adventures in Marco Polos travels, which played an important role in understanding various elements of the character of the civilization. Marcos escapades were written with a simple, yet profound, easy to understand way, and his excellent skill of using an interactive language was very significant in relating with the society. Since most of the information provided in Polos narration was concerning his experiences and the Asians way of life, the narration was a very relevant source in understanding and characterizing the society. Works Cited Armenia. The Travels of Marco Polo 1: Chapter 3. Retrieved on July 29, 2009 from http://www.armeniapedia.org/index.php?title=The_Travels_of_Marco_Polo_1:_Chapter _3 Brummett, Palmira Johnson., Edgar, Robert., Hackett, Neil J., Jewsbury, George., Taylor, Alastair M., Bailkey, Nels M., Wallbank, Thomas and Lewis, Clyde. Civilization past present. Longman, 1999. EWB. Kublai Khans administration â€Å"Encyclopedia of World Biographies†. 2007. Retrieved on July 29, 2009 from http://www.notablebiographies.com/Ki-Lo/Kublai-Khan.html Polo, Marco. The Travels of Marco Polo .Cosimo, Inc. 2007. Silkroad. Marco Polo and His Travels. 2000. Retrieved July 29, 2009 from http://www.silk-road.com/artl/marcopolo.shtml.

Compare and contrast of package holiday and travel alone Essay

When people decide to plan a vocation, there are two kinds of travels, package holiday and travelling alone. Package holiday means that travel agency organizes everything, while travelling alone needs people to plan by themselves. Naturally, there are compares and contrasts that reflect the characteristics of two arrangements. No matter what kind of travel it is, the primary compares of travels are the purpose and cost. As to the purpose of travel, both people choosing package holiday or travelling alone have the similar aim. Generally speaking, people want to experience culture different, relieve their stress, or gain more motivation and energy to live via this approach. Therefore, even though people choose different methods, their purpose of travelling are alike. Meanwhile, the cost of two ways are same to some extent. Because whenever and wherever you go, it must take money, time, and energy. For example, there were many news that somebody tried the poor travel, however, their trips still took their time and energy at least. As a result, the cost of travel is unavoidable. In conclusion, the common aspects of two kinds of travel are the purpose and cost. Whilst, the contrasts of two choices are mainly about freedom and safety, interest and convenience of the travel. Most people who travel alone generally cite freedom as the great motivating factor: freedom to please themselves, go where and when they want, change their plans on a whim when they hear about something that is a ‘must’ to see, and to accept spontaneous invitations by locals.(Pemela Bradley 2009) However, when enjoying freedom, safety is less guaranteed naturally. Companies that offer tour packages are completely aware of situations in a particular place, the risks and the safe zones and hence you can enjoy a safe holiday.( Helen Troy 2013) That is the first difference. In addition, two types of travel have disparate entertainment. By choosing a holiday package, you actually get rid of all activities, starting from booking flight tickets, checking out accommodation availability at hotels and booking rooms.(Helen Troy 2013) Conversely, You don’t have to rely on an often ill-informed guide to lead you around on a  leash, and there’s the surprise and thrill when you find something you weren’t expecting, like the time I became lost and ended up in a small Bavarian village with a monastery that contained a library with tens of thousands of Medieval manuscripts.( Pemela Bradley 2009) As a conclusion, the contrasts of two kinds of travel are present in the different extent of limit and pleasure. Finally, both package holiday and travel alone have their pros and cons, they are similar or different in some way. Their purpose and cost are alike, meanwhile, the former is safer and more convenient, the latter is freer and more enjoyable. Therefore, the choice between package holiday and travel alone can be the reflection of people’s preference for travel.

Psychology and Psychiatrist Sigmund Freud Essay

The study of personality is one of the biggest topics of interest within psychology. There are numerous personality theories that exist making the most major ones fall right into at least one of our four major perspectives. These perspectives on personality attempt to describe the different patterns in personality, including how the patterns form and how people differ on individual levels. In my essay I will go into more in depth detail about these major perspectives and afterwards explain to you how changeable or unchangeable I think my personality is. To start off, there are four different perspectives. The first is Psychoanalytic Perspective. This perspective emphasizes the importance of early childhood experiences and the unconscious mind. This particular perspective was created by psychiatrist Sigmund Freud who strongly believed that things that are hidden in the unconscious could be revealed in numerous different ways. However the Neo-Freudian theorists only agreed in the importance of the unconscious, but disagreed with other aspects of Freud’s theories. The second perspective is called The Humanistic Perspective. This focuses on psychological growth, free will, and my favorite, personal awareness. This perspective is my favorite because it takes a more positive outlook on human nature and is centered on how each person can achieve their individual potential. The third perspective is called The Trait Perspective. This one is centered on identifying, describing, and measuring certain traits that make up a human’s personality. By knowing and understanding this, researchers have come to believe that they can now better comprehend the differences between individuals. The last perspective is The Social Cognitive Perspective. This one emphasizes the major importance of observational learning, self-efficiency, situational influences and cognitive processes. Now as far as explaining how changeable or unchangeable I think my own personality is, my personality really depends on who you are, what day it is, what went on that day, and in a lot of cases what kind of mood I’m in.

Coping with Methuselah Essay - 814 Words

Coping with Methuselah Lu’Ciana S. Knight Eng./215 Date February 26, 2013 Tracy A. Boothe Coping with Methuselah Methuselah was a patriarch of the Bible who was said to have lived for 969 years. In the essay â€Å"Coping with Methuselah† they discuss the possibility of manipulating the genetics that shape living beings. Also, with the declining rate of human mortality year after year we will soon see humans living well in to a century or more. With this rise in life span also comes a rise in healthcare, pension eligibility age and social security and Medicare cost. If it is possible for the molecular biology to be made to lengthen a human’s lifespan, at what cost will we pay to attain such a non-God given gift. Henry J. Aaron is†¦show more content†¦Furthermore, how soon will this be attainable? To even begin to conduct such the testing would require many years of research and government approval. It is not possible for a person to predict the timing or extent of advances of molecular biology just as a person is unable to predict when a cure or prevention will be discovered for a disease. We would all love to obtain the gift to live forever but is it humanly possible. Also what would be the quality of that life? With the extension of human life you know have to take into consideration the population, the amount of care that will be needed in a later age as well as the cost of it all. While the more well of society would be able to afford this medical miracle, those less fortunate would not. Would this then be considered as Government Murder for not providing this to all; just as would it be considered suicide for those that would refuse the treatment? Furthermore, this would not be confined to one nation; it would be available to all. Already the longevity of a person’s life shows in Japan. The population of the elderly is 71 percent as large as the working age. Naturally humans are living a longer life span and the mortality rate drops ever year. So with this being said the working age is growing higher as well. In the United States the percentage would be much less because of the more than average rate of immigrants that will keep the age of the working population growing. In conclusion a