European explorers

Silk road

4000 mile long trade route connecting Asia and Europe

Polos Father and son went to

China to meet with Kublai Khan (Mongol emperor)

What did the emperor of Mongol want

Kublai Khan scholars to teach him about european culture, so polo brought them with him.

Travels of Marco Polo 

Polo and co-author Rustichello (he added color to it)

This book discussed things hed never seen like tigers/crocs/rhinos

Khan vs Mongol society

Khan could care less - he allowed religious and cultural toleration.

Way more advanced than euros - ex: heated rocks to heat home and used paper money

What were the Europeans skeptical about 

that the asians were more advanced than them 

What are modern skeptics wondering about

why polo is never mentioned in mongol history records

polo never mentions chopsticks or tea 

Historians believe it is combination of facts and fiction.

Started the decline and what it led to

when khan died

led to the end of the silk road (no longer safe to use)-  euros started using sea

led to age of exploration

What did C- bus and his brother come up with

faster route to asia (head west)

(before only way to asia was either by land or all way around africa)

Goal of C-Bus Idea

bring spices and silk back to euro to make $$$- find gold- convert natives

How did C-Bus fund his voyage

He convinced monarchs of spain (Ferdinand and ISabella)