WORLD TRAVELLERSChapter 17, Text pages 135–138

INTRODUCTIONToday, when we want to travel from one place to another, we can easily do so by plane, train or most probably by a bus. But, do you know that it was not easy to travel distances 5-6 centuries ago. It took a long long time to travel on foot, horseback, or through sea. Yet many travellers covered unbelievingly long distances. We are going to study about them today.

IMPORTANCE OF TRAVELLERSThis presentation introduces the students to some famous travellers from the past. They are important, besides being interesting, because they opened up the routes to remote places for later travellers, merchants, and adventurers. They also brought back amazing accounts of distant places and different peoples and their way of life. Remember the value of such information at a time when it took months for news to reach people. Their voyages ultimately resulted in opening up business links between various countries and also brought an exchange of cultures and knowledge.

The three figures that will be discussed in this presentation are notable because of the impact of their travels and discoveries on life in Europe. They are Marco Polo, who went East to China along with his father and his uncle. They travelled overland, along the Silk Route. This opened up trade with China and the Far East and also many new and useful systems and practices. Another voyager who made a very important discovery for his time was Bartholomeo Diaz, who sailed along the African coast and around the Cape of Good Hope on the way to India and the east. However, he had to turn back because his men rebelled. The next, and most famous, voyager was Christopher Columbus who set out seeking a new route to India, but landed on the islands off the east coast of the American continent. Believing they had reached their destination, they named these islands West Indies. The new land discovered was named America by Amerigo Vespucci, an Italian navigator who made a map of the new continent and named it after himself! The other explorer of this period, who was most successful and made an important contribution, was Vasco da Gama (1469–1524). He was a Portuguese sailor, who ventured to find the sea route to the East.

GLIMPSE OF THE PRESENTATION

MARCO POLO

Marco Polo (1254–1324): Marco Polo was an Italian merchant, a little before Ibn Batuta’s time. He travelled through Central Asia to China using the Silk Route which was in use by a large number of merchants and businessmen.

He travelled eastward, to Central Asia, Afghanistan, Tibet, and Mongolia.

It took him three and a half years to reach the capital of China (now near where Beijing stands). If we look at the distance from Italy to China that is 5079 miles, today it would hardly take 10 hours, 33 minutes by plane.

Kublai Khan, the Mongol ruler, refused to give them permission to return to Europe. So they stayed in China for 20 years. But in 1292 permission was given for them to return Italy accompanying a princess to Persia, where she was to marry a prince.

Marco dictated his adventures to his fellow prisoner, when he was imprisoned in Europe. This way, the Europeans learnt about the postal service with a series of riders, the use of coal as a fuel, and about paper money in China.

CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS

Christopher’s monument

As a result of Marco Polo’s adventures merchants and explorers tried to find a route to the East by sea, one of them being Christopher Columbus.

He was an Italian working in Portugal, for his brother who was a mapmaker. Columbus believed that the Earth was round and that he could reach Asia by sailing westward across the Atlantic Ocean.

Columbus hoped that the monarch would help him in finding an alternate route, but the Portuguese king refused. However, the king and queen of Spain agreed to help him and provided the ships.

Where did they reach? A small island in the present Bahamas. As he believed he had reached his destination, these islands were called ‘West Indies’, a name they have to this day. He actually saw the mainland of South America but believed it was the coast of India!

Columbus died in 1506 and never realized that he had discovered a new continent. He believed that he had discovered a quick route to China and India.

AMERIGO VESPUCCI

He was an Italian explorer who, at the invitation of the Portuguese king, participated in several Atlantic voyages and sailed along the east coast of South America, between 1499 and 1502.

Having reached the American continent, Vespucci may have realized that the lands were not India or China perhaps because the people were totally different with a totally different lifestyle. The difference in flora, fauna, and people may have convinced him that this was not Asia or India, but a new land mass.

In 1507 Martin Waldseemuller made a world map showing the new continent which he named America after Vespucci’s first name, Amerigo.

In 1508 Vespucci was appointed the chief navigator of Spain. Vespucci died in 1512.

VASCO DEGAMA

The other explorer of this period, who was most successful and made an important contribution, was Vasco da Gama (1469–1524). He was a Portuguese sailor, who ventured to find the sea route to the East.

When he reached Kenya, he was guided to India by an Arab sailor. He reached Malabar Coast in India.

He died in 1524 in India during a later voyage as the envoy of the Portuguese king.

Envoy: A messenger or representative, of a country/ city.

BARTHOLOMEO DIAZ

Common belief about the Earth in those days was that people thought, the Earth was flat like a plate. But there were a few who started to think that it was round like a ball. The people also believed that the Sun revolved around the Earth and anyone who denied this was punished!

Bartolomeo Diaz (1450–1500), also spelt Bartholomew, was a Portuguese explorer who tried to find a route to the east, to India and further on. He sailed down along the African coast and rounding the southernmost tip, he realized that the Sun was rising from the right instead of the left as when they were moving south. This meant they were sailing north. He was the first man to circumnavigate the Earth.

However, he could not continue further because of mutiny among his men.Mutiny: Refuse to obey the orders of a person in authority.

RESULT OF DISCOVERIES

The results of these discoveries were very important for trade between Europe and the East because: • The Europeans now had access to the eastern countries without having to go through lands controlled and taxed by the Turks and other Muslims. • The kind of goods that were traded changed because ships could now carry heavy weights in large quantity.• goods were carried directly from Asia to Europe. • The centre of trade moved from northern Italy to the Atlantic coast—Spain, Portugal, England, and France. • Trade between East and West increased rapidly. • Europeans wanted extremely rare and expensive items like spices, jewels, silk, fine cotton, high quality steel for weapons, rice, oranges and lemons, and fine pottery, while the Asians wanted guns, which were more developed in the West. • Asians wanted payment in gold and silver of which America and Europe had plenty because of the huge reserves in the American colonies.

Assess yourself!

Q. Fill in the blanks. Think first, and then answer.

a) Marco Polo was a/an _____________ i) Englishman iii) Dutch ii) Portuguese iv) Italian

b) It took Marco ______ to reach China. i) 3 months iii) 13 years ii) 3.5 years iv) 6 weeks

c) The Mongolian ruler of China when the Polos were there was _________

i) Mao Zedong iii) Kublai Khan ii) Changez Khan iv) Timur

d) Diaz was a/an _____________ i) Thinker iii) Explorer ii) Scientist iv) Astronomer

e) Christopher Columbus was searching another route to ________

i) The North Pole iii) Antarctica ii) Australia iv) China & India

f) America is named after ______. i) Vasco Degama iii) King of Spain ii) Amerigo Vespucci iv) Columbus

g) Malabar coast is in _____.i) Kenya iii) Chinaii) Indonessia iv) India

Q. Answer them in a descriptive manner.

1. What was the name given by Columbus to Bahamas, and why?

2. Where was Marco Polo imprisoned? What did he do there?

3. Why were the Europeans desperate to find a new sea route to the East?

THE ENDInformation complied by: Alifya Fahim

VIII-DReference: Internet & Secondary Social Studies 3