From about 500 to 1500ce, China and India were considered the most popular and wealthiest countries. They participated in trading, where silk, spices, and porcelain were their main trading goods (Thubron). The urge to expand their trade to other parts of the world, such as Europe, led to establishment of various trade routes known as the silk roads. Silk roads were the medium for connecting Asia with Europe through the Mediterranean Sea. This opened the door for various explore to Asia. Marco Polo, an Italian explorer, was the first European to navigate through the silk roads between 1271 and 1295, where he traveled to the court of Kublai Khan in China. Despite Europeans having little contact with the Asian world, they started developing interests in the fifteen century, when in 1492, Christopher Columbus sailed from west Spain to the Atlantic Ocean. Christopher Columbus was determined to find a new sea route to the new world, “Asia,” but in the process, he ended up in the Americas. Christopher Columbus, however, died in 1506 with the assumption of arriving in Asia. Therefore, this essay will reflect on the importance of Asia in the fifteenth century, the reasons that led to the development of new trade routes to India and China, the positive features described by Marco Polo about Yuan China, how China pulled back from exploration under the Ming’s dynasty despite Europeans showing interest on Yuan and Ming China, and the influence of Marco Polo’s account of China on Christopher Columbus. Furthermore, this essay will review Christopher Columbus’s letter on why he believed his voyage of exploration had arrived, the description of the new world, and the native people he interacted with.
From the second century, the east and west of Asia were connected through a series of silk roads (Johnson). The trade routes facilitated the exchange of goods and ideas between the two sides, with their roots tied to China’s Han Dynasty. From the trade, Asia began exporting their goods to Europe. However, Asia’s success dates back to 1370 under Ming’s reign. With the help of his troupes, Ming succeeded in capturing the Yuan capital city of Dadu (Wade 1).
Furthermore, philosophy, mathematics, and Chinese medical science from Asia were exported to Europe through diplomatic missions. Several explorers, including Marco Polo, showed interest in the success of Asia. Marco Polo, Cristopher Columbus was determined to explore Asia due to Marco polo’s description of Asia.
Europeans’ determination to conquer the new world led to the discovery of new trade routes (Khan Academy). Competition to dominate religion between Muslims and Christians motivated the Europeans not only to fight over Mecca but also to conquer their surrounding areas to overpower the Muslims led to the establishment of trade routes to Asia. Europeans used crusades ideology for the Reconquista, which was late accompanied by colonization as an effort to continue religious conquest. Despite the urge to spread Christianity, the missionaries experienced the touch of silk and the test of spice. This made them participate in trading Asian items with gold. The merchants’ ships brought valuable European goods while traveling between the ports on the long silk routes. However, the silk routes were slow, costly, and unprofitable, making the Europeans discover more trading routes via the sea.
Upon arriving in Asia in 1271, Marco Polo discovered that Asia was unique from Europe (Yule 1). He describes the city as densely populated due to the many houses and people in and outside the walls. He proceeded to give out the gate numbers, which were 12. Marco Polo was astonished by the beautiful, numerous, and fine hostelries allocated to European coast visitors. Furthermore, Marco polo describes the productive nature of Asia through the large number of silk production, which was cheaper than cotton used in making clothes.
Despite Europeans showing interest in Yuan and Ming China, the Chinese under Zheng He’s rule resisted European exploration. Zheng He, the then emperor, saw Europeans as a threat. He discovered that the growing number of Europeans in China could lead to overthrowing of his government by the merchants. This called for banning the ocean-going voyage in 1430 as a strategy for reducing the number of merchants. Furthermore, the Europeans disrupted the Asians by introducing foreign goods and technology such as clocks. In order to fight back, Zheng He organized seven Voyages of ships to explore the nearby lands surrounding the Indian Ocean Khan Academy (“Zheng He (Article)”). This was an effort to demonstrate to the Chinese world excellence in shipbuilding technology and sea navigation.
Marco Polos’ description of China and its riches inspired Christopher Columbus to try and visit the east. Christopher Columbus was determined to find new sea routes to India, China, and Japan. This was to bring back Asian cargoes of silk and spices (Delaney). Furthermore, he wanted to have a view of the beautiful Asian land as described by Marco Polo in the book “The Book of Ser Marco Polo.” Christopher Columbus thought the world was round; therefore, he decided to sail west from the normal east, believing that he would still reach Asia. In 1492, Christopher Columbus left Palos in Spain for Asia, and after navigating through the sea, he came across an island he believed to have been Japan, but it was present-day Cuba. Despite having a dream of reaching Asia, Christopher Columbus died in 1506, still believing he had found a sea route to Asia.
Before Christopher Columbus’s death, he wrote a letter describing where his voyage had arrived. In his letter, Christopher Columbus expresses his happiness in discovering various Islands inhabited by numberless people. This is after sailing through the ocean for thirty-three days and nights, landing on October 12, 1492. He talks about naming several islands, such as San Salvador, for his divine majesty. The next islands were Santa Maria de Compecion, Isabella Island, Fernandina, and Juana Island. From the letter, Christopher Columbus had yet to learn of any land between Europe and Asia when sailing west, where he reached Cuba and thought he was in Asia.
From Christopher Columbus’ description of the new world, several islands are involved, while Marco Proto did not mention any islands. Christopher Columbus described beautiful trees in “his” new world. In contrast, in China, beautiful silk plantations were observed Marino (“From Marco Polo to Cristoforo Colombo and Cipango-America before 1492”). Furthermore, in his letter, Christopher Columbus mentions that he came across a small community of people with no government, opposite from China, where an emperor ruled them. From the little comparisons indeed true that Christopher Columbus had yet to arrive in Asia as he thought.
From the above essay, we discovered the importance of Asia in the fifteenth century, the reasons that led to the development of new trade routes to India and China, the positive features described by Marco Polo about Yuan China, how China pulled back from exploration under the Ming’s dynasty despite Europeans showing interest on Yuan and Ming China, and the influence of Marco Polo’s account of China on Christopher Columbus. Furthermore, this essay reviewed Christopher Columbus’s letter on why he believed his voyage of exploration had arrived, the description of the new world.
Work Cited
—. “From Marco Polo to Cristoforo Colombo and Cipango-America before 1492.” Nordicum-Mediterraneum, May 29, 2016, nome.unak.is/WordPress/volume-12-no-1-2017/interviews-memoirs-and-other-contributions-volume-12-no-1-2017/marco-polo-cristoforo-colombo-cipango-america-1492/.
—. “Zheng He (Article).” Khan Academy, www.khanacademy.org/humanities/big-history-project/expansion-interconnection/exploration-interconnection/a/zheng-he.
Delaney, Carol. “Columbus’s Ultimate Goal: Jerusalem.” Comparative Studies in Society and History, vol. 48, no. 2, Mar. 2006, pp. 260–92, doi:https://doi.org/10.1017/s0010417506000119.
Johnson, Cornell SC. “The Asian Century Just Arrived. Now Get Ready. | BusinessFeed.” Cornell SC Johnson, September 4, 2020, business.cornell.edu/hub/2020/09/04/asian-century-just-arrived/.
Khan Academy. “Motivation for European Conquest of the New World.” Khan Academy, 2019, www.khanacademy.org/humanities/us-history/precontact-and-early-colonial-era/old-and-new-worlds-collide/a/motivations-for-conquest-of-the-new-world.
Thubron, Colin. “India-China Trade in Ancient Times: Southern Silk Route – the Peninsula Foundation.” The Peninsula Foundation, June 9, 2020, www.thepeninsula.org.in/2020/07/09/india-china-trade-in-ancient-times-southern-silk-route-2/.
Wade, Geoff. “Engaging the South: Ming China and Southeast Asia in the Fifteenth Century.” Journal of the Economic and Social History of the Orient, vol. 51, no. 4, 2008, pp. 578–638, https://doi.org/10.1163/156852008×354643.
Yule, Henry. The Venetian Concerning Kingdoms and Marvels of the East. Columbia University, 1903, afe.easia.columbia.edu/mongols.
write