Which effect did Marco Polos The Travels of Marco Polo have on East Asia and Southeast Asia?

It prompted the Chinese to send out explorers of their own

It caused the collapse of the Japanese shogunate

It drew European interest in the culture, resources, and wealth of the region

It encouraged the British to end the opium trade

1 answer

The effect of Marco Polo's "The Travels of Marco Polo" on East Asia and Southeast Asia was primarily that it drew European interest in the culture, resources, and wealth of the region. His accounts of the East introduced Europeans to the riches of the East, including the silk and spice trade, which subsequently fueled exploration and trade initiatives by European powers in these regions. This book significantly contributed to the West's fascination with Asia and spurred later explorers and traders to seek out new routes and opportunities.