Question

The palace is completely surrounded by a square wall, each side being a mile in length so that the whole circuit is four miles. It is a very thick wall and fully ten paces in height. At each corner of this wall stands a large palace of great beauty and splendor in which the Great Khan keeps his military stores. Within this wall is the Great Khan's palace, which I will now describe to you. It is the largest that was ever built. Inside, the walls of the halls and chambers are all covered with gold and silver and decorated with dragons and birds and horsemen and various breeds of beasts and scenes of battle. The ceiling is similarly adorned, so that there is nothing to be seen anywhere but gold and pictures.

The Mongol ruler of China most likely built the palace described by Marco Polo in the excerpt above in order to:

A) impress his subjects with his power
B) show that he had divine approval
C) demonstrate his humility before God
D) increase his wealth

Answer 1

The Mongol ruler of China, likely Kublai Khan, built the grand palace described by Marco Polo to impress his subjects with his power, reflecting the use of architecture as a symbol of dominance and resources. The correct option is A.

Step-by-step explanation:

The elaborate and splendid palace described by Marco Polo was most likely built by the Mongol ruler of China, Kublai Khan, to impress his subjects with his power. The Great Khan's palace, covered with gold and silver and adorned with various representations of dragons, battles, and more, served as a symbol of his power and wealth.

Beyond the mere display of wealth, such extravagant display aimed to convey the emperor's dominance, magnificence, and the formidable resources at his disposal. This portrayal aligns with historical structures like the Forbidden City in Beijing, built during the reign of the Yongle emperor as a representation of China's power.

The scale and grandeur of these palaces were intended to awe onlookers and effectively communicate the supreme status of the emperor within the social and political hierarchy of his empire.