Vogel: Marco Polo Was in China - New Evidence from Currencies, Salts and Revenues
Abstract: In Marco Polo was in China Hans Ulrich Vogel undertakes a thorough study of Yuan currencies, salts and revenues, by comparing Marco Polo manuscripts with Chinese sources and thus offering new evidence for the Venetian’s stay in Khubilai Khan’s empire.
Salt was one of the transformative products in Yunnan: tax revenues not only made up a large part of provincial income, but the also forced farmers into the cash economy.