Which one of the following pairs is correctly matched ?
{ll}
Column A (Traveller) & Column B (Country)
(A) Afasii Nikitin & — Spain
(B) Jean-Baptiste Tavernier & — Netherlands (Dutch)
(C) Marco Polo & — Italy
(D) Pelsaert & — Portugal
Show Hint
Origins of Key Historical Travelers:
- Marco Polo $\rightarrow$ Italy (Venice)
- Afasii Nikitin $\rightarrow$ Russia
- Jean-Baptiste Tavernier $\rightarrow$ France
- Francisco Pelsaert $\rightarrow$ Netherlands (Dutch)
To determine which pair is correctly matched between the traveler and his country, let's evaluate each option:
Afasii Nikitin — Spain: Afanasy Nikitin was a Russian merchant and traveler from Tver. He is known for his journey to India as documented in his travelogue, "Journey Beyond Three Seas." Therefore, this pair is not correctly matched.
Jean-Baptiste Tavernier — Netherlands (Dutch): Jean-Baptiste Tavernier was a French gem merchant and traveler. He is famous for his six voyages to Persia and India. Therefore, he is not from the Netherlands. Hence, this pair is not correctly matched.
Marco Polo — Italy: Marco Polo was an Italian merchant, explorer, and writer from the Republic of Venice. He traveled extensively through Asia and is best known for his book, "The Travels of Marco Polo." Thus, this pair is correctly matched.
Pelsaert — Portugal: Francisco Pelsaert was a Dutch merchant who worked for the Dutch East India Company (VOC). He is known for the shipwreck of the Batavia. Hence, he was not from Portugal, making this pair incorrect.
Based on the above analysis, the correctly matched pair is Marco Polo — Italy.