Marco's extraordinary journey to the East could not have happened had not the diverse, nomadic Mongol tribes come together in 1206 under one of history's most feared rulers, Temujin, who was enthroned as the Genghis ("universal") Khan ("ruler") of all the Mongols. In the early thirteenth century, the Mongols swept through and conquered lands from China and Korea in the east and through Persia, Iraq, and Turkestan to Bulgaria, Russia, and Poland in the west. The onslaught of the ferocious Mongol horsemen was terrifying. However, in a short period of time, control of most of Asia by the Mongols—the so-called Pax Mongolica ("Mongolian Peace")—created an environment of tremendous cultural exchange. By the time of Marco Polo's travels, under the rule of Genghis Khan's illustrious and enlightened grandson, Khubilai, the Mongol Empire was at its peak.

The Mongols traditionally led a nomadic lifestyle, which meant that as the seasons changed, the people moved with their sheep, goats, yaks, and camels in search of food and water. Because they only lived in a place for a short period of time, their homes were portable tents (called ger or yurt) made of wood piles, canvas, and felt. Furthermore, all their possessions had to be small and easy to carry. With few large cities and a mobile lifestyle, Mongol society had few industries and relied on more sedentary neighbors, such as the Chinese, for manufactured products, such as textiles, ceramics, and metalwares, as well as for farm-grown food. In exchange, the Mongols traded horses, animal skins, and meat.