Kublai Khan
Explore Kublai Khan — the Mongol emperor who conquered China, founded the Yuan Dynasty, and welcomed Marco Polo to his magnificent court at Dadu.
Kublai Khan (1215–1294 CE) was the grandson of Genghis Khan and the founder of the Yuan Dynasty — the first foreign dynasty to rule all of China. His reign represents a pivotal moment in both Mongol and Chinese history: the transformation of a nomadic military empire into a settled, bureaucratic state.
Unlike his grandfather, Kublai was raised with exposure to Chinese culture and came to appreciate its sophistication. After defeating the Southern Song in a long campaign culminating in 1279, he unified China for the first time since the Tang Dynasty. He moved his capital to Dadu (modern Beijing), adopted Chinese court ceremonies, and patronized Chinese art and learning — while maintaining a Mongol military aristocracy and employing diverse foreign advisors.
Kublai's court was famously cosmopolitan. Marco Polo, whether or not his account is entirely truthful, described a court of astonishing wealth and diversity. Kublai also attempted ambitious ventures beyond China — two massive naval invasions of Japan (both destroyed by storms), campaigns in Southeast Asia, and the extension of the Grand Canal. His reign demonstrated both the possibilities and the limitations of Mongol adaptation to Chinese civilization. After his death, the Yuan Dynasty weakened rapidly, expelled by Chinese rebellion in 1368.