Kublai Khan
Kublai Khan was the grandson of Genghis Khan who completed the Mongol conquest of China, defeating the Song dynasty in 1279 after decades of warfare, and founded the Yuan dynasty as its first emperor. He moved the Mongol capital to Khanbaliq (modern Beijing) and ruled over the largest contiguous empire in history. His court attracted the Venetian traveller Marco Polo, whose accounts introduced medieval Europe to the wealth of China. His attempts to expand beyond China were checked by failed invasions of Japan (1274, 1281) and Vietnam, demonstrating the limits of steppe military power in maritime and jungle environments.
- Lived: 1215 CE – 1294 CE
- Nationality: mongol
- Roles: ruler, conqueror
