Who is Kublai Khan?
Kublai (or Khubilai) Khan, also known as “the last of the Great Khans,” was born on 23 September 1215 into the family of the legendary Genghis Khan, the man who founded the Mongol Empire. Being born into a powerful family set the path for Kublai Khan and his brothers Möngke, a famed warrior, and Hulagu, who conquered Persia. Kublai Khan crowned himself Khan, the Chinese equivalent to emperor, in 1260. Miles away, his brother Möngke did the same thing, confident that his military past would make him a more likely candidate to rule the empire. Kublai Khan didn’t take to the news well, and the brothers battled for years before Kublai finally won the right to holding the title and consequently created the Chinese Yuan Dynasty. Kublai Khan is credited with unifying China by destroying the remnants of previous dynasties. While his tactics were often bloody, the result was an empire with great economic and scientific growth, better buildings and a network of public highways far superior to an
