Kublai Khan: Mongolian general and statesman and grandson of Genghis Khan, he conquered China and became the first emperor of its Yuan, or Mongol, dynasty. This made him at one and the same time the overlord of all the Mongol dominions, which included the steppe heartlands where Mongol princes were still living the traditional nomadic life and the ruler of his own realm of China. To govern China with its long and individual political and cultural history and to establish a dynasty that was to last for over 150 years demanded statecraft of a special order. This achievement was that much greater because he was a barbarian, nomadic conqueror. His conquest of Sung China took several years. In battle he stressed to his generals the importance and effectiveness of clemency towards the conquered. This was a great advance in civilized behaviour compared to the methods of his grandfather, Genghis Khan. He became a Chinese emperor of the traditional type and under him, China, and especially the privileged Mongol ruling elite, enjoyed a brilliant spell of prosperity.

Author: khanbaliq
Keywords: kublai khubilai genghis khan china yuan dynasty japan emperor sung nomad history beijing mongolia korea documentary
Added: September 3, 2008