Kublai Khan Established the Yuan Dynasty and Ruled All China

Kublai Khan, grandson of Genghis Khan, achieved what his grandfather had begun: the complete conquest of China. In 1279, he defeated the Song Dynasty and established the Yuan Dynasty, becoming the first non-Chinese emperor to rule over all of China. Kublai Khan ruled from his magnificent capital at Khanbaliq (modern Beijing), where he maintained a cosmopolitan court that welcomed visitors from across the known world. The most famous of these was Marco Polo, the Venetian merchant who served in Kublai court for 17 years and later wrote about his experiences. Kublai reign represented the height of Mongol power, as he was simultaneously the Emperor of China and the Great Khan, overlord of all Mongol territories. However, his focus on China and adoption of Chinese customs created tensions with traditional Mongol leaders in the steppes, contributing to the eventual fragmentation of the empire.