Kublai Khan

Kublai Khan (1216–94), Mongol emperor from 1259, founder of the Yüan dynasty of China and grandson of Genghis Khan. He defeated the Chinese Sung dynasty in 1279. Under his rule China flourished both economically and culturally; his new capital Cambuluc, described by Marco Polo, became the nucleus of modern Peking.

See also: Mongol Empire.