Kublai Khan (or Khubilai Khan or Kubla Khan) (c. 1216-1294)

Mongol emperor of China from 1259. He completed his grandfather Genghis Khan's conquest of northern China from 1240, and on his brother Mangu's death in 1259 established himself as emperor of China. He moved the capital to Khanbalik or Cambuluc (now the site of Beijing) and founded the Yuan dynasty, successfully expanding his empire into southern China, Tartary, and Tibet. He also conquered Indochina and Burma, and conducted campaigns in other neighbouring countries to secure tribute claims, but was defeated in an attempt to take Japan in 1281.

Kublai Khan encouraged agriculture and foreign trade; among the Europeans welcomed to his court was the Venetian traveller Marco Polo, who entered his service. Buddhism was established as the state religion, and the state cult of Confucius was also revived. Chingkim, the son whom he had chosen to succeed him, predeceased him in 1284, and Chinkim's son, Teimur, became his successor in 1294.