Kublai Kahn, Emperor of China, Yuan Dynasty
Kublai Khan (1215-1294) was a Mongolian leader who made an impact on China, not only through conquest, but also by ruling successfully. Many of the rulers before him were brutally land-hungry and apathetic to the conquered people; however, Kublai challenged the stereotypes of Mongolian rulers by investing in his newly acquired people and providing the foundations of a grand empire. Unfortunately, after turning from his nomadic heritage and adopting Chinese manners, his Mongolian government failed to remain in control and was eventually overthrown by the Chinese. Kublai was claimed Great Khan in the North in 1260. Kublai developed a new type of control by surrounding himself with a variety of religious advisors. He showed tolerance towards the religions of his new subjects and because of his leniency, a relationship formed between him and his people. Kublai Khan's transformation from conqueror to ruler led to many developments in Chinese culture. Along with providing religious freedom, he created aid agencies, increased the use of postal stations, established paper currency, reorganized and improved roads, and expanded waterways. Under his rule, the winter capitol was moved from Mongolian territory to the Chinese City of Dadu, which is modern day Beijing. He established the summer capitol in Shangdu, which was referred to as Xanadu. In 1275, Marco Polo, a Venetian explorer, visited Xanadu and a relationship of trust was formed between the two. Polo's reports on Xanadu and China were new to Western Europeans and sparked further interest in eastern world exploration
