How One Ancient Technology Helped Kublai Khan Conquer China

The name “Yuan” means “Origin of the universe,” and while the Yuan Dynasty didn’t last long, its influence proved far more profound. Kublai Khan, grandson of Genghis Khan, inherited a fractured but undeniably powerful empire that spanned Central Asia. Because early Mongols were largely nomadic, descending from independent tribes living within modern-day Mongolia, China, and southern Russia, Kublai Khan bore the responsibility of both uniting these people under a common banner and establishing a permanent dynasty. Advertisement Even amidst a war that divided the Mongol Empire into five parts, Kublai declared himself the next Great Khan and led a campaign…