How One Ancient Technology Helped Kublai Khan Conquer China

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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...