“Now am I come to that part of our Book in which I shall tell you of the great and wonderful magnificence of the Great Kaan now reigning, by name CUBLAY KAAN; Kaan being a title which signifyeth ‘The Great Lord of Lords,’ or Emperor. And of a surety he hath good right to such a title, for all men know for a certain truth that he is the most potent man, as regards forces and lands and treasure, that existeth in the world, or ever hath existed from the time of our First Father Adam until this day..." (Marco Polo)

In a world fascinated by men like Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar, Genghis Khan is one of history’s greatest and most famous conquerors. No man, before or since, has ever started with so little and gone on to achieve so much. From a noble family but raised in poverty that drove him to the brink of starvation, Genghis Khan rose to control the second-largest empire the world has ever known (the largest being, arguably, the British Empire of the 18th and 19th centuries), and easily the largest empire conquered by a single man. And while many empires disintegrate upon the death of an emperor, like Alexander the Great’s, Genghis Khan’s empire endured and was actually enlarged by his successors, who went on to establish dynasties that in some cases lasted for centuries.

Aside from Genghis, the most famous of the Mongolian rulers was Genghis’s grandson, Kublai Khan, who was raised as Mongolian in the traditional way, but also exposed to Chinese culture. Kublai’s father Tolui made sure all of his sons could ride and hunt, but he was apparently also concerned that they understood the characteristics and possibilities of the more settled regions under Mongolian rule. Thus, while Kublai and his brothers were still boys, his grandfather Genghis arranged a great Mongolian hunt. This traditional event involved many thousands of riders starting in a great circle and gradually moving into the center, driving the game in front of them. It was a hunt, but it was also a traditional kind of practice military exercise. Kublai killed a couple of small animals, and Genghis is reported to have been pleased with his grandsons.

As Great Khan, Kublai Khan ruled the Mongolian Empire from his capital in modern-day Beijing, with a court that included Mongolians, Arabs, and Persians from throughout his empire. While Genghis may have been a warrior, Kublai was a man of culture, intellect and curiosity, and his court was a luxurious one rich in art, music, and goods. Under his reign, trade along the Silk Road was both easier and more efficient than ever before. Toll gates were removed, and traders could move freely from place to place. It was said that even women could travel safely with goods without fear of harm.

Raised by his mother, a Nestorian Christian, he had a wide tolerance of diversity, even by Mongolian standards, and he embraced the wide and varied customs of those he ruled. Under the influence of his second and favorite wife, Chabi, Kublai Khan embraced Tibetan Buddhism. Chabi’s influence continued throughout Kublai Khan’s life. While Mongol leaders were traditionally brutal, Kublai Khan maintained order and loyalty with generous rewards. As all of this suggests, he proved an adept administrator, even introducing paper money and thus replacing gold, silver, and copper coins with printed money.

Kublai was clearly an influential ruler, but what helped his legacy endure was that he hosted the famous Italian traveler Marco Polo, who stayed in China for years and described what he saw in detail. When Marco Polo’s travelogue was published back in Europe, it immediately became one of the most famous works on the continent, and while modern historians still debate which parts were factual and fictional, there can be no question that Kublai Khan was a monumental leader in Asia.