1271Reputable sourceWell documented
Kublai Khan Founds the Yuan Dynasty
On the timeline · around 1271 ·
What happened
In 1271 Kublai Khan proclaimed a new Chinese dynasty, the Yuan, ruling as both Great Khan of the Mongols and Emperor of China. He built a magnificent capital at Dadu, on the site of modern Beijing, and adopted Chinese forms of government while keeping the Mongols a privileged ruling caste.
Why it matters
The Yuan made Kublai the first non-Han ruler of a unified China and folded the country into a vast Eurasian empire, opening an age of unprecedented contact between China and the wider world.
Sources
- World History Encyclopedia. Yuan Dynasty · Reputable source
Related timelines
- History of China → — The Mongols' rule of China