LAI KHAN (1216-94). Grand Khan of the Mongols and Emperor of China. He was the grandson of Genghis Khan (q.v.). through the latter's fourth son, Tull Khan. When a boy of ten he participated in the last campaign of his grand father. Ile succeeded his brother Mangu as Grand Khan upon the death of the latter, in 1259, while engaged in a campaign to complete the subju gation of China. This task Kublai carried to a conclusion. Invited by Si Tsong of the Sung dynasty to aid in the expulsion of the Kin Tatar dynasty. he invaded China. in 1260 with an im mense army, drove out the Tatars, and took possession of North China. lie founded the• city of Khan Balig (Kambaln) and made it his capital. This was the nucleus of Peking. Kn Mai maintained only nominally the extended sway of the previous members of his dynasty, the great empire that had been reared by conquest having practically broken up into four divisions (see 'MONGOL DYNASTIES) , hut his rule was abso lut• and efficient in Eastern Asia. He was one of the ablest of his race, an organizer and ad ministrator of a high degree of ability and intel ligence. He conformed in great measure to the Chinese civilization, which was far in advance of that of his own people. In 1279 he completed his
conquest of China by subduing the south, and as the first foreign Emperor founded the Yuen dy nasty. His repeated attacks, however. failed to reduce Japan to submission. The Venetian Polo brothers. with the better-known son and nephew. Marco Polo (q.v.), spent some years at Kuhlai's Court, and enjoyed his respect and confidence. Desiring to establish some higher form of reli gion in his empire. he made them his messengers to the Pope to invite the sending of Christian missionaries to his people. Christendom was too much occupied with its own quarrels over eccle siastical polities to heed the invitation, and the Khan turned to the Grand Lama. the head of the Buddhists. who was not slow- to seize so glorious an opportunity for the conversion of an empire. Kublai Kban died in Peking, in 1294. The empire he had organized did not long survive under his incapable successors, and in 1368 the dynasty of Yuen was expelled from China. Consult: Yule, Cathay and thc Way Thither (2 vols., London, 1866) ; id. (ed.), The Book of Ser Marro Polo ( Loudon, 1875); Howo•th, History of the Mongols (4 vols., Lon don, 1876-88).