Kublai Khan, a grandson of Genghis Khan, was proclaimed Khaghan or "Great Khan" of the Mongols and Emperor of China in 1260. Throughout the 1260s and 1270s, he consolidated Mongol rule in China, eventually conquering the southern portion of China which was still ruled by the Sung.

But it is not as a conqueror that he is best known. He is more highly regarded for his social and administrative achievements. Kublai Khan sought to govern the peoples under him, rather than merely exploit them. He shifted the Mongol capital from Karakorum, in Mongolia, to Tai-tu, near modern-day Peking. In China, he restored central and local forms of government that were familiar to the Chinese, thereby encouraging many Chinese to act as counsellors or serve in other capacities in his government. As well, he patronised Confucian rituals and ceremonies at court. Like his grandfather Genghis Khan, he displayed a great deal of religious tolerance. While he observed Confucian rituals, he also showed special favour to Buddhism and he did not alienate Daoist interests. He even protected Muslims and professed an interest in Christian beliefs. Such a tolerant attitude not only fulfilled Kublai Khan’s personal interests, but also proved to be a politically expedient stance that promoted religious harmony and secured his own position. In European memory, Kublai Khan is perhaps best-known as the ruler visited by Marco Polo.