Kublai Khan

Birth

Sep 23, 1215

Kublai Khan was the first to unite China under the Mongols, he was also the first non-Chinese ruler. He became known for his civilized and peaceful ruling of his land rather than his success as a military leader (History.com) (Kublai Khan 109).

The Great Hunt

Jan 1, 1224

Kublai Khan is initiated into the Great Hunt by his grandfather Genghis Khan. This prepped the young boys for the life of a soldier and if he became a member, he would be able to have a high position in the army. Kublai Khan learned how to fight and became a great soldier in the army before he succeeded to the throne (Kublai Khan 13).

Rayonnant Style

Jan 1, 1230

Architects started becoming more interested in the decorations as opposed to the structures of buildings and churches. The Rayonnant Style influenced many designs of churches like the Notre-Dame which started being constructed in 1250 (Martindale).

First Use of Rockets

Jan 1, 1232

The Chinese were the first known to have used a rocket during a battle. This allowed for the use of gunpowder to spread all around the world (Schulman).

Leonardo Fibonacci

Jan 1, 1240

Leonardo Fibonacci is known as "the greatest mathematician of the middle ages". He contributed many mathematical achievements to the world which are still beneficial today like the Fibonacci Sequence. It is not known precisely wen he died, just that it was in the 1240-50s (Siegfried).

Inquisition Torture

Jan 1, 1252

The Inquisition was "the institution of the Roman Catholic Church for combating or suppressing heresy". They started using torture instruments in 1252 as a way to get information out of suspects and criminals before they died (medieval-life-and-times.info).

Great Khan

May 6, 1260

Kublai Khan becomes the Great Khan of the Mongol Empire. He fought with his brother, Arigboge, in a four year war before he finally won and succeeded the thrown after his other brother, the previous ruler Mangu, had died. He became a different ruler than the others as he was more focused on the lives of his people. He did however, succeed in unifying China under one ruler and establishing an empire larger than that of the Romans (Reinhartz 1239-1240).

Capital is Changed

Jan 1, 1264

Kublai Khan moved his capital from Karakorum in Mongolia to Peking in China. He moved his capital as he believed that China was the center of the world and loved the Chinese culture. It caused him to change some of his ideas, although he still kept Mongolian's at the top of the hierarchy. Kublai Khan even died in this city (Reinhartz 1239).

Capturing of Sung Dynasty

Jan 1, 1267

Kublai Khan led his armies out to capture the lands of Southern Song. He was able to capture the land and then established his dynasty as the Yuan and ascended the "dragon throne of China". He was then able to successfully unite China under one ruler (Reinhartz 1239).

Marco Polo

Jan 1, 1275

Marco Polo worked in the court of Kublai Khan. He explored Kublai's empire and was sent on missions by him around his empire. Marco Polo wrote "A Description of the World" about the Mongol's empire. Polo believed that the Chinese civilization was much more advanced and he praised their achievements (The Mongol Conquests).

Albertus Magnus

Jan 1, 1280

Albertus Magnus wrote all about the different sciences and introduced Aristotle to Western Europe. He became known as great and achieved sainthood for his vast knowledge of the sciences (Siegfried).

Conquering Japan

Jan 1, 1281

Kublai Khan tried conquering Japan twice, once in 1274, and the other in 1281. He failed both times and lost many of his men. Most of his land had been gained by previous rulers or weak countries, some of who had just surrendered. His loss of money and soldiers eventually led to his country's demise (What Life Was Like in the Land of the Dragon 122-123).

New Code of Law

Jan 1, 1282

Kublai Khan introduced paper money to the Mongol dynasty and the Chinese people. This created a more unified monetary system which led to more commerce, but also to inflation as the money wasn't convertible. This caused the economy to decline for the 5 years this system had lasted, from 1282 to 1287 (Reinhartz 1240).

Jews Fleeing

Jan 1, 1290

Jews were discriminated against all of history, in 1290, they were required to leave England forever. In the 13th century, they were prohibited from living in or around cities and many children were crucified in England up until 1290. This discrimination led all the way up to today's time where discrimination against religion still exists (Smith).

Code of Law

Jan 1, 1291

Kublai Khan created a Code of Law for his people. He gave his people freedom to follow whatever religion they chose as long as it wasn't Taioism. He was known as the most enlightened of the Yuan rulers by the Chinese, but he was never beloved by his subjects (Reinhartz 1240).

Death

Feb 18, 1294

Kublai Khan died on this day in Ta-Tu ( near Peking), China. The Yuan Dynasty was stable during his lifetime but soon fell apart once he died (Mongol Conquests 29) (Kublai Khan 109).