Yuan Dynasty

The Yuan Dynasty (Chinese: 元朝, Yuán Cháo, jyun4 ciu4; Classical Mongolian: Dai Ön Yeke Mongghul Ulus; Modern Mongolian: Их Юань улс) was the empire established by Kublai Khan, the leader of Mongolian Borjigin clan, after Mongol conquered Jin and Southern Song Dynasty in China. Although the Mongols had ruled territories, which included today's northern China for decades, it was not until 1271 that Kublai Khan officially proclaimed the dynasty in the traditional Chinese style. His realm – the Great Yuan Empire ( 大元帝國, 大元帝国, Dà Yuán Dìguó) – was by this point isolated from the other khanates and controlled only most of present-day China and its surrounding areas including modern Mongolia. It was the first foreign dynasty to rule all of China and lasted until 1368, after which its remnants in Mongolia were known as the Northern Yuan.

The Yuan is considered both a successor to the Mongol Empire and as an imperial Chinese dynasty. In official Chinese histories, the Yuan Dynasty bore the Mandate of Heaven, following the Song Dynasty and preceding the Ming Dynasty. Although the dynasty was established by Kublai Khan, he placed his grandfather Genghis Khan on the imperial records as the official founder of the dynasty as Taizu.

In addition to Emperor of China, Kublai Khan also claimed the title of Great Khan, supreme over the other successor khanates: the Chagatai, the Golden Horde, and the Ilkhanate. As such, the Great Yuan Empire was also sometimes referred to as the Empire of the Great Khan. However, although this claim of the emperors of the Yuan Dynasty was at times recognized by the western khans, their subservience was merely nominal and they each continued their own separate development.