Who was Kublai Khan?
Kublai Khan was the grandson of Genghis Khan, who completed the conquest of China. His rule was less severe than that of other Mongol rulers, and he permitted the established religions to continue. Under Kublai Khan, many Mongols in the Middle East adopted the Muslim faith. After his death the enormous Mongol Empire proved too big to govern and it began to break up into smaller empires.
Who was Marco Polo?
Marco Polo was one of the first Europeans to travel through the Mongol territories. He travelled overland from Italy to China, where he was welcomed by Kublai Khan. He asked Marco Polo to arrange to have Christian missionaries sent to China. On his return to Europe, Polo’s reports raised enormous interest in China and led to many new sea voyages in attempts to establish trade routes there.
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