mmKublai Khan was a ruler during the thirteenth century. He was a Mongol dreamer, visionary, and had the desire to unite different nationalities, religions, and cultures together under the Yuan Empire. Kublai Khan was a great sympathizer for the Chinese people, even though he was Mongolian by birth. He didn’t necessarily always trust the Chinese people, but he was fascinated with their traditions, culture, and arts. Conservative Mongolians would get offended and would repeatedly cause Kublai Khan problems because conformed so well to the Chinese ways. Kublai’s grandfather was the infamous Genghis (Chinggus) and the fourth son of Toluia and Sorghagtani. From the day he was born on 1215, his mother, Sorghagtani, raised him because his father was away on military campaigns. Kublai’s mother had one ambition for all of her sons, and that was for someone to regain the throne that had been taken by her husband’s brother. Consequently, she groomed Kublai and his brothers for the throne. She was a fervent Nestorian Christian and saw that plundering a nations resources would soon backlash, and she knew it would not be helpful to anyone. She obviously had a great effect on Kublai. When Kublai Khan’s eldest brother, Mongke (Mangu) gained the throne, his mother’s life dream was fulfilled. She never lived to see Kublai become khan as she died a year after his brother ascended the throne. While demonstrating his military brilliance during several battles he caught his brother’s attention. His brother recruited and gave him a job in his empire. Same years later Mongke died during a battle between the Buddhists and the Taoist. At the time there was a bloody power struggle between Kublai and his younger brother Arigboge that lasted for two years. Arigboge was defeated in 1264 and Kublai became khan shortly thereafter. Kublai Khan did some amazing things during his reign including extending the Grand Canal all the way to his new capital in Ta-tu, what is now modern day Beijing. Kublai Khan also began to push the use of paper currency, porcelain, and coal. He is remembered for all of his extraordinary works accomplished during the Yuan Dynasty. (Nosotro)
One of the videos I watched on my cyber journey was Marco Polo in Mysterious China. I talked about how Marco Polo traveled to China on the Silk Road across what is widely known as the roof of the world. It also talked about how Marco Polo was just marveled about the exotic landscapes and mountains that reach to the top of the sky. The video was really nicely shot and it almost gives you a perspective of what you would see or encounter coming there from another country and just being in awe of all of the beautiful landscapes.
Another video I watched was Beijing Opera Masks in the Art and Architecture of Modern China and Korea section. It was interesting where they were talking about Beijings and its changing into a world class city, and traditions are disappearing one by one. One tradition that is barely surviving is the Opera Masks from Beijing. They showed master craftsman Xiang Qi Shang carve, fashion and paint opera masks in the traditional fashion.
Nosotro, Rit. Kublai Khan. 2 September 2010. 28 May 2011 <http://www.hyperhistory.net/>.