You know it’s hard out there for a prince. The fourth sons of a fourth son, Khubilai of the Borjigin will grow up little recognized, and bound for a life of little more than comfortable obscurity. But between his mother’s machinations, his wife’s guidance, his own skills… and a healthy smattering of good fortune, he’ll find himself suddenly thrust into the spotlight and tasked with overseeing the conquest of the Mongols’ oldest foe.

Time Period Covered:1215-1259 CE

Major Historical Figures:Mongol:Tolui [c. 1191-1232] – 4th son of Genghis Khan, Khubilai’s fatherSorkhokhtani Beki [c. 1190-1252] – Khubilai’s mother, Nestorian ChristianMöngke Khaghan [1209-1259] – Tolui’s eldest son, 4th Great Khan of the MongolsKhubilai, Ilkhan of the Left [1215-1289] – favored grandson of GenghisHulagu, Ilkhan of the Right [1218-1265] – 3rd son of Tolui and SorkhokhtaniAriq Böke [1219-1266] – youngest son of Tolui, Otchigin “Hearthkeeper”Chabi Khatun [1225-1281] – Khubilai’s 2nd wife & only love, Tibetan Buddhist

North China:Minister Yao ShuLiu Bingzhong, Buddhist Monk, Adviser & Architect of Kaiping/Shangdu cityThe Phagspa Lama [1235-1280]

Dali Kingdom:King Duan Xingzhi [r. 1251-1254, 1256-1260 (as Maharaja)]Prime Minister Gao Taixiang [d. 1253]

Major Sources:Atwood, Christopher P. Encyclopedia of Mongolia and the Mongol Empire.Broadbridge, Anne F. Women and the Making of the Mongol Empire.Clements, Jonathan. A Brief History of Khubilai Khan: Lord of Xanadu, Founder of the Yuan.May, Timothy (ed.). The Mongol Empire: A Historical Encyclopedia, vol. 1.McLynn, Frank. Genghis Khan: His Conquests, His Empire, His Legacy.Rossabi, Morris. “The Reign of Khubilai Khan” in The Cambridge History of China, v. 6: Alien Regimes and Border States, 907-1368.Weatherford, Jack. The Secret History of the Mongol Queens.

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