NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC HISTORY 61ritual that would give him unshakable legitima-
cy. After consulting his advisers, Kublai decided
to cement his claim by casting the I Ching, an
ancient Chinese system of divination with links
to both Confucianism and Taoism. The solemn
rite revealed that Kublai would achieve sublime
success if he persevered along the correct path.
Kublai’s decision to choose a Chinese tradi-
tion rather than a Mongol one is a potent re-
minder of what would become a lifelong dilem-
ma. Kublai was driven by the unrealized dream of
his grandfather, the fearsome conqueror Genghis
Khan, who desired to unite the whole of China
under Mongol rule. Kublai knew that subduing
China was one thing, but ruling it would be an-
other. It would require a delicate balancing act
of appealing to his new Chinese subjects while
maintaining the Mongol loyalty.
The I Ching ritual and its choreographed blend
of piety and politics paid dividends: Kublai took
power as Kublai Khan, defeated Arigböge four
years later, and became the sole ruler of the
world’s largest contiguous land empire, stretch-
ing from the Pacific Ocean to the Black Sea.
Raising a Khan
In 1206 Genghis Khan united the tribes of the
Mongol steppe and set their warlike sights far
beyond their homeland. When Genghis died in
1227, they had all but conquered the Jin dynasty
of northern China, and swaths of Central Asia.
Khan means “ruler,” and was often written as
khagan—the great khan. On Genghis’s death, his
son, Ögödei, became the second khagan, whose
own son, Güyük, became the third. In 1251 the
succession passed to Möngke, son of Genghis’s
son Tolui.
Kublai, Möngke’s brother, was born in 1215.
Their mother was Sorghaghtani, a member of an
eastern Christian denomination. As Tolui’s wife,
she orchestrated dynastic politics with supreme
skill, ensuring that Möngke succeeded as the
fourth khagan in 1251. She also played
a crucial role in shaping Kublai.
Sorghaghtani ensured
Kublai was taught
Mongol traditions.
She encouraged
toleration ofTHE FIRST
GREAT KHAN
A statue of Kublai’s
grandfather Genghis
Khan (below)
is on display in
Ulaanbaatar,
capital of Mongolia.
Genghis created the
Mongol Empire and
began the conquest
of China.
BRIDGEMAN/ACI