Genghis Khan successors

After Genghis Khan's death (1227), the Mongol Empire was divided among his sons and grandsons — creating four successor states: the Yuan Dynasty (China, ruled by Kublai Khan); the Ilkhanate (Persia); the Golden Horde (Russia and the Caspian steppe); and the Chagatai Khanate (Central Asia). Kublai Khan (1215-1294) completed the conquest of China, established the Yuan Dynasty with Dadu (Beijing) as capital, and was visited by Marco Polo — whose account (however embellished) introduced China to European readers. Tamerlane (Timur the Lame, 1336-1405) — a Turco-Mongol warlord — claimed descent from Genghis Khan and built a second empire centered on Samarkand (modern Uzbekistan), conquering Persia, India (sacking Delhi, 1398), and the Ottoman Empire (Battle of Ankara, 1402 — capturing Sultan Bayezid I). His conquests killed an estimated 17 million people (5% of the world's population). The Mughal Empire (India, 1526-1857) was founded by Babur, a Timurid descendant — making the Taj Mahal a monument to Mongol heritage.