Kublai Khan was a Mongol emperor who founded the Yuan dynasty in China and became its first emperor, ruling from 1260 to 1294. A grandson of Genghis Khan, he is considered the greatest of the Mongol emperors after his illustrious grandfather. Though he held the title of Great Khan, his actual authority outside China and Mongolia, such as in Southern Russia and Persia, was largely symbolic, as these regions operated with significant autonomy. Kublai Khan was the first non-Han ruler to unify and govern all of China, officially establishing the Yuan dynasty in 1271. He was well known for his acceptance of different religions and reorganized the government, creating three separate branches to handle civilian affairs, supervise the military, and monitor major officials. He greatly supported trade, science, and the arts, and promoted the use of paper money, which had been introduced earlier during the Song dynasty, to facilitate trade. He established effective transportation systems within the empire and commissioned the creation of a new alphabet for the Mongol language. A much-respected ruler, Kublai Khan's reign lasted over three decades, during which he established a vast, thriving empire. His death in 1294, marked the end of an important era in Chinese and Mongol history.