Definition

1. Proper noun:
   • A historical figure: Kubla Khan refers to the Mongolian emperor of China, grandson of Genghis Khan, who completed the conquest of China, established the Yuan dynasty, and built a great capital.
   • A literary subject: Kubla Khan is also the subject and title of a famous poem by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, inspired by this emperor.

Examples of Usage

• Proper noun (Historical):

  • Kubla Khan founded the Yuan dynasty in China.
  • The court of Kubla Khan was visited by the explorer Marco Polo.

• Proper noun (Literary):

  • Coleridge's poem "Kubla Khan" describes a stately pleasure-dome.
  • We analyzed the imagery in "Kubla Khan" in our literature class.

Advanced Usage

• "A Kubla Khan decree": Used metaphorically to describe an authoritative or grand proclamation, drawing from the emperor's power.

  • The CEO's new policy felt like a Kubla Khan decree, absolute and transformative.

• "Kubla Khan's pleasure-dome": A direct reference to the central image in Coleridge's poem, often used to evoke an idea of an exotic, magnificent, or artificially created paradise.

  • The new theme park was a modern Kubla Khan's pleasure-dome, vast and fantastical.

Variants and Related Words

• Kublai Khan: An alternative and more common historical spelling for the same emperor.

  • Kublai Khan was a prominent figure in the 13th century.

• Khan (noun): A title for a ruler or leader, particularly in Central Asia.

  • Genghis Khan was the most famous of all the khans.

Synonyms

• Kublai Khan: The alternate spelling is the primary synonym for the historical figure.
• Emperor: A general term for a sovereign ruler of an empire.
• Yuan Emperor: A specific title referencing his dynasty.

Related Phrases

• In Xanadu did Kubla Khan...: The famous opening line of Coleridge's poem, often cited or parodied in cultural contexts.
  • The travel brochure began with "In Xanadu..." echoing the famous poem about Kubla Khan.

Related Idioms

• A Kubla Khan ambition: An idiom suggesting an ambition on a vast, imperial, or grandiose scale.
  • His plan to build a city in the desert was a true Kubla Khan ambition.

Noun

1. Mongolian emperor of China and grandson of Genghis Khan who completed his grandfather's conquest of China; he establish the Yuan dynasty and built a great capital on the site of modern Beijing where he received Marco Polo (1216-1294)