He took part in the final drive in the conquest of the
Jin dynasty, including the capture of
Kaifeng. He then helped Subutai conquer West Eurasia, Europe, and the Middle East and was appointed governor of Baghdad by Hulagu. At some point after
Kublai Khan's accession as Khan, Guo Kan assisted Kublai Khan in the conquest of the
Southern Song and ultimately the reunification of China under the
Yuan dynasty.
Middle East and Europe He served
Subutai in the conquest of Europe a few years following the fall of the Jin dynasty. He then served in
Hulagu's conquest of the Middle East, playing a major role in the capture and
battle of Baghdad, devising the strategy of using the
dikes to drown the
Caliph's army, and supervising the reduction of
Baghdad's walls. He was then appointed the first Ilkhanate Governor of Baghdad by Hulagu, making him the first, and only Chinese governor of an Arab city. According to the
History of Yuan, he was present in the
siege of Maymun-Diz during Hulegu's
campaign against the Nizaris. Guo Kan attacked the inaccessible fortress by "catapults on mounts" (
jiapao).
China Guo Kan took part in the final drive in the conquest of the
Jin dynasty, including the capture of
Kaifeng. He then helped Subutai conquer West Eurasia, Europe, and the Middle East and was appointed governor of Baghdad by Hulagu. At some point after
Khubilai Khan's accession as Khan, Guo Kan assisted Khubilai Khan in the conquest of the
Southern Song and ultimately the unification of China under the
Yuan dynasty. Guo Kan reportedly urged Khubilai to adopt a Han Chinese-style dynastic title, establish a capital and central government, and build schools. He reportedly was the general who proposed capturing
Xiangyang as a strategy for invading the
Southern Song. In 1262, he defeated Song forces in a
battle at Xuzhou, and in 1266 urged Khubilai to establish military farms in
Huaibei to provide supplies for an invasion of the Southern Song. In 1268 and 1270 he suppressed local rebellions, and then he was sent to participate in the
siege of Xiangyang. In 1276, the Song dynasty fell (except for the loyalist movement that lasted until 1279), and Guo served as a prefect for one more year before dying. Guo Kan was a general who helped unify the massive Yuan Mongol empire. He played an important role in their conquests of all corners of the empire, from the east to west. ==Notes==