Guo Kan (, 1217–1277 AD) was a Chinese general who served the Mongol Empire in their conquest of China and the West. He descended from a lineage of Chinese generals. Both his father and grandfather served under Genghis Khan, while his forefather Guo Ziyi was a famous general of the Chinese Tang dynasty. Guo Kan became the first governor of Baghdad during Mongol rule and was instrumental in devising the strategy for the siege of Baghdad (1258). He served as a Mongol commander and was in charge of Chinese artillery units under the Yuan dynasty. He was one of the Han Chinese legions that served the Mongol Empire, and some of the later conquests of the Mongols were done by armies under his command. The biography of this Han commander in the History of Yuan said that Guo Kan's presence struck so much fear in his foes that they called him the "Divine Man". Birth and lineage Guo Kan was raised in the household of Prime Minister Shi Tianzhe (who was also a Han, and whose father and two brothers all served the Yuan dynasty). Military legacy 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. 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