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Tolui Khan

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The Mongol prince Tolui Khan (1192–1232) was an important military leader of the Mongol Empire. He was the son of the celebrated Mongol leader, Genghis Khan, who initiated the empire's expansion, and the father of another, Kublai Khan, who established the long period of Mongol rule in China.

Tolui himself (the term “Khan” was a Mongol title for a king or military ruler, not a surname) was not selected as Genghis Khan's successor. As a result, his life was not documented as thoroughly as those of other Mongol leaders of the period; chronicles such as The Secret History of the Mongols tended to mention individual episodes in his career rather than exploring his life in detail. Nevertheless, his prowess as a military leader seems to have been considerable. He accompanied Genghis Khan on several important campaigns, and, together with an unnamed daughter of Genghis, laid waste to the Persian city of Nishapur in one of the crushing victories that contributed to the Mongols' fearsome military reputat

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Tolui Khan – 1192-1232

Tolui was the fourth son of Genghis Khan and Borte. Tolui grew up as Genghis Khan was expanding his power in Mongolia. At the age of five he was almost killed by a Tartar assassin who took Tolui from his grandmother’s ger. He was rescued by his sister Altani.

In 1203 he married the niece of Ong Khan, Sorghatani Beki. Their four sons, Mongke, Kublai, Hulagu and Ariq Borke would inherit the Mongol empire. Tolui first saw military service during the campaign against the Jurchen dynasty. With his brothers he also served in the invasion of Central Asia. Tolui proved an able commander and personally commanded the brutal sieges of Nishapur and Merv. As the youngest son of Genghis Tolui was awarded the traditional Mongolian homeland as his inheritance. Between 1227 and 1229 he acted as regent of the empire until his brother Ogodei could be confirmed as Great Khan.

He served as commander of the Mongol forces in the campaign against the Jurchen. While on campaign he became ill and died. The traditional telling has Tolui sacrificing his life to save the ailing

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Tolui Khan (1191-1232) was the regent of the Mongol Empire from 1227 to 1229, succeeding Genghis Khan and preceding Ogedei Khan. He was never the real khagan, but he fathered Mongke Khan, Kublai Khan, Hulegu Khan, and Ariq Boke, the former three of which would be khans and the latter of which would fight Kublai over the title of Great Khan.

Biography[]

Tolui was born in around 1191 to Genghis Khan and Borte, and he was from the TengriBorjigin clan of Mongols. He was too young to fight in his father's campaigns, but his sister Altani saved him from some Tatars who nearly killed him when he was five. In 1203, at age 12 or 13, he married Sorghaghatani Beki, and in 1209 their son Mongke Khan was born. In 1213 he held a combat role for the first time when he seized the city of Dexing from the Great Jin dynasty of China. He was a very successful general, but Genghis Khan chose Ogedei Khan as his successor due to his better politics; Tolui would be too cautious. In 1227 he accompanied his father on campaign against the Xi Xia, when Genghis died. Tolui served Ogedei as a g