Tolui

Mongol ruler

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

July 14, 2026

Quick Summary

Tolui was the youngest son of Genghis Khan and inherited the Mongol homeland of eastern Mongolia. While his brothers received vast territories, Tolui's inheritance was the ancestral lands, and he was considered the "guardian of the hearth and fire".123

After Genghis Khan's death, his son Ögödei was elected great khan. However, the succession process was often contentious. When Ögödei died, his widow Töregene ruled as regent. Later, a great assembly of Genghis Khan's descendants elected Möngke, a son of Tolui, as the great khan. This marked a shift in power from Ögödei's line to the descendants of Tolui. Möngke's reign saw his brothers Kublai and Hülegü undertake significant military campaigns.42

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

4 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

Mongol
Rise of the Mongol empire
…Xinjiang and western Mongolia; and Tolui was awarded eastern Mongolia. Ögödei dominated his brothers and undertook further conquests. In the west the Golden Horde under Jochi’s successor, Batu, controlled Russia and terrorized eastern Europe; in the east advances were made into China. With Ögödei’s death in 1241 the branches fell…
Read More
…Xinjiang and western Mongolia; and Tolui was awarded eastern Mongolia. Ögödei dominated his brothers and undertook further conquests. In the west the Golden Horde under Jochi’s successor, Batu, controlled Russia and terrorized eastern Europe; in the east advances were made into China. With Ögödei’s death in 1241 the branches fell…
Read More

Mongolia
The successor states of the Mongol empire
The youngest, Tolui, inherited the ancient Mongol homeland of eastern Mongolia. Two years later, in 1229, a great Mongol assembly confirmed the succession of Ögödei as the great khan (khagan).
Read More
The youngest, Tolui, inherited the ancient Mongol homeland of eastern Mongolia. Two years later, in 1229, a great Mongol assembly confirmed the succession of Ögödei as the great khan (khagan).
Read More