Sorghaghtani Beki ~ Christian mother of Kubilai Khan

One of the most influenial persons in the Mongolian history was a Christian woman. Sorghaghtani Beki was the wife of Tolui, Genghis Khan's youngest son and she was
a Nestorian Christian. Her four sons Möngke Khan, Kublai Khan, Hulagu Khan and Ariq Boke would all play mjaor roles in Mongolian history.

Tolui himself was capble general in his own right and Genghis Khan nearly chose him as his successor. When Genghis Khan died, the nobles gathered together and elected Tolui as the new Khan. Toliu himself decided to gave the Khanate to his brother, Ögodei, fulfilling his father's wishes. When Toliu died, Sorghaghtani Beki's stand within the Mongolian empire did not weaken. In fact, she became stronger and more well-respected within the elite.

After the death of the Great Khan, Güyük (Ögodei Khan's son), she outmaneuvered her rivals and made her son, Möngke, the new Great Khan. Thus, the Toliu branch became the Mongolian ruling family line.

As the Great Khan, Möngke Khan was noted for his expansion into China and the Middle East. His friendly relationship with Batu, the head of Mongol's European empire, ensured a unified empire. He sent his younger brother Hulagu Khan to expand into the Middle East.

Hulagu Khan was an interesting charactor. His mother was a passionate Nestorian Christian, as was his wife, Dotuz Khatun, and his closest friend and general, Kitbuqa. Their influence was said to have instilled in him a deep animosity against Muslims — unusual for the generally tolerant Mongol Empire — along with a contrasting desire to assist Christians. In 1258, his army sacked Baghdad which was then an important Islamic city. The destruction on the city was one of the worst in the history of mankind and considered to be brutal even under Mongol's standard. He also killed the caliph which sent a big alarm to the Islamic world. He was becoming a destroyer of the Islamic faith. Only the death of Mongke stopped him. Hulagu and most of his army went home to resolve the sucession crisis. The Mamluks of Egypt defeated his remaining army at the Battle of Ain Jalut.

Hulagu returned to his lands by 1262, after the succession was finally settled with Kublai as the last Great Khan, but instead of being able to avenge his defeats, was drawn into civil war with his cousin Berke. Berte Khan, the Khan of the Golden Horde was a Muslim convert and was enraged by Hulagu's sack of Baghdadd. Finally, in 1262 the conflict turned into open war. Hulagu Khan was killed in 1265. He was credited as the founder of Il-Khanate of Persia.

Meanwhile, Kublai Khan had succeeded Mongke Khan as the new Great Khan after fighting a brief civil war with his younger brother Ariq Boke . It was during his reign that Mongol reached its height in terms of land mass.