1260–1264Reputable sourceWell documented
The Toluid Civil War: Kublai vs Ariq Böke
On the timeline · around 1260–1264 ·
What happened
Möngke's death set his brothers against each other. Kublai, in China, and Ariq Böke, in Mongolia, each had himself proclaimed Great Khan by rival assemblies in 1260, and for four years they fought a civil war for supremacy. Kublai, drawing on the wealth of China, finally forced Ariq Böke to surrender in 1264.
Why it matters
The Toluid Civil War broke the unity of the empire. Kublai won the title of Great Khan, but the other khanates no longer truly obeyed him — the Mongol world had split for good into competing realms.
Sources
- World History Encyclopedia. Kublai Khan · Reputable source