1241–1246Reputable sourceWell documented
Töregene Khatun's Regency
On the timeline · around 1241–1246 ·
What happened
After Ögedei's death, his widow Töregene Khatun seized control as regent and ruled the empire for some five years, maneuvering to have her son Güyük elected Great Khan at a kurultai in 1246. She dismissed her husband's ministers and installed her own, wielding real power over the largest empire on earth.
Why it matters
Töregene's regency shows how Mongol women could hold supreme authority. In the decades after Genghis, it was often the khatuns — the ruling women — who governed the empire between khans and decided who would wear the crown.
Sources
- World History Encyclopedia. Möngke Khan · Reputable source