The Mongol Empire's Lost Prince: Sorgaqtani's Secret Rebellion

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the overlooked role of Sorgaqtani Beki, a Nestorian Christian princess who managed the Tolui family's estates after Genghis Khan's death. While her son Möngke became Great Khan, Sorgaqtani's political maneuvering—including secret alliances with the Jochids and funding the construction of a Buddhist monastery in Karakorum—laid the groundwork for the Toluid ascendancy. Lucas reveals how she maintained neutrality during the Ögedeid succession crisis, used her influence to protect her sons from Güyük's purge, and how her death in 1252 triggered the first open rift between the Tolui and Jochi lines. The episode also examines the controversial Juvayni account of her poisoning of Güyük, and how her legacy shaped the Ilkhanate's religious tolerance policies. A fresh angle on the empire's internal fractures from a woman's perspective. #MongolEmpire #SorgaqtaniBeki #NestorianChristians #Tolui #MNgkeKhan #Karakorum #Juvayni #GYKKhan #Gedei #Jochids #Ilkhanate #Yassa #Kurultai #CentralAsia #13thCentury #MongolWomen #History #FexingoHistory #GenghisKhan #KublaiKhan Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo