Origins & Early Life

Töregene Khatun (also Turakina and Nai-ma-chen; died 1246) was the Great Khatun and regent of the Mongol Empire from the death of her husband Ögedei Khan in 1241 until the election of her eldest son Güyük Khan in 1246. Many of Töregene's retroactive descriptions come from Chinese sources, such as the History of Yuan, and Persian sources, such as those written by Minhaj-i Siraj Juzjani and Rashid al-Din Hamadan, take a negative stance on her reign. Töregene is seen as a smart ruler, but one who was overly vengeful and too unwilling to work with Mongol nobility. However, this characterization has been challenged as political in nature due to 13th and 14th century politics.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Retroactive characterizations have emphasized Töregene's success in an era where women were given few opportunities to be global leaders. Töregene was born into the Naimans. Her first husband was a Merkit. Some sources state that his name was Qudu (d. 1217), son of Toqto'a Beki of the Merkits.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

However, Rashid al-Din Hamadani named her first husband as Dayir Usun, a Merkit chief. Whatever the case, Töregene's first husband was slaughtered along with the other Merkit men. When Genghis conquered the Merkit...

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