DIVIDING Genghis Khan’s EMPIRE

Möngke Khan was a khagan driven by two dominant forces: plans and ambitions. His reign began in 1251, and he set about cutting a bloody swathe through his enemies, weeding out all opposition and threats. The purge was brutal and grisly, but it left his clan as the most dominant in the Mongol empire. Once his reign was secured, Möngke set his plans in motion — bringing about administrative reform to provide stability for his nation, helped hugely by a better-regulated tax system. All these reforms ensured that Möngke presided over a stable nation that could fill his armies with men for his campaigns across Persia. Möngke’s plans led his armies to Syria and China. However, there was one thing the great khagan did not plan for… his own death.

Möngke’s unexpected demise in 1259 brought his conquests to a screeching halt. To this day the true cause