Who succeeded Genghis Khan as the Great Khan?

Ögedei Khan succeeded Genghis Khan as Great Khan of the Mongol Empire. Genghis Khan died in 1227, but Ögedei did not formally take the throne until 1229, after a two-year regency led by his younger brother Tolui.

Ögedei was Genghis Khan’s third son. His selection reflected Genghis’s preference and a compromise among the ruling family: Ögedei was considered more even-tempered and politically suitable than his elder brothers Jochi and Chagatai. His election was confirmed at a kurultai, the Mongol nobles’ assembly, near the Kherlen River.

As Great Khan, Ögedei greatly expanded the empire. His reign saw the conquest of the Jin dynasty in northern China, renewed campaigns against Korea, an invasion of Persia, and the Mongol advance into Eastern Europe. He also developed imperial administration, roads, relay stations, and the capital at Karakorum.

Tolui is a common mix-up because he governed as regent immediately after Genghis Khan’s death. Kublai and Chagatai were important Mongol rulers, but neither directly succeeded Genghis as Great Khan.