Who was the mother of Kublai Khan?

The mother of Kublai Khan was Sorghaghtani Beki. She was a Keraite princess who married Tolui, the youngest son of Genghis Khan, and became one of the most influential women in the Mongol Empire.

Sorghaghtani and Tolui had at least four sons who shaped Mongol history: Möngke, Kublai, Hulagu, and Ariq Böke. Möngke became Great Khan in 1251, Kublai later founded the Yuan dynasty in China, Hulagu established the Ilkhanate in Persia, and Ariq Böke challenged Kublai for the supreme Mongol title.

Her influence extended beyond her family. Sorghaghtani supported education, administrative ability, and religious pluralism, and she helped position her sons for power during a volatile period of succession disputes. She died in 1252, before Kublai became Great Khan in 1260. She is often confused with Chabi, Kublai’s principal wife and empress, or Börte, Genghis Khan’s wife; neither was Kublai’s mother.