Ariq Böke

Who was Ariq Böke?

Ariq Böke, the components of his name also spelled Arigh, Arik, Bukha, Buka, was the youngest son of Tolui, a son of Genghis Khan. After the death of his brother the Great Khan Möngke, Ariq Böke briefly took power while his brothers Kublai and Hulagu were absent. When Kublai returned for an election in 1260, rival factions could not agree, and elected simultaneous claimants Kublai and Ariq Böke to the throne, resulting in a war for succession which marked the beginning of civil war in the Mongol Empire. Ariq Böke was supported by the traditionalists of the Mongol Empire, while his brother Kublai Khan was supported by the senior princes of North China and Manchuria.