born 1208, Mongolia
died 1259, Sichuan province, China
Mongol leader.
Grandson of Genghis Khan and brother of Kublai Khan , he was elected great khan in 1251. Under Möngke, the Mongols conquered Iran, Iraq, and Syria as well as the Thai kingdom of Nan-chao and the area of present-day Vietnam. He died before the Mongols could complete the conquest of China, which happened under the reign of Kublai.