Background
Toqto’a was born to the Mergid aristocrat, Majarday (also rendered as Chuan), in 1314. His uncle was Bayan (d.1340), who had raised to the grand councillor during the reign of Toghan Temur (r.1333-1370), the last Yuan emperor.
Toqtogha, Toqto’a Chuan
The last capable Prime Minister of the Yuan dynasty yuan official historian
Toqto’a was born to the Mergid aristocrat, Majarday (also rendered as Chuan), in 1314. His uncle was Bayan (d.1340), who had raised to the grand councillor during the reign of Toghan Temur (r.1333-1370), the last Yuan emperor.
Toqto’a was given a Confucian education.
Like many Mongol nobels, he began serving in the Kesig, the prestigious Yuan Imperial Guards, at the age of fourteen. In 1331, at nineteen ,Toghto was already a Chief Military Commissioner of the Imperial Guards. Three years later he was promoted to Associate Administrator of the Bureau of Military Affairs, and in 1338 given the concurrent post of Censor-in-chief. Toghto's rapid rise was largely due to the fact that his uncle Bayam was the dictatorial Right Chancellor at the time. The nephew repaid Bayan's favour by playing a majour role in desposing him in 1340. Then he became the Right Chancellor.