Toqto'a

Toqto'a (1314–1356) was a Merkid aristocrat, nephew of the all-powerful minister Bayan, and the dominant statesman of the late Yuan court. In March 1340 he joined his father Majartai and the emperor Toghon Temür in shutting the palace gates while Bayan was out hunting; Bayan was arrested and exiled.

That November Toqto'a became grand councillor and reversed Bayan's policies: examinations returned and taxes were eased. From 1343 he directed the compilation of the histories of the Liao, Jin and Song, treating all three as legitimate dynasties.

In 1351 he put 150,000 labourers and 20,000 soldiers to work on the Yellow River to reopen the Grand Canal. When the Red Turbans rose he retook Xuzhou in 1352 and ordered it massacred. In 1354 he was close to taking Zhang Shicheng's Gaoyou when court rivals had him dismissed; he was exiled to Yunnan and poisoned in January 1356.