Kublai Bektaigar was born the fifth son of Tudan Bektaigar, twelfth Khan of Akhatai. Although blessed with a childhood of relative peace, he became heavily involved in a struggle for the throne against four of his older brothers after the murder of his father and uncles, and the attempted murder of his half-brother, Ajirai. He eventually defeated them and ascended to the Khan's seat as the thirteenth Khan of Akhatai.