 | This article relies largely or entirely on a single source .(March 2013) |
Il-Alti or Il-Altun was a daughter of Genghis Khan by an unknown concubine of lowly status. [1]
| | This article relies largely or entirely on a single source .(March 2013) |
Il-Alti or Il-Altun was a daughter of Genghis Khan by an unknown concubine of lowly status. [1]
The children of Börte were given more power than those of the other wives of Genghis Khan. However, Il-Alti was born to a concubine, whose name was not recorded in the history of the Mongols. She had nine half-brothers and five half-sisters. Four of her nine half-brothers died before reaching adulthood. The remaining five were Jochi, Chagatay, Ogotei, Tolui and Kholgen. Her half sisters were: Koa Ujin Bekhi, Checheikhen, Alakhai Bekhi, Tumelun, and Altalun.
Genghis Khan promised Il-Alti to the Uighur chieftain Barjuk Idi-Qut for his submission, services and loyalty to the Mongol Empire. However, because Idi-Qut already had a principal wife whom he honored, Barjuk and Il-Alti's wedding was postponed. [1] It was further delayed by Genghis Khan's death. Two years after Genghis Khan died, Ögedei ascended to the throne and became the Khan of the Mongol Empire. To fulfill his father's promise Ögedei was to give Il-Alti to Barjuk, however, Il-Alti died before Barjuk arrived at the Khan's court. [2]
In place of Il-Alti, Alaji Bekhi (possibly a daughter of Ögedei) was given to Barjuk. But, Barjuk died before Alaji Bekhi could arrive to Besh-Baligh. Following Barjuk's death, his son Kesmes traveled to Ögedei Khan's court to ask for Alaji Bekhi's hand. The Khan agreed, however, Kesmes also died before the nuptial. In the end, during Toregene Khatun's rule, Alaji Bekhi married Salindi Idi-Qut, a younger son of Barjuk Idi-Qut and brother of Kesmes. Salindi Idi-Qut was punished and executed during Mongke Khan's reign for supporting Toregene Khatun and Ögedei's descendants. [3]
According to The Secret History of the Mongol Queens by Jack Weatherford, Il-Alti was the ruler of the Uighurs and a heroine in the history of the Mongol Empire. [4] According to Persian chronicler Rashid al-Din, she was Genghis Khan's favorite daughter, but someone from Ögedei's faction executed her shortly after Ögedei's death, supposedly because Il-Alti had poisoned Ögedei. However, Kublai Khan was not convinced that Il-Alti was guilty, and at a trial of several of Ögedei's retainers, demanded to know why Il-Alti was killed without a trial, in violation of Genghis Khan's laws. [5]
Börte was the first wife of Temüjin, who became Genghis Khan, the founder of the Mongol Empire. Börte became the head of the first Court of Genghis Khan, and Grand Empress of his Empire. Little is known about the details of her early life, but she was betrothed to Genghis at a young age, married at seventeen, and then kidnapped by a rival tribe. Her husband's daring rescue of her may have been one of the key events that started him on his path to becoming a conqueror. She gave birth to four sons and five daughters, who, along with their own descendants, were the key bloodline that further expanded the Mongol Empire.
Ögedei Khan was second khagan of the Mongol Empire. The third son of Genghis Khan, he continued the expansion of the empire that his father had begun.
Güyük Khan was the third Khagan of the Mongol Empire, the eldest son of Ögedei Khan and a grandson of Genghis Khan. He reigned from 1246 to 1248. He started his military career by participating in the conquest of Eastern Xia and then later in the invasion of Europe. He was known to quarrel with his family members and mistreat his soldiers. When his father died, he was enthroned as Khagan in 1246. During his almost two year reign, he reversed some of his mother's unpopular edicts and ordered an empire-wide census; he also held some authority in Eastern Europe, appointing Andrey II as the grand prince of Vladimir and giving the princely title of Kiev to Alexander Nevsky.
Möngke Khan was the fourth khagan of the Mongol Empire, ruling from 1 July 1251, to 11 August 1259. He was the first Khagan from the Toluid line, and made significant reforms to improve the administration of the Empire during his reign. Under Möngke, the Mongols conquered Iraq and Syria as well as the kingdom of Dali.
Chagatai Khan was the second son of Genghis Khan and Börte. He inherited most of what are now five Central Asian states after the death of his father. He was also appointed by Genghis Khan to oversee the execution of the Yassa, the written code of law created by Genghis Khan.
Töregene Khatun was the Great Khatun and regent of the Mongol Empire from the death of her husband Ögedei Khan in 1241 until the election of her eldest son Güyük Khan in 1246.
Ariq Böke, the components of his name also spelled Arigh, Arik and Bukha, Buka, was the seventh and youngest son of Tolui and a grandson of Genghis Khan. After the death of his brother the Great Khan Möngke, Ariq Böke claimed the title of the Great Khan of the Mongol Empire and briefly took power while his brothers Kublai and Hulagu were absent from the Mongolian Plateau. When Kublai returned for an election in 1260, rival factions could not agree, and elected both claimants, Kublai and Ariq Böke, to the throne, resulting in the Toluid Civil War that fragmented the Mongol Empire. Ariq Böke was supported by the traditionalists of the Mongol Empire, while his brother Kublai was supported by the senior princes of North China and Manchuria.
Kaidu was a grandson of the Mongol khagan Ögedei (1185–1241) and thus leader of the House of Ögedei and the de facto khan of the Chagatai Khanate, a division of the Mongol Empire. He ruled parts of modern-day Xinjiang and Central Asia during the 13th century, and actively opposed his uncle, Kublai, who established the Yuan dynasty. Medieval chroniclers often mistranslated Kadan as Kaidu, mistakenly placing Kaidu at the Battle of Legnica. Kadan was the brother of Güyük, and Kaidu's uncle.
Sorghaghtani Beki or Bekhi, also written Sorkaktani, Sorkhokhtani, Sorkhogtani, Siyurkuktiti, posthumous name Empress Xianyi Zhuangsheng, was a Keraite princess and daughter-in-law of Genghis Khan. Married to Tolui, Genghis' youngest son, Sorghaghtani Beki became one of the most powerful and competent people in the Mongol Empire. She made policy decisions at a pivotal moment that led to the transition of the Mongol Empire towards a more cosmopolitan and sophisticated style of administration. She raised her sons to be leaders and maneuvered the family politics so that all four of her sons, Möngke Khan, Hulagu Khan, Ariq Böke, and Kublai Khan, went on to inherit the legacy of their grandfather.
Oghul Qaimish was the principal wife of Güyük Khan and ruled as regent over the Mongol Empire after the death of her husband in 1248. She was a descendant of the Mergid tribe. However, H. H. Howorth believed that she was an Oirat, mistaking her for Oghul Tutmish, wife of Möngke.
Mandukhai Khatun, also known as Mandukhai Setsen Khatun was a Khatun (queen) of the Northern Yuan. With her second husband Batmunkh Dayan Khan, she helped reunite the warring Mongols.
The Secret History of the Mongol Queens: How the Daughters of Genghis Khan Rescued His Empire is a 2010 book by Jack Weatherford, about the impact and legacy of Genghis Khan's daughters and Mongol queens such as Mandukhai the Wise and Khutulun. The book references Mongolian, Central Asian, Persian, European and Chinese sources such as Altan Tobchi, Erdeni Tobchi, Erdenyin Tunamal Sudar, Tarikh-i-Rashidi, Tarikh-i Jahangushay-i Juvaini, and Ming shi in addition to various secondary sources in English, Mongolian, and German.
Korguz was a Uyghur governor of Khurasan during the reign of the Mongol ruler Ögedei Khan. He began his career teaching Mongol children and thereafter assumed governorship of Khorasan. Originally a Buddhist, he converted to Islam later in his life. Korguz defied the family of the recently deceased Chagatai Khan. For this reason, he was ordered to death by Töregene Khatun who directed that stones be stuffed into his mouth in public until Korguz fatally choked.
Checheikhen was a daughter of Genghis Khan and his first wife Börte.
Alakhai Bekhi was the daughter of Genghis Khan and his first wife Börte. She acted as Regent of the territories in China proper conquered by her father after he withdrew to the Mongolian Plateau in 1215.
Fatima was an influential figure in the Mongol Empire as a favourite of Töregene Khatun, the regent of the empire between 1241 and 1246.
Möge Khatun, was a princess of the Bakrin tribe and concubine of Genghis Khan. After the Khan’s death, Möge became a wife of Genghis' son, Ögedei Khan. She was briefly regent in 1241.
Boraqchin was the first and eldest wife of Ögedei Khan. They had no surviving children.
Ibaqa Beki was a Kerait princess and Mongol khatun active in the early 13th century. She was briefly married to Genghis Khan, the founder of the Mongol Empire, and then subsequently married to the general Jürchedei.
There were many wives and concubines of Genghis Khan, as was common for powerful Mongol men of the time. Wives and concubines were frequently acquired from conquered territory, and, in the case of Genghis Khan, sometimes whole empires, and the women enrolled as either his wives or concubines were often princesses or queens that were either taken captive or gifted to him.