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Mandukhai Khatun ( mn, Мандухай хатан, ᠮᠠᠨᠳᠤᠬᠠᠢ ᠰᠡᠴᠡᠨ ᠬᠠᠲᠤᠨ), also known as Mandukhai Setsen Khatun ( mn, Мандухай сэцэн хатан, en, Queen Mandukhai the Wise, ) (c. 1449 – 1510) was a
Khatun Khatun ( Mongolian: хатан; otk, 𐰴𐰍𐰣, katun; ota, خاتون, hatun or قادین ''kadın''; fa, خاتون ''khātūn''; ; hi, ख़ातून ') is a female title of nobility and counterpart to "khan" or " Khagan" promine ...
(queen) of the
Northern Yuan The Northern Yuan () was a dynastic regime ruled by the Mongol Borjigin clan based in the Mongolian Plateau. It existed as a rump state after the collapse of the Yuan dynasty in 1368 and lasted until its conquest by the Jurchen-led Later Jin ...
. With her second husband Batmunkh Dayan Khan, she helped reunite the warring
Mongols The Mongols ( mn, Монголчууд, , , ; ; russian: Монголы) are an East Asian ethnic group native to Mongolia, Inner Mongolia in China and the Buryatia Republic of the Russian Federation. The Mongols are the principal member ...
.


Early life

Mandukhai was the only daughter of Chororsbai-Tumur, ''chingsang'' (grand councillor) of the
Ongud The Ongud (also spelled Ongut or Öngüt; Mongolian: Онгуд, Онход; Chinese: 汪古, ''Wanggu''; from Old Turkic ''öng'' "desolate, uninhabited; desert" plus ''güt'' "class marker") were a Turkic tribe that later became Mongolized ac ...
Mongols in eastern Mongolia. Her family were aristocrats. In 1464 at the age of sixteen, Mandukhai was married to
Manduul Khan Manduul (also spelled Manduuluu, Manduyul or Manduyulun; mn, Мандуул; ), (1438–1478) was a khagan of the Northern Yuan dynasty, reigning from 1475 to 1478. He was the younger half-brother of Taisun Khan. Early life After the death of ...
, who ruled the Northern Yuan from 1473 to 1479. Mandukhai began to take precedence over Yungen Qabar-tu, the khan's childless first wife. Most sources report that Manduul Khan had no children, although two names are sometimes mentioned as daughters of Mandukhai. Based on their ages, it is possible they were in fact relatives of Manduul Khan, rather than daughters, and may have been cared for by Mandukhai. In approximately 1478 or 1479, Manduul Khan died under uncertain circumstances. He had no clear heir, leaving several Mongol princes struggling to become the Khan. His senior wife, Yeke Qabar-tu, disappeared, her fate unknown. Mandukhai brought from hiding and adopted the seven-year-old orphan Batumunkh, son of the late Bayan Mongkhe ''Jonon'', a direct descendant of
Genghis Khan Genghis Khan (born Temüjin; ; xng, Temüjin, script=Latn; ., name=Temujin – August 25, 1227) was the founder and first Great Khan (Emperor) of the Mongol Empire, which became the List of largest empires, largest contiguous empire in history a ...
and part of the
Altan Urug A Borjigin, ; ; russian: Борджигин, Bordžigin; English plural: Borjigins or Borjigid (from Middle Mongolian);''Histoire des campagnes de Gengis Khan'', p. 119. Manchu language, Manchu plural: is a member of the Mongols, Mongol sub-c ...
, who had also been killed by Esmel (Ismail). As Batumunkh was the last living descendant of Genghis Khan, Mandukhai had him proclaimed
Dayan Khan Dayan Khan ( mn, Даян Хаан; Mongol script: ; ), born Batumöngke ( mn, Батмөнх; ), (1472–1517) was a khagan of the Northern Yuan dynasty, reigning from 1479 to 1517. During his rule, he reunited the Mongols under Chinggisid sup ...
, and she rejected the marriage offer by Unubold, a powerful noble. However, Unubold, himself a descendant of
Hasar Qasar (also spelled Hasar or Khasar, and also known as Jo'chi Qasar; Mongolian: Жочи Хасар) was one of Genghis Khan's three full brothers. According to the ''Jami' al-Tawarikh'', his given name was Jo'chi and he got the nickname Khasar ...
, younger brother of Genghis Khan, remained loyal to Mandukhai and the child Khan.


Khatun of Northern Yuan

With command over the Mongols, Mandukhai made war with the
Oirats Oirats ( mn, Ойрад, ''Oirad'', or , Oird; xal-RU, Өөрд; zh, 瓦剌; in the past, also Eleuths) are the westernmost group of the Mongols whose ancestral home is in the Altai region of Siberia, Xinjiang and western Mongolia. Histor ...
and defeated them. Her stunning victory over the Oirats brought back great reputation of the Borjigins and united Mongolia for the first time in more than one hundred years. According to the ''Yellow Chronicle of the Oirat'', a history of the Oirats, Mandukhai imposed the following symbolic laws upon the Oirats in order to mark her dominance over them: * Oirats could not wear helmets with crests more than two fingers long. * They could not refer to their ''ger'', or
yurt A yurt (from the Turkic languages) or ger ( Mongolian) is a portable, round tent covered and insulated with skins or felt and traditionally used as a dwelling by several distinct nomadic groups in the steppes and mountains of Central Asia ...
, as an ''ordon'', meaning
palace A palace is a grand residence, especially a royal residence, or the home of a head of state or some other high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word is derived from the Latin name palātium, for Palatine Hill in Rome which ...
* They had to kneel in the presence of a khan The ''Yellow Chronicle'' also reports that the Oirats were prohibited to eat meat with knives after Mandukhai's conquest. Anthropologist Jack Weatherford considered such a prohibition unlikely to have been an actual law. He suggested that after the conquest, Mandukhai may have temporarily confiscated the weapons of the Oirats, including their knives. They would have had to tear at their meat with their teeth until they were permitted to carry weapons and knives again. When Batumunkh turned nineteen, she married him and retained her control over the Mongols. The Oirats again rebelled and raided the Eastern Mongols. Mandukhai lead the great army against them. She defeated several
Ming dynasty The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last ort ...
attacks and protected the Northern Yuan, she wore the helmets and the sword and fought with the Ming soldiers. She was pregnant, but still fought and delivered twin boys during a long battle. The Western Mongols were subdued once again. From 1480, Dayan Khan and Mandukhai increased the pressure on the Ming territory because they closed the border trade and killed a Northern Yuan envoy. To contain her, the Ming rapidly expanded the
Great Wall The Great Wall of China (, literally "ten thousand Li (unit), ''li'' wall") is a series of fortifications that were built across the historical northern borders of ancient Chinese states and Imperial China as protection against Eurasian noma ...
. She reoccupied Ordos area and stationed soldiers there to keep watch on the Ming. She reenthroned Dayan Khan at the Eight White Yurts in Ordos but they had to flee a Ming attack. Mandukhai with Dayan Khan went to the
Kherlen River Kherlen River (also known as Kern or Kerülen; ; ) is a 1,254 km river in Mongolia and China. Course The river originates in the south slopes of the Khentii mountains, near the Burkhan Khaldun mountain in the Khan Khentii Strictly Prote ...
in 1501 though her husband continued raids on the Ming dynasty. Mandukhai died by 1510. According to the most credible sources, Mandukhai died of natural causes, although there are legends that say she was killed by a Ming double agent or by one of her husband's concubines. The film ''Queen Mandukhai the Wise'' suggests that she was killed by the Mongol general Esmel (Ismail) who was a Ming spy. Esmel betrayed the Mongols and co-operated with the Ming army in order to attack and take over the Mongols. However, none of these stories consists of credible sources. As with Genghis Khan and other Great Khans, it seems that her grave was never found.


Family

Mandukhai married Manduul Khan and Dayan Khan. #
Manduul Khan Manduul (also spelled Manduuluu, Manduyul or Manduyulun; mn, Мандуул; ), (1438–1478) was a khagan of the Northern Yuan dynasty, reigning from 1475 to 1478. He was the younger half-brother of Taisun Khan. Early life After the death of ...
##Unknown Daughter ##Unknown Daughter #
Dayan Khan Dayan Khan ( mn, Даян Хаан; Mongol script: ; ), born Batumöngke ( mn, Батмөнх; ), (1472–1517) was a khagan of the Northern Yuan dynasty, reigning from 1479 to 1517. During his rule, he reunited the Mongols under Chinggisid sup ...
##Ulusbold ##Turbolad ##
Barsubolad Bars Bolud ( mn, Барсболд; ), (1490–1531) was a khagan of the Northern Yuan dynasty, reigning from 1517 to 1519. He later became jinong from 1519 to 1531. His name, Bars Bolud, means "Steel Tiger". Reign Barsbolad Jinong was the t ...
##Arusbolad ##Alchubolad ##Ochirbolad ##Albolad ##Töröltu


Legacy

Mandukhai managed to keep Dayan Khan in power as a descendant of Genghis Khan, and she defeated the Oirats. Both feats have contributed to the legends which formed about her life. She left seven sons and three daughters. All the later khans and nobles of the
Mongols The Mongols ( mn, Монголчууд, , , ; ; russian: Монголы) are an East Asian ethnic group native to Mongolia, Inner Mongolia in China and the Buryatia Republic of the Russian Federation. The Mongols are the principal member ...
are her descendants, including Altan Khan and Ligden Khan. ''Queen Mandukhai the Wise'' ( mn, Мандухай сэцэн хатан, 1987) is a Mongolian film based on a novel of the same title by Shagdarjavyn Natsagdorj (1981); both recount her life. The music of the film was created by Jantsannorov Natsag who is one of the most famous Mongolian composers and musicologists. Mandukhai's life is also fictionalized in the historical fiction ''Fractured Empire Saga'', by Starr Z. Davies, published 2021-2022,Fractured Empire Saga, by Starr Z. Davies, published 2021-2022 a four-book series: ''Daughter of the Yellow Dragon'', ''Lords of the Black Banner'', ''Mother of the Blue Wolf'', ''Empress of the Jade Realm''. Mandukhai is also the primary protagonist of the historical novel ''Mandukhai'', written by German Author Tanja Kinkel in 2014. The novel tells her life, and how she became the Khatun of her people.


Citations


References

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Mandukhai Khatun 15th-century women rulers 16th-century women rulers Women in 16th-century warfare Women of the Mongol Empire Mongol khans Women in 15th-century warfare Women in war in East Asia 1510 deaths 1449 births 15th-century Mongolian women 16th-century Mongolian women