Chabi (, ; , c. 1216 –1281) was a

Khongirad The Khongirad ( Mongolian: ᠬᠣᠩᠭᠢᠷᠠᠳ; Хонгирад; Khonghirad; ), also known as Qongirat (Qoŋğırat/Қоңғырат), was one of the major divisions of the Mongol tribes. Variations on the name include Onggirat, Ongirat, Q ...

empress consort of the

Yuan dynasty The Yuan dynasty (), officially the Great Yuan (; xng, , , literally "Great Yuan State"), was a Mongols, Mongol-led Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China and a successor state to the Mongol Empire after Division of the M ...

of Mongol, married to

Kublai Khan Kublai ; Mongolian script: ; (23 September 1215 – 18 February 1294), also known by his temple name as the Emperor Shizu of Yuan and his regnal name Setsen Khan, was the founder of the Yuan dynasty of China and the fifth khagan-emperor of the ...

(Emperor Shizu).

Life

She was born around 1216 in Anchen noyan of Khongirad. She married Kublai as his second wife and bore him four sons and six daughters later. She was an important political and diplomatic influence, especially in pleasing the Chinese masses through reconciliation with

Confucianism Confucianism, also known as Ruism or Ru classicism, is a system of thought and behavior originating in ancient China. Variously described as tradition, a philosophy, a religion, a humanistic or rationalistic religion, a way of governing, or ...

. She was compared to Börte through for her reputation. She was described as extremely beautiful and charming by Rashid al-Din. Möngke Khagan died in 1259 while Kublai was campaigning against the

Song Dynasty The Song dynasty (; ; 960–1279) was an imperial dynasty of China that began in 960 and lasted until 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song following his usurpation of the throne of the Later Zhou. The Song conquered the res ...

. She warned her husband of advancements of

Ariq Böke Ariq Böke (after 1219–1266), the components of his name also spelled Arigh, Arik and Bukha, Buka ( mn, Аригбөх, Arigböh, ; ), was the seventh and youngest son of Tolui and a grandson of Genghis Khan. After the death of his brother the ...

beforehand. After conquest of China, she suggested a better treatment of the north Chinese imperial family, namely Empress Quan in 1276. She also introduced new court fashion in form of hats. Chabi also promoted

Buddhism Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

in the high levels of government fiercely. She also named her child under influence of Buddhism. She mediated religious disputes between Kublai and Phagpa, and supported the latter both economically and politically. She was also patron of

Zangpo Pal Zangpo Pal (1261 - 1323), in full Danyi Chenpo Zangpo Pal (; ), was the ruler of Sakya, which held a precedence position in Tibet under the Yuan dynasty. He ruled nominally from 1298, in reality from 1306 to his death in 1323. Family and upbringin ...

. Here are some of the many accomplishments of the queen: "Mongol hats didn't have a brim before. The king's eyes sparkled when he shot a bow and arrow. When he told the queen about it, the queen immediately sewed a brim for his hat. The king was very happy and immediately started to wear the hat. This sable hat is the hat depicted in the portraits of many Mongolian kings of the Yuan Dynasty.Д.Идэр. Их Юань Улсын Хатад. УБ., 2016. т.25-26 The queen made another item of clothing. According to the ''Yuan shi'', the invention of bijiia is attributed to Empress Chabi during the

. Empress Chabi designed the bijia so that it would be a convenient form of attire while riding horses and shooting arrows. The front region of the bijia designed by Empress Chabi was made of 1-piece of fabric, and its back region was twice longer than the front region. It was collarless and sleeveless, and there were two loop straps which attached to it. It also had no lapels. The bijia was first worn by the Yuan dynasty emperor but it later became popular among commoners. She died in 1281, probably arranging her niece Nambui to marry Kublai afterwards. She was posthumously renamed Empress Zhaorui Shunsheng (昭睿順聖皇后) by her grandson

Temür Khan Öljeytü Khan ( Mongolian: Өлзийт; Mongolian script: '; ), born Temür ( mn, Төмөр ; ; October 15, 1265 – February 10, 1307), also known as Emperor Chengzong of Yuan () by his temple name ''Chengzong'', was the second emperor of the ...

Family

She had 4 sons and 6 daughters with Kublai khan: # Grand Princess of Zhao, Yuelie (赵国大長公主) — married to Ay Buqa, Prince of Zhao (趙王) # Grand Princess of Chan, Ulujin (吾魯真公主) — married to Buqa from Ikires clan # Princess-Aunt of the State of Chan, Chalun (昌国大长公主) – married to Teliqian from Ikires clan # Crown Prince Zhenjin (1240–1285) — Prince of Yan (燕王) #

Manggala Manggala (; , ) was a prince of the Mongol-led Chinese Yuan dynasty. He was a son of the Yuan founding emperor Kublai Khan. Biography Manggala was born around 1242 to Kublai Khan and his principal wife Chabi as their third son. He was created P ...

(c. 1242–1280) — Prince of Anxi (安西王) # Grand Princess of Lu, Öljei (鲁国长公主) — married to Ulujin Küregen from Khongirad clan, Prince of Lu # Nomugan (d. 1301) — Prince of Beiping (北平王) # Grand Princess of Lu, Nangiajin (鲁国大长公主) — married to Ulujin Küregen from Khongirad clan, Princess of Lu, then after Ulujin's death in 1278 to his brother Temür, and after Temür's death in 1290 to a third brother, Manzitai

In popular media

She was portrayed several times in TV series and movies: * '' Marco Polo'' (1982) by

Beulah Quo Beulah Quo (April 17, 1923 – October 23, 2002) was a Chinese-American actress and activist born in Stockton, California. The spelling of her last name changed from Kwoh to Quo because she was constantly asked if KWOH was a radio station. She s ...

* ''

Eternal Happiness ''Eternal Happiness'' (Traditional Chinese: 再生緣; literally ''Reincarnated Fate'') is a 2002 TVB television drama from Hong Kong based on a short story of the same name by Qing dynasty novelist Chen Duansheng. ''Eternal Happiness'' was pr ...

'' (2002) by

Law Lan Law Lan () MHAwarded in her original name Lo Yin-ying (born Lo Yin-ying (); 13 November 1934), is a veteran Hong Kong actress in both the film and TV industry. Career She first started out in the film industry in 1939, cast in antagonistic roles ...

* ''

The Legend of Kublai Khan ''The Legend of Kublai Khan'', also known as ''Legend of Yuan Empire Founder'', is a Chinese television series based on the life of Kublai Khan and the events leading to the establishment of the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty in China. The series started ...

'' (2013) by

Charmaine Sheh Charmaine Sheh Sze-man (; born 28 May 1975) is a Hong Kong actress. After winning second runner-up in the 1997 Miss Hong Kong pageant, Sheh signed a contract with TVB in 1998. She is best known for her roles in ''Return of the Cuckoo'' (2000 ...

* '' Marco Polo'' (2014) by

Joan Chen Joan Chen (born April 26, 1961) is a Chinese-American actress and film director. In China, she performed in the 1979 film and came to the attention of American audiences for her performance in the 1987 film '' The Last Emperor''. She is also ...

* ''Hojo Tokimune'' (2001) by Shurenhuar

Sources

* * Jack Weatherford (2011). The Secret History of the Mongol Queens: How the Daughters of Genghis Khan Rescued His Empire Paperback. Broadway Books. . *

References

{{Yuan empresses 1281 deaths Yuan dynasty empresses 1216 births 13th-century Mongolian people 13th-century Chinese women 13th-century Chinese people 13th-century Mongolian women 13th-century Buddhists Women of the Mongol Empire