Doquz Khatun (also spelled Dokuz Khatun) (d. 1265) was a 13th-century princess of the

Keraites The Keraites (also ''Kerait, Kereit, Khereid''; ; ) were one of the five dominant Mongol or Turkic tribal confederations (khanates) in the Altai-Sayan region during the 12th century. They had converted to the Church of the East (Nestorianism) i ...

who was married to Hulagu Khan, founder of the

Ilkhanate The Ilkhanate, also spelled Il-khanate ( fa, ایل خانان, ''Ilxānān''), known to the Mongols as ''Hülegü Ulus'' (, ''Qulug-un Ulus''), was a khanate established from the southwestern sector of the Mongol Empire. The Ilkhanid realm, ...

Life

Doquz Khatun was a granddaughter of the Keraite khan Toghrul, through his son Uyku or Abaqu. She was given to Tolui at first following the demise of her grandfather. After his death in 1232, she was wed to Hulagu, his step-son in

levirate marriage Levirate marriage is a type of marriage in which the brother of a deceased man is obliged to marry his brother's widow. Levirate marriage has been practiced by societies with a strong clan structure in which exogamous marriage (i.e. marriage o ...

. She was known to accompany Hulagu on campaigns. At the Siege of Baghdad (1258), 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 ...

massacred tens of thousands of inhabitants, but through the influence of Doquz, the Christians were spared. Doquz Khatun was a Christian in the

Church of the East The Church of the East ( syc, ܥܕܬܐ ܕܡܕܢܚܐ, ''ʿĒḏtā d-Maḏenḥā'') or the East Syriac Church, also called the Church of Seleucia-Ctesiphon, the Persian Church, the Assyrian Church, the Babylonian Church or the Nestorian C ...

, and is often mentioned as a great benefactor of the Christian faith. When Mongol envoys were sent to Europe, they also tried to use Doquz's Christianity to their advantage, by claiming that Mongol princesses such as Doquz and her aunt Sorghaghtani Beki were daughters of the legendary Prester John. Doquz Khatun was a supporter of her step-son Abaqa and retained her influential position even after the death of her husband. She secured succession of Denha I to patriarchal throne of Church of the East in her capacity. She died on 16 June 1265, 4 months after her husband. Stepanos Orbelian later claimed that she was poisoned by Shams al-Din Juvayni. Hulagu and Doquz-Qatun in Syriac Bible

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* * 13th-century Mongolian women Nestorians Women of the Mongol Empire Mongol Empire Christians 1265 deaths Year of birth unknown Women in 13th-century warfare Women in war in the Middle East Women in war in East Asia Kerait people {{Asia-royal-stub

Life

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References

Works cited