Doquz Khatun (also spelled Dokuz Khatun) (died 1265) was a princess of the

Keraites The Keraites (also ''Kerait, Kereit, Khereid'', Kazakh: керейт; Kyrgyz: керей; Mongolian: Хэрэйд; Nogai: Кереит; Uzbek: ''Kerait''; Chinese: 克烈) were one of the five dominant Turco-Mongol tribal confederations ...

who was married to

Hulagu Khan Hulegu Khan, also known as Hülegü or Hulagu; ; ; ; ( 8 February 1265), was a Mongol ruler who conquered much of Western Asia. As a son of Tolui and the Keraite princess Sorghaghtani Beki, he was a grandson of Genghis Khan and brother of ...

, founder of the

Ilkhanate The Ilkhanate or Il-khanate was a Mongol khanate founded in the southwestern territories of the Mongol Empire. It was ruled by the Il-Khans or Ilkhanids (), and known to the Mongols as ''Hülegü Ulus'' (). The Ilkhanid realm was officially known ...

and a grandson of

Genghis Khan Genghis Khan (born Temüjin; August 1227), also known as Chinggis Khan, was the founder and first khan (title), khan of the Mongol Empire. After spending most of his life uniting the Mongols, Mongol tribes, he launched Mongol invasions and ...

Life

Doquz Khatun was a granddaughter of the Keraite khan

Toghrul Toghrul ( ''Tooril han''; ), also known as Wang Khan or Ong Khan ( ''Wan han''; ; died 1203), was a Khan (title), khan of the Keraites. He was the blood brother (anda (Mongol), anda) of the Mongol chief Yesugei and served as an important early ...

, through his son Uyku or Abaqu. She was at first given to Genghis Khan and

Börte Börte Üjin (; Mongolian: ), better known as 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. S ...

's youngest son

Tolui Tolui (born ; died 1232) was the youngest son of Genghis Khan and Börte. A prominent general during the early Mongol conquests, Tolui was a leading candidate to succeed his father after his death in 1227 and ultimately served as regent of th ...

following the demise of her grandfather. After his death in 1232, she was wed to

Hulagu Hulegu Khan, also known as Hülegü or Hulagu; ; ; ; ( 8 February 1265), was a Mongol ruler who conquered much of Western Asia. As a son of Tolui and the Keraite princess Sorghaghtani Beki, he was a grandson of Genghis Khan and brother of Ar ...

, 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 siege of Baghdad took place in early 1258. A large army commanded by Hulegu Khan, Hulegu, a prince of the Mongol Empire, attacked Baghdad, the historic capital of the Abbasid Caliphate after a series of provocations from its ruler, caliph ...

, the

Mongols Mongols are an East Asian ethnic group native to Mongolia, China ( Inner Mongolia and other 11 autonomous territories), as well as the republics of Buryatia and Kalmykia in Russia. The Mongols are the principal member of the large family o ...

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

Church of the East The Church of the East ( ) or the East Syriac Church, also called the Church of Seleucia-Ctesiphon, the Persian Church, the Assyrian Church, the Babylonian Church, the Chaldean Church or the Nestorian Church, is one of three major branches o ...

, 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 Sorghaghtani Beki (; ) or Bekhi ('' Bek(h)i'' is a title), also written Sorkaktani, Sorkhokhtani, Sorkhogtani, Siyurkuktiti ( – 1 March 1252), posthumous name Empress Xianyi Zhuangsheng ( and Persian: سرقویتی بیگی, ''Sorghoiti'' '' ...

were daughters of the legendary

Prester John Prester John () was a mythical Christian patriarch, presbyter, and king. Stories popular in Europe in the 12th to the 17th centuries told of a Church of the East, Nestorian patriarch and king who was said to rule over a Christian state, Christian ...

. Doquz Khatun was a supporter of her step-son

Abaqa Abaqa Khan (27 February 1234 – 4 April 1282, , "paternal uncle", also transliterated Abaġa), was the second Mongol ruler ('' Ilkhan'') of the Ilkhanate. The son of Hulagu Khan and Lady Yesünčin and the grandson of Tolui, he reigned from 1265 ...

and retained her influential position even after the death of her husband. She secured succession of

Denha I Mar Denha I (also written Dinkha I) was Patriarch of the Church of the East (sometimes referred to as the Nestorian church) from 1265 to 1281. He was widely suspected of murdering Shem'on Bar Qaligh, bishop of Tus, and was remembered by later ...

to patriarchal throne of Church of the East in her capacity. She died on 16 June 1265, 4 months after her husband.

Stepanos Orbelian Stepanos Orbelian (, originally spelled ; – 1303) was a thirteenth-century Armenian historian and the metropolitan bishop of the province of Syunik. He is known for writing his well-researched ''History of the Province of Syunik''. Biogr ...

later claimed that she was poisoned by

Shams al-Din Juvayni Shams al-Din Juvayni (; also spelled Joveyni) was a Persian statesman and member of the Juvayni family. He was an influential figure in early Ilkhanate politics, serving as ''sahib-i divan'' (vizier and minister of finance) under four Mongol Ilkh ...

References

Works cited

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

Life

See also

References

Works cited