Queen Anu or Lady Anu ( ; also known as Ana Dara; died 1696) was a queen consort who led warriors into battle at the founding of the

Dzungar Khanate The Dzungar Khanate ( Mongolian: ), also known as the Zunghar Khanate or Junggar Khanate, was an Inner Asian khanate of Oirat Mongol origin. At its greatest extent, it covered an area from southern Siberia in the north to present-day Kyrgyz ...

in the late 17th century.

Biography

Anu was the granddaughter of Ochirtu Secen Khan of

Khoshut The Khoshut (Mongolian language, Mongolian: Хошууд,, qoşūd, ; literally "bannermen," from Middle Mongol language, Middle Mongolian ''qosighu'' "flag, banner") are one of the four major tribes of the Oirats, Oirat people. They established ...

(or his youngest daughter according to some written historical sources), who was the nephew and adopted son of

Güshi Khan Güshi Khan (1582 – 14 January 1655) was a Khoshut prince and founder of the Khoshut Khanate, who supplanted the Tumed descendants of Altan Khan as the main benefactor of the Dalai Lama and the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism. In 1637, Güsh ...

. She wed prince

Sengge Sengge (, ; died 1671) was a Choros- Oirat prince and the chosen successor of his father Erdeni Batur to rule over the Dzungar. Sengge ruled over a section of the Dzungar from 1653 until his murder in 1671 by his two older half-brothers Tset ...

, son of

Erdeni Batur Erdeni Batur (in modern Mongolian: Эрдэнэбаатар, Erdenebaatar; ; d. 1653) was a Choros- Oirat prince generally considered to be the founder of the Dzungar Khanate, centered in the Dzungaria region, currently in north-westernmost part ...

, regarded as the founder of the

. After Sengge's assassination by his half-brothers Tsetsen and Tsobda Batur in 1670, Anu married Sengge's successor, his brother Galdan Boshughtu Khan (1644-1697), who had spent ten years in

Tibet Tibet (; ''Böd''; ), or Greater Tibet, is a region in the western part of East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are other ethnic groups s ...

as a

Buddhist Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...

monk. With troops provided by Ochirtu, Galdan avenged his brother's death and assumed the Dzungar Khanate throne. Galdan relied on Anu for counsel throughout his reign as he expanded Dzungar Mongol rule from the west end of the

Great Wall of China The Great Wall of China (, literally "ten thousand ''li'' long wall") is a series of fortifications in China. They were built across the historical northern borders of ancient Chinese states and Imperial China as protection against vario ...

to present-day eastern

Kazakhstan Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a landlocked country primarily in Central Asia, with a European Kazakhstan, small portion in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the Kazakhstan–Russia border, north and west, China to th ...

, and from present-day northern

Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyzstan, officially the Kyrgyz Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Asia lying in the Tian Shan and Pamir Mountains, Pamir mountain ranges. Bishkek is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Kyrgyzstan, largest city. Kyrgyz ...

to southern

Siberia Siberia ( ; , ) is an extensive geographical region comprising all of North Asia, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. It has formed a part of the sovereign territory of Russia and its predecessor states ...

. Fearing the rise of a new Mongol empire, the

Qing dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing, was a Manchu-led Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China and an early modern empire in East Asia. The last imperial dynasty in Chinese history, the Qing dynasty was preceded by the ...

sent three armies west towards Mongolia in 1696. The Qing

Kangxi Emperor The Kangxi Emperor (4 May 165420 December 1722), also known by his temple name Emperor Shengzu of Qing, personal name Xuanye, was the third emperor of the Qing dynasty, and the second Qing emperor to rule over China proper. His reign of 61 ...

personally led the expeditionary forces. Galdan moved his army south from the

Khentii Mountains The Khentii Mountains () are a mountain range in the Töv and Khentii Provinces in northeastern Mongolia. History The mountains were called the Langjuxu Mountains (狼居胥山) in ancient China. In 119 BC, the Han dynasty army fought the ...

to meet the Qing army's western column at the

Battle of Jao Modo The Battle of Jao Modo (; ) also known as the Battle of Zuunmod (literally "Battle of the Hundred Trees"), was fought on June 12, 1696, on the banks of the upper Terelj river east of the modern-day Mongolian capital Ulaanbaatar. A Dzungar-Mon ...

in May 1696, but his troops were soon surrounded by the superior Qing forces. Anu led a counterattack which enabled her husband to escape from the enemy encirclement. Although Galdan managed to flee with a small remnant of his supporters, Anu was killed by enemy arquebus fire during her charge. She was buried in the foothills of

Khangai mountains The Khangai Mountains form a mountain range, range in central Mongolia, some west of Ulaanbaatar. Name Two provinces of Mongolia are named after the Khangai mountains: Arkhangai (North Khangai) and Ovorkhangai (South Khangai). The mild climat ...

in an area now referred to as "Khatant" (place of the queen) in present-day Khotont soum of

Arkhangai Province Arkhangai Province () is one of the 21 provinces of Mongolia. It is located slightly west of the country's center, on the northern slopes of the Khangai Mountains. It is composed of 19 districts. History The province was founded in 1931. Admi ...

Family

She had a son and two daughters from her marriage to Galdan Boshughtu: * Sebteng Baljur (色布騰巴爾珠爾) * Juncahai () * Boum ()

Cultural references

In 1975, the celebrated Mongolian author

Byambyn Rinchen Byambyn Rinchen (; 21 November 1905 – 4 March 1977), also known as Rinchen Bimbayev (), was a Mongolian scholar and writer. He was a researcher of Mongolia's language, literature, and history, and a recorder and preserver of the country's cult ...

(1905-1977) published his novel ''Ану хатан'' "Lady Anu" about the life and death of the eponymous 17th century Mongol

queen. The novel went on to become a classic of Mongolian literature and is required reading in Mongolian schools. In 2010, Mongolian novelist

Baatarsuren Shuudertsetseg Baatarsuren Togtokhbayar (; born January 18, 1971), known by her pen name Shuudertsetseg () is a Mongolian journalist, author, filmmaker, and humanitarian. She has received numerous Mongolian literary awards including ‘Featured Book’ awa ...

published ''Домогт Ану хатан'' (''The Legendary Queen Anu''). The importance of family, women's empowerment, and national identity were central themes of her treatment of Anu's life. It was named National Book of the Year for Mongolian Literature and was adapted for the stage and opened at the National Academic Drama Theatre in March 2011. Shuudertsetseg then adapted ''The Legendary Queen Anu'' as a full-length feature film in 2012. ''Queen Ahno - Spirit of a Warrior'', also titled ''Warrior Princess'', became the most expensive Mongolian film ever made and went on to become one of Mongolia's highest-grossing films.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Anu Oirats Women in war in East Asia Women in 17th-century warfare Dzungar Khanate 17th-century Mongol women 17th-century Mongols 1696 deaths

Biography

Family

Cultural references

Further reading

References