Sorghaghtani Beki

Mongolian princess

• Born: Late 1100’s
• Birthplace: Central Mongolia
• Died: February or March, 1252
• Place of death: Unknown

Sorghaghtani Beki orchestrated the election of her son Mongke to rule the Mongol Empire, leading to the dominance of the line of Tolui, her husband and the son of Genghis Khan, over the other family branches of Genghis Khan.

Early Life

Sorghaghtani Beki (sor-GAHG-tah-nee beh-kee) began her life as the niece of Toghrïl Khan, the ruler of the Kereit tribal confederation, which dominated much of central Mongolia in the twelfth century. Very little is known about her early life; however, she and her sisters, Ibaka (the eldest) and Bek-tutmish Fujin (the middle child), played an important role in later Mongolian politics as wives of leading figures within the Mongol Empire (1204-1260).

In the latter part of the twelfth century, as her uncle strove to dominate Mongolia, at first in alliance with Temüjin (later known as Genghis Khan) and then against him, warfare became a constant in the Mongolian steppes. In 1203, hostilities between Genghis Khan and Toghrïl increased to the point that they engaged in open conflict. Although Sorghaghtani’s uncle initially defeated the Mongols, Genghis Khan regrouped his forces and defeated the Kereit in a surprise attack.

With this defeat and after the death of Toghrïl in hiding, the Kereit were absorbed into the Mongols. Customarily, the daughters and relatives of the defeated rulers were given to loyal followers of the victor as wives, and Sorghaghtani and her sisters were no exception. Ibaka went to Jurchedei, one of Genghis Khan’s generals, and Bek-tutmish Fujin was given to Jochi, the eldest son of Genghis Khan. Tolui, Genghis Khan’s youngest son, received Sorghaghtani Beki as his wife in 1203. Most of what is known about this Kereit princess occurred after 1203.

Life’s Work

Sorghaghtani’s most important role in the Mongol Empire occurred later in her life. Her husband, Tolui, a great general in his own right, died in 1233. Although it has not been proven conclusively, some scholars believe that because Tolui did not succeed Genghis Khan after the latter’s death although he did serve as regent until his brother Ogatai ascended the throne, Sorghaghtani became embittered against the new khan. If this is true, after Tolui’s death she never openly displayed it.

After the death of her husband, she never remarried. This was somewhat unusual as often the widowed wives of nobility remarried a brother or other relative of the husband. Ogatai, the emperor, attempted to arrange a marriage between Sorghaghtani Beki and his son (and future emperor) Güyük . This marriage would have cemented a relationship between the families of Tolui and Ogatai and lessened the chance of conflict over the matter of succession to the throne. Indeed, had the marriage taken place, the disputes and civil wars that later marred the Mongol Empire may never have happened. Sorghaghtani Beki, however, declined the offer and chose to devote herself solely to the upbringing of her children. Considering the careers of her sons, it was a most fortuitous choice, as she became a great influence on their lives.

As a Nestorian Christian, Sorghaghtani Beki exposed her children to Christianity. Although none of her sons, Mangu, Hülegü, Kublai, and Arigböge, converted to Christianity, they demonstrated respect for it as well as for other religions. This was due to the influence of their mother. Sorghaghtani Beki, while a Nestorian Christian, also provided funds to Muslims to establish mosques and madrasas (religious schools). Furthermore, she also cultivated relationships among Daoist and Buddhist monks in China. In part, her actions among the Buddhists and Daoists were because she held large tracts of land in Hebei Province of China. Although it increased her support among her Chinese subjects, her display of favor to the Buddhists or Daoists was also because of a general belief in tolerance of all religions, a belief her sons would later display.

In addition, Sorghaghtani also encouraged the education of her children. Although her late husband, Tolui, had been a great warrior and an exceptional general, Sorghaghtani Beki realized the value of education in addition to martial prowess. Thus she procured the services of a Uighur Turk who educated her sons to read and write in Mongolian. Her actions were exceptional, as the Mongolian language had only recently adopted an alphabet after the defeat of the Naiman in 1204, on the orders of Genghis Khan.

Most of the sources, particularly the Persian ones, display Sorghaghtani Beki as a pillar of society. During the regency of Toregene, the wife of Ogatai, many of the sources recorded that she never veered from the yasa (thought to be the law code of Genghis Khan although no one has found conclusive evidence of its contents) and continually promoted the interests of the empire over the interests of individual princes and ministers. Of course, much of this depiction must be viewed with great scrutiny as the authors in question, Juvaini and Rashīd al-Dīn, served princes descended from her. In the case of Juvaini, he was an official in the administration of her son Hülagü, the first Il-Khan of Persia, and Rashīd al-Dīn served Ghazan, her great grandson.

These authors portrayed Toregene, Ogatai’s wife and the regent after his death, as a vile and corrupt woman who constantly was involved with misconduct. Their statements condemned her for carrying out her ambitions of personal vengeance and elevating her son Güyük to the throne. Ogatai had nominated another son, Shiremun, from a different wife as his successor. On the other hand, these authors portrayed Sorghaghtani as promoting the interests of the empire. She did later encourage her eldest son Mangu to pursue the throne after Güyük’s death. However, when it came to Güyük’s election in 1246, Sorghaghtani Beki, along with her sons, placed her considerable influence behind Güyük. Thus, Sorghaghtani was never portrayed as a schemer or a detriment to the Mongol court.

These sources must be read with caution as their bias in favor of Sorghaghtani is apparent. Nonetheless, when compared with the regent Toregene or the regent who presided after Güyük’s death in 1248, his wife, Oghul Qaimish, Sorghaghtani remains unblemished. A wide variety of sources describe both Toregene and Oghul Qaimish as vile and corrupt. Sorghaghtani, although she perhaps did not receive the attention she deserved, remained considerably less influenced by politics and greed than Toregene and Oghul Qaimish.

The court historians were not alone in their assessment of Sorghaghtani. Other chroniclers throughout the empire also marveled at her qualities. In addition, Western travelers such as Giovanni da Pian del Carpini, an emissary from Pope Innocent IV, remarked on her exceptional intelligence and noted that only Borte, the mother of Genghis Khan, held more respect among the Mongols than Sorghaghtani.

Her political acumen came to the fore during the period after Güyük’s death. Although she publicly supported Güyük’s election, Sorghaghtani carefully cultivated alliances with the other princes of the Mongol Empire. She alerted Batu Khan, the ruler of the Golden Horde (consisting of much of what is now western Russia and the Ukraine), when Güyük assembled an army to march against Batu in 1248. This matter stemmed from a rivalry between the two princes during the Mongol invasion of Europe in 1240. Batu abstained from the election of Güyük, excusing himself by claiming illness. Güyük, however, died en route, and potential civil war was averted.

With Güyük’s death, his wife, Oghul Qaimish, came to power. Despite numerous attempts to arrange a quriltai, or council, to elect a new khan, Oghul Qaimish stalled the process so that she could remain in power. The court historians remarked extensively on the corruption of power and of officials during her regency and noted the justness of Sorghaghtani Beki’s character.

As time passed, Sorghaghtani continued to work and built numerous political alliances with not only the Mongol princes but also ministers of state who increasing became dissatisfied with the precarious nature of Oghul Qaimish. Thus in 1251, a council was held in which the majority of Mongol princes and generals elected Mangu, Sorghaghtani’s eldest son, as the khan of the Mongol Empire.

Although Sorghaghtani died in the winter of 1252, not long after Mangu was elected, the ascendancy of her family drastically altered the balance of power in the empire. A purge quickly eliminated many of the line of Ogatai and Chagatai, two brothers of Sorghaghtani’s late husband Tolui. Thus with Mangu on the throne, his brother Hülagü received orders to finish the conquest of the Middle East, while Kublai and Mangu marched south to fight the Song Dynasty (Sung; 960-1279) in China.

Mangu died in 1259, which led to a conflict between Kublai and his brother Arigböge for the crown. Kublai ultimately won; however, the Mongol Empire essentially split apart. Nevertheless, Sorghaghtani’s sons, Kublai and Hülagü, established control and set up empires in East Asia and the Middle East, respectively, while other grandsons of Genghis Khan ruled over Central Asia and much of what is now Russia and the Ukraine.

Significance

Due to the relative equality among genders among the Mongols, Sorghaghtani’s contributions are noteworthy not because she was a woman but because she was an exceptional person in general. Unlike women in other societies at the time, the Mongol women had opportunities to influence the course of government, and they often did. Because of her involvement in politics, Sorghaghtani changed the ruling house of the Mongol Empire. Furthermore, her involvement in supporting various religious establishments despite being a Nestorian Christian herself ensured that religious tolerance was a cornerstone of the Mongol Empire. Her actions greatly influenced her sons, all of whom played significant roles in the course of the empire’s history. With her wide range of activities and influence, there is little wonder why so many chroniclers and travel accounts consistently remarked on the quality of her character and her exceptional intelligence.

Bibliography

Allsen, Thomas T. Mongol Imperialism. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1987. Considers the rise and rule of Mangu, the son of Sorghaghtani, and has a useful description of Sorghaghtani’s role.

Dawson, Christopher, ed. The Mongol Mission: Narratives and Letters of the Franciscan Missionaries in Mongolia and China in the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Centuries. Translated by a nun of Stanbrook Abbey. London: Sheed and Ward, 1955. A collection of travel accounts during the reign of Güyük and Mangu that have anecdotes pertaining to Sorghaghtani.

Grousset, René. The Empire of the Steppes: A History of Central Asia. Translated from the French by Naomi Walford. New Brunswick, N.J.: Rutgers University Press, 1970. A classic history of Central Asia with a lengthy section on the Mongols. Although somewhat outdated, it remains a useful introduction to the period in which Sorghaghtani lived.

Juvaini, ՙAla-ad-Din ՙAta-Malik. The History of the World-Conqueror. Edited and translated by John A. Boyle. 2 vols. Seattle: The University of Washington Press, 1997. As one of the most important sources on the Mongol Empire, Juvaini’s history relates several important events pertaining to Sorghaghtani.

Morgan, David. The Mongols. Oxford, England: Basil Blackwell, 1986. Perhaps the best introduction to the Mongol Empire. Morgan pays considerable attention to the role of the female nobility in the empire as well as the trend of religious tolerance.

Ratchnevsky, Paul. Genghis Khan: His Life and Legacy. Translated by Thomas Nivison Haining. Cambridge, England: Blackwell, 1992. Although a biography of Genghis Khan, there are a few notes pertaining to Sorghaghtani’s life before she married Tolui.

Rossabi, Morris. Khubilai Khan: His Life and Times. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1988. This is an excellent biography of Sorghaghtani’s son, Kublai. Rossabi also devotes a section to his mother’s life and her influence on him.