Qutui Khatun

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Qutui Khatun (Mongolian: Кутуй Хатун, Persian: قوتی or قوتوی) was a Mongol princess and one of th wives of Il-Khan Hulagu, founder of Ilkhanate, with whom she bored a child Tekuder who briefly served as Il-Khan from 1282 until 1284. She had an important role in state affairs during her son's reign, and was known as a protector of Christians.

Biography[edit]

Qutui Khatun was the daughter of Chigu of the Khongirad tribe and Tümelün bekhi (daughter of Genghis Khan).[1] She was a Nestorian Christian.[2] Hulagu Khan married her after the death of Güyük Khatun.[3] At the time when Hulagu departed for Iran, he had four wives. He brought two of them with him – Öljei Khatun and Doquz Khatun, while Qutui Khatun and Yesunjin stayed with his brother Möngke Khan, the ruler of the Mongol Empire.[4] Quti Khatun arrived in Iran around 1268, as a member of the second wave of Hulagu's relatives who remained in Mongolia after the Mongol invasion of Iran.[5] She was on the way to meet her husband, who died during her journey in 1265. She was informed about his death while in Badakhshan in present-day Tajikistan, by his son and successor Abaqa Khan.[6] Upon arrival, they were greeted by Abaqa Khan, Hulagu's son who succeeded him.[7] Since she outlived her husband, according to the Mongol custom, she was married to Abaqa Khan.[8] Qutui Khatun was an open supporter of Christianity. In 1279 she went to Margha to support Christians in restoring the ritual of water blessing during Epiphany, which had been stopped due to rivalry with the Muslims.[9]

After Abaqa died in 1282, two political factions clashed over the succession, with each faction being led by one of Hulagu's wives supporting their son's claim to the throne. One faction, that supported Möngke Temür was led by Öljei Khatun and the other, that supported Tekuder, was headed by Qutui Khatun. Other members of the royal family supported Tekuder. The decisive moment in the conflict was Megnu-Timur's death, which secured Tekuder's claim, and he was eventually enthroned on 6 May 1282.[5]

Tekuder was a Muslim,[5] deeply involved with Sufi sheikhs,[9] and upon being enthroned, he took the name Ahmed.[5] He proclaimed himself the protector of Islam. This action eroded the legitimacy of Sultan Al-Mansur Qalawun of the Mamluk Sultanate, with whom he unsuccessfully tried to make peace during the Mongol invasions of the Levant. However, Tekuder did not spend much time in state affairs.[5] The fiscal responsibilities of the state were taken care of by his mother Qutui Khatun and Asiq,[10] the amir of her orda.[11] She also received foreign diplomats and participated in creating foreign strategy towards the Mamluk Sultanate. Tekuder even waited to decide state affairs only after consulting with his mother who had a final say.[10] Qutui Khatun promoted a policy of rapprochement with the Muslims.[9]

However, Tekuder became unpopular among the Mongol elites,[12] the so-called "Old-Mongol" party of Nestorian Christians and Buddhists,[2] who now favoured his nephew Arghun, Abaqa's son.[12][13] They protested to Kublai Khan who threatened that he would intervene. Tekuder blamed the Nestorian Church of the East for the appeals to Kublai Kahn and threw its Patriarch Yahballaha III into prison, planning to execute him. His life was saved as the result of the intercession of Qutui Khatun.[13][14] Arghun gained crucial support from Qonqurtai who had originally supported Tekuder, and from the party that supported the late Mengu-Timur and his mother Öljei Khatun. Tekuder thus replaced Qonqurtai with Alinaq and ordered the arrest of both Qonqurtai and Arghun.[12] Arghun armies were defeated at Aq-Khoja near Qazvin on 4 May 1284 and he surrendered.[13] While Tekuder waited for his mother's decision on the matter, Arghun was held prisoner by Alinaq.[12] However, a palace revolution broke out after members of the military conspired against Tekuder,[13] and Arghun was released on 4 July.[12] Tekuder was deserted by his troops and killed on 10 August. Arghun was enthroned the next day.[13]

Qutui Khatun started organising support against the usurper, however, Qara'unas attacked and plundered their orda[15][clarification needed] under Arghun's command.[16]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Yildiz 2012, p. 32.
  2. ^ a b Grousset 1970, p. 371.
  3. ^ De Nicola 2017, pp. 155–156.
  4. ^ Smith 2006, p. 132.
  5. ^ a b c d e De Nicola 2017, p. 95.
  6. ^ De Nicola 2016, p. 91.
  7. ^ De Nicola 2017, p. 94.
  8. ^ De Nicola 2017, p. 156.
  9. ^ a b c De Nicola 2017, p. 193.
  10. ^ a b De Nicola 2017, p. 97.
  11. ^ De Nicola 2017, p. 130.
  12. ^ a b c d e De Nicola 2017, p. 98.
  13. ^ a b c d e Grousset 1970, p. 372.
  14. ^ De Nicola 2017, p. 215.
  15. ^ De Nicola 2017, p. 99.
  16. ^ De Nicola 2017, p. 179.

References[edit]

Books[edit]

  • De Nicola, Bruno (2016). "The Economic Role of Mongol Women: Continuity and Transformation from Mongolia to Iran". In De Nicola, Bruno; Melville, Charles (eds.). The Mongols' Middle East: Continuity and Transformation in Ilkhanid Iran. Leiden: Brill Publishers. ISBN 9789004314726.
  • De Nicola, Bruno (2017). Women in Mongol Iran: The Khatuns, 1206–1335. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. ISBN 9781474437356.
  • Grousset, René (1970). The Empire of the Steppes: A History of Central Asia. Rutgers: Rutgers University Press. ISBN 9780813513041.
  • Smith, John Masson (2006). "Hülegü moves west: high living and heartbreak on the road to Baghdad". In Komaroff, Linda (ed.). Beyond the Legacy of Genghis Khan. Leiden: Brill Publishers. ISBN 9789004243408.

Journals[edit]

  • Yildiz, Sara Nur (2012). "Post-Mongol Pastoral Policies in Eastern Anatolia during the Late Middle Ages". Publications de l'Institut Français d'Études Anatoliennes (25): 27–48.
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