Alakhai Bekhi

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Alakhai Bekhi , also known as Alagai Bäki (* around 1191 , † after 1230 ), was a daughter of Genghis Khan and his main wife Börte . She played an important role behind the scenes during her father's life.

Life

In 1206 the members of the Onguden tribe, who were allies of Genghis Khan, took part in his great Kurultai and brought gifts from their homelands. In recognition of their loyalty, Alakhai was married to a relative, presumably the son of the leader of the Onguden Alaqush. When she was around 16 years old, she moved to the area south of the Gobi Desert , where the Onguden lived a semi-nomadic life. This served Genghis as a strategic pillar in this area, where there were many settled kingdoms with large populations. Whenever the Mongols moved south, Alakhai provided them with horses and supplies from there.

In 1211 the Onguden rebelled against Alakhai and tried to kill them. She managed to escape, but her husband and supporters were killed. She brought two of her step-sons to the Mongol army. Genghis sent them back with part of his army and the rebellion was put down. Genghis initially planned to execute the majority of the male Onguden in retaliation, but Alakhai convinced him to only punish her husband's murderers. Alakhai then married her stepson Jingue, and the Onguden remained loyal to her and Genghis from then on. With Jingue she fathered a son named Negudei.

After her father withdrew to Mongolia in 1215, she was given control of the Chinese territories he had conquered. He gave her the title “Princess who leads the state.” She regularly sent troops to support her father on campaigns.

After Jingue's death in 1225, she married Boyaohe, one of her other step-sons. Their son Negudei died during a battle in the 1230s. She then supported the interests of Boyaohe's children by arranging weddings for them and wives of the Borjign clan.

Alakhai campaigned for literacy . According to a Chinese envoy, she read daily; especially medical and religious texts.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d e f Jack Weatherford. The Secret History of the Mongol Queens: How the Daughters of Genghis Khan Rescued His Empire . Random House LLC, (2010). ISBN 0307589366 . Pages XIII, 2, 57, 69, 72, 80, 70
  2. ↑ a b c George Qingzhi Zhao. Marriage as Political Strategy and Cultural Expression: Mongolian Royal Marriages from World Empire to Yuan Dynasty . Peter Lang, (2008) ISBN 1433102757 . Page 28.
  3. ↑ Women in Power 1200-1300 . , guide2womenleaders.com.
personal data
SURNAME Bekhi, Alakhai
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Baki, Alagai
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Daughter of Genghis Khan and his main wife Börte
DATE OF BIRTH around 1191
DATE OF DEATH after 1230