Börte
| Borte | |
|---|---|
| Khatun of the Mongol Empire and Khamag Mongol | |
| Reign | 1189–1230 |
| Successor | Moqe |
| Born | 1161 |
| Died | 1230 (aged 68–69) Avarga, Mongolia |
| Spouse | Genghis Khan |
| Issue |
Jochi Chagatai Ögedei Tolui Khochen Bekhi Alakhai Bekhi Tümelün Alaltun Checheikhen |
| House | Onggirat |
| Father | Dei Seichen |
| Mother | Tacchotan |
Börte (simply Borte, also Börte Üjin; Cyrillic: Бөртэ үжин; c. 1161–1230) 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. Little is known about the details of her early life, but she was betrothed to him at a young age, married at 17, and then kidnapped by a rival tribe. The decision by her husband to rescue her may have been one of the key decisions that started him on his path to conquer the world. She gave birth to four sons and five daughters, who, along with their own descendants, were the key bloodline which further expanded the Mongol Empire.
Few historical facts are known about her life, but Mongolians have many legends about her. What little is known is generally from The Secret History of the Mongols.
Börte was born around 1161 into the Olkhunut of Onggirat. This tribe was friendly to the Khiyad tribe, into which Temüjin was born. She was the daughter of Dei-Sechen and Chotan. She was described as having a "fair complexion" with "light in her face and fire in her eyes," meaning that she was intelligent.
The marriage was arranged by her father and Yesükhei, Genghis' father, when she was 10 and he was 9 years old. Temüjin then stayed with her family until he was called back to help his mother and younger siblings, due to the poisoning of Yesükhei by an enemy. In 1178, Temüjin traveled to find Börte. With the permission of Dei-Sechen, he took Börte and her mother to live in his family's Yurt, which was camped along the Senggür river. Börte's dowry was a fine black sable jacket.
Soon after she married Temüjin, the Three Mergids attacked the family camp at dawn. Temüjin and the men escaped on horses, but left the women behind because they did not have enough horses for all of the family members to get away. Börte was taken captive by the Merkits. The raid was in retaliation for the abduction of Hoelun, Temüjin's mother, by his father Yesügei many years earlier. Several months later, Temüjin, with his allies Wang Khan and Jamukha, rescued her from her captors. Some scholars describe this event as one of the key crossroads in his life, which moved him along the path towards becoming a conqueror.
...
Wikipedia