Who is she?

Empress Alexandra Fyodorovna last tzarina  of Russia

    

She was related to Genghis Khan, had eleven sons, and was known as a ruthless and brilliant politician who pushed her children into rule of the Mongol Empire. Among the Tartars, this lady was more powerful than anyone. She is portrayed in many sources as one of the great figures of the 13th century. European missionaries visiting the Mongols in the middle of the 13th Century remarked that she was the most renowned of the Mongols. Who is she?

çok geç wrote: She is Sorghaghtani Beki.   Just out of curiousity, why among the Tartars and not the Kazakh or Mongols? as she was a Kazakh herself?

Well done, Cok Qec! Sorghaghtani Beki was a Kerait (a Turkic origin tribe). Her uncle was Ong Khan, ruler over the Keraits.   She was the daughter-in-law of Genghis Khan a/k/a Chinggis Khan (married to his youngest son Tolui). She was a Nestorian Christian, although she patronized Buddhism and Taoism to gain approval of her Chinese subjects. She had eleven children, four of whom went on to become Great Khans. She was very savvy and politically influential in setting in place the accession of the future rulers of the Mongolian Empire. She got the powerful nobles to side with her and against the regent, Khanum Oghul, by pointing out that future khans should be the direct descendants of Chingiss Khan, therefore, making her eldest son, Mongke, the victor.   

There is much unanimity among historians and observers of the 13th century that she was praised by many. A European missionary named John of Plan Caprini (on a visit to Mongolia) wrote that “this woman [Beki] was highly honored among the Tartars, the only exception was the emperor’s mother…”. She was praised by a Hebrew physician named Bar Hebraeus (of the Middle East) as “a queen who trained her sons so well that all princes were amazed by her administrative skills.”   Rashid al-Din (Persian historian) wrote that she was “extremely talented and able and that she was elevated over all other women in the world.”

Had it not been for the political involvement and manipulation achieved by this woman, descendents of Tolui might not have been able to replace Ogodei’s line as the main Mongolian royal line in East Asia.


Source: http://www.womeninworldhistory.com/heroine8.html

AfrikaJamaika wrote: Mila wrote: I'll post another for the time-being. She may not look like much, but she was Queen of what is now one of the wealthiest and most powerful nations in her particular region of the world. Stop hatin on the sista.....

Elouise Cobell.

Edited by Goban - 21-Mar-2007 at 16:56

morticia wrote:      She was related to Genghis Khan, had eleven sons, and was known as a ruthless and brilliant politician who pushed her children into rule of the Mongol Empire. Among the Tartars, this lady was more powerful than anyone. She is portrayed in many sources as one of the great figures of the 13th century. European missionaries visiting the Mongols in the middle of the 13th Century remarked that she was the most renowned of the Mongols. Who is she?