Born: c. 1260
Died: c. 1306
Biography:
Khutulun (c.1260 c.1306), also known as Aigiarne, Aiyurug, Khotol Tsagaan or Ay Yaruq (lit. Moonlight), was a Mongol-Turkic noblewoman and the most famous daughter of Kaidu, a cousin of Kublai Khan. Born around 1260, Khutulun lived during a tumultuous period in Central Asia’s history, marked by Mongol conquests and shifting political alliances. Her life and accomplishments have been chronicled by several historians, including Marco Polo and Rashid al-Din Hamadani.
Khutulun was born into a powerful family, as her father Kaidu became the most influential ruler in Central Asia by 1280. His kingdom spanned from western Mongolia to the Oxus River, and from the Central Siberian Plateau to India. Khutulun was known for her exceptional athleticism, particularly in wrestling. She insisted that any man who wished to marry her must defeat her in wrestling, a tradition that earned her a reputation as a formidable warrior.
According to Marco Polo, Khutulun gained considerable wealth and prestige through her wrestling victories. She would win horses from competitions and the wagers of potential suitors. Polo claimed that she amassed a herd numbering ten thousand horses. However, it is worth noting that Marco Polo was known for exaggerating or fabricating details of his journeys, and his account of Khutulun may have been embellished.
Khutulun’s husband remains a point of debate among historians. Some chronicles suggest that her husband was a handsome man who attempted to assassinate her father and was subsequently taken captive. Others refer to him as Kaidu’s companion from the Choros clan. Rashid al-Din wrote that Khutulun fell in love with Ghazan, the Mongol ruler in Persia. Regardless of her marital status, Khutulun was her father’s favorite child, and he valued her advice and political support.
Upon her father’s death in 1301, Khutulun faced challenges from her brothers and relatives who sought to succeed Kaidu. She resisted their claims and guarded her father’s tomb with the assistance of her brother Orus. Khutulun’s determination and leadership abilities inspired loyalty among the Mongol people. Some accounts suggest that she was even considered as a successor to the khanate, but her male relatives ultimately declined the proposition.
Khutulun’s life came to an end in 1306. Her legacy as a powerful and skilled warrior remained in Mongol culture. However, in Western adaptations, she became the inspiration for the character Turandot, a proud woman who eventually succumbs to love. François Pétis de la Croix’s 1710 book of Asian tales and fables features Khutulun, renamed as Turandot, who tests suitors with three riddles. Carlo Gozzi later wrote his own version of the story, perpetuating Khutulun’s image as a strong-willed and enigmatic figure.
Khutulun’s story serves as a testament to her determination, strength, and influence as a noblewoman in a patriarchal society. Her prowess in wrestling and her refusal to conform to traditional gender roles challenged societal norms and made her an icon of women’s empowerment in Mongol culture.