Before you get married, win. How the Mongolian warrior Hutulun chose her husband
Medieval Mongolian women were a match for their formidable husbands. While men are hiking or hunting, wives should be able to stand up for themselves, children and cattle. The Mongols were skilled horsewomen, deftly shot arrows and could lassoed the enemy directly from the saddle.
One of the brightest steppe warriors was the daughter of Khan Khaidu Khutulun, whom even the strongest Mongolian heroes could not overcome.
The ruler of Central Asia, Khan Haidu, as befits the grandson of Genghis Khan, was a tough ruler and a brave warrior. The Mongol spent most of his life in military campaigns, during which 14 of his sons fought shoulder to shoulder with him. However, the khan's favorite was his youngest daughter Hutulun, who was born around 1260. She possessed great physical strength, was a skilled horsewoman, shot a bow accurately and showed the talent of a military commander.
Each candidate for husbands, before entering into a duel, had to make a contribution in the form of 100 horses. Princes, famous warriors and descendants of khans tried to overcome the future wife, but the girl defeated all rivals. One of the self-confident suitors put a thousand horses on the line. Khan Haidu urged his daughter to give in, but Hutulun remained adamant. The generous bidder also ended up on the ground.
Sooner or later, any fortress will be taken. So it happened with the impregnable Hutulun. According to the records of the Persian scientist Rashid al-Din, the girl fell in love. Her chosen one was not a prince, but a simple warrior Abtakul, who served as a centurion in her father's army. In marriage, Hutulun gave birth to two children, but her temper did not become softer from this.
According to other news, Hutulun could not recover after the death of her beloved husband. The heartbroken girl retired from business and until the end of her days took care of the grave of her lover, who fell in one of the many battles. Hutulun is the last steppe warrior in history, with whom real stories about brave female horsemen turned into legends.
Keywords: Warrior | Woman | Mongolia | Middle ages | Genghis khan