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.

When Hutulun turned 20, her father began to insist on her marriage. By the standards of that time, the girl was already an old maid, but because of the nobility and wealth of the bride, there was no end of grooms. The daughter agreed to the persuasions of her beloved father, but set a condition that she would become the wife of only the man who would overcome her.

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.

It is not known exactly how many candidates volunteered, but according to Marco Polo and other medieval writers, there were more than 10 thousand horses in the Hutulun wedding herd.

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.

She led her father's hordes on hikes, and after his death in 1301, she became one of the contenders for the khanate, but one of her brothers advised her not to rule the state, but with scissors and needles. A war has begun between the numerous sons of Khan Haidu, in the "fog" of which the fate of a female warrior is lost. According to one source, she kindled the fire of civil strife everywhere and was killed by one of her brothers in 1306.

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.