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Kick-Ass Women from History #9: Khutulun

Today's Kick-Ass woman from history comes to us from 13th century Mongolia. She was a literal warrior princess centuries before Xena graced the screens of '90s television with her sapphic-coded shenanigans. And she is the worst nightmare of any manosphere magnate or insignificant incel anywhere. See, her very existence puts the lie to manosphere mythology in ways that are just humiliating.

But enough preamble. Let's get to the good stuff!

Background

You might think strong women are a modern invention, but that's because you've never met Khutulun. She was born around 1260, the great-granddaughter of the Great Khan himself, a princess of the Mongol Empire, and—by every contemporary account both inside and outside Mongolia—one of the most formidable warriors (note: not women warriors!) of her era. While European noblewomen were embroidering tapestries and managing the household staff, Khutulun was riding down seasoned cavalrymen with a bow in one hand and a noose in the other.

Her father, Kaidu, was himself a powerful Mongol ruler and warrior, constantly warring with Kublai Khan's Yuan dynasty. And he didn't just tolerate his daughter's martial prowess ... he relied on it. She rode into battle alongside him, commanded her own troops, and was described by the Persian historian Rashid al-Din as a "heroic warrior" who could "hold her own against any soldier in the empire". Marco Polo too wrote about her in admiration: "She was so strong and so brave that she surpassed all the women of her time, and indeed nearly nearly all the men." He also went on to claim that she would "seize a man from the enemy as deftly as a hawk seizes a bird".

As her father's favourite child, Khutulun was also Kaidu's most trusted counsellor, he relying on her sound judgement in planning and executing battle. In a world where daughters were typically married off for political alliances, Khutulun carved out a role of power and influence. And bloodshed. Let's not forget about the bloodshed.

Wrestling for Marriage or Horses

While she was great in battle, and influential in politics, this is not actually what she is most famous for. What made her truly immortal was wrestling.

Now when I talk of wrestling you're probably picturing Græco-Roman wrestling, WWF, or some other sport like that. Mongolian wrestling was not a sport, however. It was deadly serious. Wrestling was a test of manhood, strength, and martial skill. Men wrestled to prove their worth. Women generally did not.

Khutulun didn't care. (This likely comes as no surprise at this stage of the tale.)

She made public declarations: she would marry only a man who could defeat her in wrestling. Every suitor—and there were many drawn by her powerful family, her status, and her beauty (Marco Polo, again, called her "beautiful" and "well-proportioned")—had to face her. If they won, they got her hand. If they lost, they had to give up a hundred fine horses.

In Mongol society a single horse was a life-changing asset. A hundred was the total wealth of a minor chieftan. As an anti-dowry a hundred is a staggering sum.

And she never lost. Suitor after suitor tested his mettle against her and walked away humiliated (and significantly poorer). Polo records that she wound up with a herd of 10,000 horses. That's an army's worth and a fortune that dwarfed the wealth of minor princes.

One colourful story has it that, at one point, a very handome, very colourful, very confident prince challenged her holding up a thousand horses as the wager. Everybody in the war band, including Kaidu, saw how important this potential alliance was for them and hoped that she would lose.

She didn't.

Kaidu was reportedly exasperated.

Succession Crisis

Khutulun's interesting take on marriage became a genuine political problem. Kaidu needed alliances and daughters were currency in these. But he also genuinely loved and respected his daughter, indulging her autonomy more than any other Mongol lord of the era likely would have.

This love and respect went so far that while he was dying in 1301, he actually considered naming Khutulun as his successor. This was unprecedented—a woman ruling a Mongol khanate—but her martial reputation, her political acumen, and his trust led to him seriously considering it. His hand was forced, however, by her brothers, and the traditionalist nobility of the khanate who all refused to accept a female ruler. (Hello, Patriarchy!) In the end Kaidu was forced to name one of his sons, Orus, as his heir.

Showing her ever-present wisdom, Khutulun accepted the decision without rebellion, demonstrating the same pragmatism that had kept her alive and powerful for so long. She remained a key figure in Mongol politics and warfare until her own death (in battle, of course!) in 1306.

Myth and Mundanity

While we do have primary and secondary sources documenting much of Khutulun's life, and thus know, from Rashid al-Din and Marco Polo, that she is a real historical figure, there are ... issues with some of the tales. Here's what we know to be true:

• She was a real historical figure born around 1260.
• She fought in her father's army.
• She was her father's favourite child and a trusted advisor.
• She was a famed wrestler who demanded horses from suitors who lost to her.
• She died around 1306.

Some parts of the story, however, may be a bit embellished, especially by Polo who was equal parts chronicler and fabulist:

• the 10,000-horse figure;
• the 1000-horse wager;
• the detail that she never married.

That last item is refuted by some sources that suggest she eventually did marry and had children, though if true the specifics are all long lost to history.

Still, even if only the verified facts are taken into account, these are still extraordinary. A Mongol princess of the 13th century defying marriage, competing in a male-only sport (and winning!), and accumulating extreme wealth on her own terms is remarkable by any standard.

Legacy

Khutulun is celebrated in Mongolia as a national here, a symbol of the fierce independence of Mongolian women. While for a while her story faded from western memory, she was never forgotten in Mongolian culture. Even in western culture, with its long tradition of women's erasure from history, didn't erase her so much as let her memory fade. It was the rediscovery of Marco Polo's account that led to a reexamination of her story in the west and she's beginning to experience a revival in western popular culture in video games (like Civilization VI), in literature (Conn Iggulden's historical fiction features her), and even in film and television. She is also very likely the prototype of the Turandot character.

Final Words

Khutulun is not a cautionary tale. She is not a tragedy. She is not a woman who raged against patriarchy and was put in her place with extreme force. She lived her whole life on her own terms, defeated scores of men at their own games, and died on her own terms as well: in battle. This badass warrior princess truly is a Kick-Ass Woman from History.