She was Genghis Khan’s wife—and made the Mongol Empire possible

Tents and animals. Horses and swords. The early days of the Mongol Empire were characterized by battle, conquest, and quick expansion, leading the people ruled by Genghis Khan to domination of the world’s largest contiguous empire.

But the great khan didn’t rule alone: His principal wife, Börte, was a critical player in the establishment of the Mongol Empire in the 13th century. Here’s how the first Mongol empress exerted her influence—and why she and other women are among the empire’s unsung heroes.

Who was Börte? 

Born around 1161 to the Olkhonoud tribe of what is now inner Mongolia, Börte was betrothed to the future emperor—known as Temüjin in his early years—as a child. Though details about her life are scant, historians know that she married Temüjin, who came from the Borjigin tribe, as a teenager. But their newlywed bliss was shortlived: soon after the marriage, Börte was abducted by a member of the Merkit tribe.

Bride kidnapping was common at the time, and rival tribes did so both to disrupt the lives of their enemies and to settle scores. By kidnapping Temüjin’s new wife, the Merkits were attempting to avenge a longstanding grievance: Temüjin’s mother, Hö’elün, had originally been married to a Merkit before she was abducted by Yesügei, Temüjin’s father.

Although such kidnappings usually resulted in the woman being forced to stay with her captor, Temüjin decided to pursue an unexpected course: Along with his close friend Jamukha, he managed a daring rescue of his new wife. This kicked off outright war between the Borjigins and the Merkits. The Borjigins eventually won, enslaving Merkits women and overtaking their territory, in 1200.

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Just a few years later, Temüjin formally adopted the name Genghis (also spelled Chinggis) Khan and became the emperor of a newly united group of tribes that would become known as the Mongols.

Women of influence 

Temüjin continued to conquer other tribes for decades, building the Mongols into a feared force that united warring tribes and overtook more and more territory. Meanwhile, Börte became his principal wife.

Over the years, the emperor would marry at least six women, amass hundreds of concubines, and have at least 13 children. But as his first and most favored wife, Börte was the most influential of them all, and her role as principal wife also entailed caring for her husband’s expanding empire.

Her importance would have been visible to all, says Anne Broadbridge, a professor of history at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and the author of Women and the Making of the Mongol Empire. Principal wives managed their own ordo, or household, and were waited on by massive staffs. From concubines and lesser wives to herds of animals, shepherds, servants, and security guards, women’s households could number in the hundreds.

Their households may have been mobile as the nomadic group moved from destination to destination, but they were anything but compact. Instead, these households reached a dizzying scale that attracted the attention of chroniclers and the conquered, who left behind historical records of the women’s wealth. During the rule of Genghis Khan’s grandson, Kublai, for example, the households of the emperor’s four wives may have each included up to 10,000 people, including servants and staff. Wives also traveled with thousands of animals and hundreds of wagons.

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Principal wives like Börte would have occupied the choicest spot in camp, says Broadbridge. “The spatial hierarchy reflects the social hierarchy.”

Like other principal wives, Börte oversaw the marriages of her five daughters, who were betrothed to the sons of local leaders in a bid to expand the political influence. She also raised four sons—heirs to the new empire’s riches and political power—and several adopted children.

A shrewd strategist

But Börte’s influence extended far beyond her children and her yurt. Her place in the Mongol hierarchy offered her coveted access to her husband, who sought out her advice on everything from politics to military strategy.

She put that trust to good use, even when it came to the emperor’s closest friends. One of them was Jamukha, her husband’s closest friend who had helped him save her after she was kidnapped and who eventually became khan of the Jadaran. When Börte saw signs that the friends’ alliance was crumbling, she advised her husband to break off the friendship, and in 1204 Temüjin defeated Jamukha in battle and had him executed.

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Another political intervention had to do with Teb Tenggeri, a shaman who was one of the khan’s close companions. Teb had predicted Temüjin’s rise to power, and thus seemed entitled to a role in the khan’s court. When he publicly insulted Temüjin’s brother, though, Börte drew the line and insisted that her husband severely punish the shaman.

“In this case,” writes historian Donna Hamil, the leader “followed Börte’s advice, restored order among the people, and reinforced his authority.”

Unsung heroines 

Though archaeological evidence of the Mongol Empire’s enterprising women is scant, says Broadbridge, historical accounts point to the importance of Mongol wives. While men engaged in battle and scouted out new places to conquer, women managed most aspects of daily life both in the battle camps that supported warriors in the field and in more permanent encampments that expanded along with the empire.

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Part ambassador, part adviser, part administrator, Börte established the role of a Mongol empress. She even managed to rise above rumors that her firstborn son, Jochi, was the biological son of her Merkit captor and not Genghis Khan. And though most of her life still lays in shadow, she’s an example of the important role women played in the empire’s establishment and daily life.

Genghis Khan may have had a wife he could trust, says Broadbridge—but he and the rest of the Mongols also needed her, along with the other women in their rapidly expanding sphere. “Without the women in the Mongol Empire, there wouldn’t have been an empire.”