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Sorghaghtani Beki

Sorghaghtani Beki (died 1252) was the mother of four of the great figures in Mongol history, Möngke Khan, Kublai Khan, Hulagu Khan, and Ariq Boke, by her marriage to Tolui, the youngest son of Genghis Khan. A Kerait and a Nestorian Christian, William of Rubruck claimed she was the niece of Prester John. She was the eldest daughter-in-law of Genghis Khan and known as a ruthless, brilliant politician who pushed her children and their interests into rule of the Mongol Empire. Both Muslim and Christian historians speak highly of her: “If I were to see among the race of women another woman like this, I should say that the race of women was far superior to that of men”;^{[citation needed]} “Among the Tartars this lady is... more powerful than anyone else except the khan of the Golden Horde”;^{[citation needed]} “She was extremely intelligent and able and towered above all the women in the world.”^{[citation needed]}

After her husband died, his older brother Ögedei tried to force her to marry his son. She refused, claiming she needed to raise her own children. She grew wealthy through the rent of her vast estates, and had about 13,000 soldiers under her command. When Khan, Ögedei frequently praised her for her loyalty and honesty. When Ögedei died in 1241, his son Guyuk became khan until he also died seven years later. A power struggle broke out when a new khan had to be elected. Together with Batu, leader of the golden horde, she used her diplomatic talents to get her son Möngke elected. Sorghaghtani died in 1252, but she was given the title of “empress” in 1310 in a ceremony that included a Nestorian mass.

• Davis-Kimball, Jeannine.(2002) Warrior Women, An Archealogist's Search for History's Hidden Heroines. Warner Books, Inc. Page 223-226. ISBN 0-446-52546-4