Las mujeres mongolas en los siglos XII y XIII. : Un análisis sobre el rol de la madre y la esposa de Ghinggis Khan

Abstract

Although the history of the Mongol Empire has caught the attention of scholars since the beginning of 20th century, little research has been done on gender relationships among these nomads. The present article is focus on revising the role of women within the traditional medieval Mongol society. In order to do so, the paper is structured in two main areas of study. Firstly, it summarizes different general patterns of female role in the Mongol Empire. Interpretations on this matter have been obtained mostly from a variety of primary sources. On one hand, the writings of the Christian monks William of Rubruck and Juan Piano de Carpini are the most valuable western sources on the daily life of Medieval Mongols. On the other, the use of the major Persian and Chinese chroniclers is required to acquire a better understanding of the female role in Mongol society. The second part of the article focuses on the role of the mother (Hu’elun) and the wife (Börte) of Chinggis Khan. Throughout the analysis of the Mongolian source known as The Secret History of the Mongols, I have tried to underline the influential role played by these women during the early life of the great conqueror. Finally, this article has the aim of contributing to the slowly, but steady, emergence of research on Oriental Studies in Spanish Academia.