Relationship between women and politics in the Golden Horde: Taytula Han Bike

Central Asia is a region of great importance in world history and Turkish history. Many Turkish tribes have lived in this region, and many Turkish states have been established. In the 13th century, under the leadership of Genghis Khan, the Mongol invasion took place, reaching from the Mongolian steppes to the Hungarian plains, from the Chinese plateau to the Arabian deserts. Following the Mongol invasion, the Great Mongol Empire (1206-1294) was established, and later, with the fragmentation of this empire, a series of states emerged that were Turkicized and retained their Mongol identity. Among these were the Golden Horde (1241), Chagatai Khanate (1227), Ilkhanate (1256), and Yuan Dynasty (1280). The Golden Horde, which initially had control over the Desht-i Kipchak region, gradually embraced Islam and Turkic culture. Its population consisted mainly of Kipchak people, and it engaged in struggles with and subjugated various nations such as the Russians, Hungarians, Bulgarians, and Kumyks. The capital of the Golden Horde, the city of Sarai, became one of the most significant centers of culture, art, and trade of its time. However, by the 14th century, the Golden Horde faced an unstoppable force in the form of Timur. On April 15, 1395, the Battle of the Terek River resulted in a defeat by Timur, leading to an invasion and the subsequent fragmentation of the Golden Horde. The Golden Horde state was divided into various khanates, including Kazan (1437), Crimea (1428), Astrakhan (1466-1554), Nogai (1502-1584), and Siberia. The Khanate of Crimea, after capturing the city of Sarai in 1502, completely erased the Golden Horde state from history. In Turkish culture, there are no comparisons made between men and women in terms of their roles in the family, society, nation, or the state. In Turkish states shaped by the nomadic culture, women were not passive in most parts of life. They have been recognized as individuals in the family and society. They have taken on various responsibilities and fulfilled them successfully. Women have been viewed as equal partners in the family, contributing to the upbringing of future generations, participating in economic activities, protecting their families, communities, and nations, and even assuming leadership roles in the state. The Golden Horde, although founded by Genghis Khan's eldest son Jochi and his descendants, eventually adopted a Turkish-Islamic identity due to its territory, known as the Desht-i Kipchak, having a strong Turkish-Islamic character. This region had a significant Turkish-Islamic presence. Local sources and official correspondence indicate that women in this region were identified within a Turkish-Islamic framework. Primary sources, as well as the accounts of some missionaries and travelers came to see the region region, provide opportunities to observe the lives of women in the Golden Horde. In this study, we focused on examples of women and their roles in politics, especially women who were involved in the governance, considering that women's roles in the states following the Golden Horde, such as the Mongols or the Ottoman Empire, have been heavily studied. The primary sources indicate that women were mentioned with the title "Hatun" alongside their names. While Mongol rulers often chose their queens from Mongol royal families, Crimean khans typically selected women from the influential Shirin tribe to become their queens. The rulers of the Golden Horde occasionally arranged marriages between their children and foreign rulers, although this practice was not very common. After the end of the khan's life, his wives usually joined family his brother, a practice known as leviratus. The khan's family had significant wealth and was allowed to act independently, enabling them to have an influential role in politics. In the Golden Horde state, the economic independence of women was relatively limited. Women were actively involved in diplomatic relations state. The female members of the ruling family often received religious education and learned to read the Quran. They occasionally went on pilgrimages to fulfill religious duties.