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Börte
Börte Üjin (/ˈbɜːrti ˈuːdʒɪn/; Mongolian: ᠪᠥᠷᠲᠡ ᠦᠵᠢᠨ Бөртэ үжин), better known as Börte (c. 1161–1230), was the first wife of Temüjin, who became Genghis Khan, the founder of the Mongol Empire. Börte became the head of the first Court of Genghis Khan, and Grand Empress of his Empire. She was betrothed to Genghis at a young age, married at seventeen, and then kidnapped by a rival tribe. Her husband's rescue of her is considered one of the key events that started him on his path to becoming a conqueror. She gave birth to four sons and five daughters, who, along with their own descendants, were the primary bloodline in the expansion of the Mongol Empire.
Few historical facts are known about her early life, though she is a subject of a number of Mongolian legends. What little is known is generally from The Secret History of the Mongols, the oldest surviving literary work in the Mongolian language, written for the Mongol royal family some time after the death of Genghis Khan in 1227.
Börte was born c. 1161 into the Olkhonud of Khongirad. This tribe was friendly to the Borjigin tribe, into which Temüjin was born. She was the daughter of Dei-Sechen and Chotan. She was described as having a "fair complexion", with "light in her face and fire in her eyes", a term signifying intelligence. The girls that came from the Olkhonud tribe were known for being particularly beautiful.
Börte was the first wife of Temüjin. When Temüjin was 9 years old, his father Yesügei went in search of a wife for him. He set out to find a girl from Temüjin's mother's people, the Olqunu'ut, but along the way ran into Börte's father, Dei-Sechen. Dei-Sechen explained he had a dream the previous night about Yesügei arriving with his son and believed this was a good omen. He explained that the women of his people, the Onggirat, were known for having beautiful girls; and stated that his daughter Börte, who was then 10, would make a good wife for Temüjin. Upon meeting Börte, Yesügei described her as a girl "who had light in her face, who had fire in her eyes", and after spending the night asked Dei-Sechen for Börte's hand in marriage for his son. Dei-Sechen agreed, under the condition that Temüjin stay with Börte's family as his bride price.[citation needed]
On his return from this trip, Yesügei encountered some Tatars having a feast and decided to join them, whereupon they poisoned his food. He completed his journey back home before collapsing and ultimately dying. Before he died, Yesügei insisted Temüjin be called back home to take care of his siblings in the absence of their father. Dei-Sechen agreed to allow Temüjin to return to his family, and so Börte and Temüjin were separated quickly after their betrothal.[citation needed]
In 1178, after 7 years apart, Temüjin set out to be reunited with Börte. After finding her in the same village in which she lived before, he married her, and the two left for a new home on the Senggür Stream, located in the Gürelgü Mountains. Soon after, they moved to set up a new homestead on the Burgi Escarpment near the Keuren River. Here, Börte's dowry, a black sable coat, was gifted to Yesügei's old friend Ong Qan, reestablishing a friendship between the two families.
Soon after her marriage to Temüjin was made official, the Burgi Escarpment was attacked by the Three Merkit, who were a confederation of three tribes inhabiting the basin of the Selenga and Orkhon Rivers. Temüjin and his family were able to escape on horses, but there were no horses left for Börte. A servant at the camp tried to hide Börte in an old cart, which he harnessed to an ox to try to escape upstream with her. The cart eventually broke and when the servant tried to keep moving Börte on foot, they were surrounded by soldiers who discovered her within the cart. The Three Merkit believed their raid victorious as they had planned it in retaliation for the abduction of Hö'elün, Temüjin's mother, from their people many years before.[citation needed]
Temüjin was distressed by the abduction of his wife and remarked that his bed "was made empty" and his breast was "torn apart". Ong Qan, who had been gifted Börte's dowry, promised to help Temüjin recover Börte from the Three Merkit, and together they came up with a plan to return her. Eight months later the pair led a charge into the Barqujin territory, and upon their arrival the Merkit people fled in numbers down the Selengge River. Börte and Temüjin were finally reunited, as described in The Secret History of the Mongols:
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Börte
Börte Üjin (/ˈbɜːrti ˈuːdʒɪn/; Mongolian: ᠪᠥᠷᠲᠡ ᠦᠵᠢᠨ Бөртэ үжин), better known as Börte (c. 1161–1230), was the first wife of Temüjin, who became Genghis Khan, the founder of the Mongol Empire. Börte became the head of the first Court of Genghis Khan, and Grand Empress of his Empire. She was betrothed to Genghis at a young age, married at seventeen, and then kidnapped by a rival tribe. Her husband's rescue of her is considered one of the key events that started him on his path to becoming a conqueror. She gave birth to four sons and five daughters, who, along with their own descendants, were the primary bloodline in the expansion of the Mongol Empire.
Few historical facts are known about her early life, though she is a subject of a number of Mongolian legends. What little is known is generally from The Secret History of the Mongols, the oldest surviving literary work in the Mongolian language, written for the Mongol royal family some time after the death of Genghis Khan in 1227.
Börte was born c. 1161 into the Olkhonud of Khongirad. This tribe was friendly to the Borjigin tribe, into which Temüjin was born. She was the daughter of Dei-Sechen and Chotan. She was described as having a "fair complexion", with "light in her face and fire in her eyes", a term signifying intelligence. The girls that came from the Olkhonud tribe were known for being particularly beautiful.
Börte was the first wife of Temüjin. When Temüjin was 9 years old, his father Yesügei went in search of a wife for him. He set out to find a girl from Temüjin's mother's people, the Olqunu'ut, but along the way ran into Börte's father, Dei-Sechen. Dei-Sechen explained he had a dream the previous night about Yesügei arriving with his son and believed this was a good omen. He explained that the women of his people, the Onggirat, were known for having beautiful girls; and stated that his daughter Börte, who was then 10, would make a good wife for Temüjin. Upon meeting Börte, Yesügei described her as a girl "who had light in her face, who had fire in her eyes", and after spending the night asked Dei-Sechen for Börte's hand in marriage for his son. Dei-Sechen agreed, under the condition that Temüjin stay with Börte's family as his bride price.[citation needed]
On his return from this trip, Yesügei encountered some Tatars having a feast and decided to join them, whereupon they poisoned his food. He completed his journey back home before collapsing and ultimately dying. Before he died, Yesügei insisted Temüjin be called back home to take care of his siblings in the absence of their father. Dei-Sechen agreed to allow Temüjin to return to his family, and so Börte and Temüjin were separated quickly after their betrothal.[citation needed]
In 1178, after 7 years apart, Temüjin set out to be reunited with Börte. After finding her in the same village in which she lived before, he married her, and the two left for a new home on the Senggür Stream, located in the Gürelgü Mountains. Soon after, they moved to set up a new homestead on the Burgi Escarpment near the Keuren River. Here, Börte's dowry, a black sable coat, was gifted to Yesügei's old friend Ong Qan, reestablishing a friendship between the two families.
Soon after her marriage to Temüjin was made official, the Burgi Escarpment was attacked by the Three Merkit, who were a confederation of three tribes inhabiting the basin of the Selenga and Orkhon Rivers. Temüjin and his family were able to escape on horses, but there were no horses left for Börte. A servant at the camp tried to hide Börte in an old cart, which he harnessed to an ox to try to escape upstream with her. The cart eventually broke and when the servant tried to keep moving Börte on foot, they were surrounded by soldiers who discovered her within the cart. The Three Merkit believed their raid victorious as they had planned it in retaliation for the abduction of Hö'elün, Temüjin's mother, from their people many years before.[citation needed]
Temüjin was distressed by the abduction of his wife and remarked that his bed "was made empty" and his breast was "torn apart". Ong Qan, who had been gifted Börte's dowry, promised to help Temüjin recover Börte from the Three Merkit, and together they came up with a plan to return her. Eight months later the pair led a charge into the Barqujin territory, and upon their arrival the Merkit people fled in numbers down the Selengge River. Börte and Temüjin were finally reunited, as described in The Secret History of the Mongols: