During the Ming dynasty, when the court was compiling the History of Yuan, the account of Genghis Khan’s death was recorded rather tersely:
“On the day of Renwu in July, he fell ill. On the day of Jichou, he passed away at the royal residence in Sari Chuan Shalaotu.”
In just twenty brief characters, the record summarized the death of this great leader, yet the exact cause of his demise remained vague. This ambiguity has fueled much speculation—some say he died of illness, others claim he was injured from a fall off his horse, with no consensus reached over time.
展开剩余84%In contrast, the unofficial historical text Mongol Origins offers a more dramatic and awkward narrative about the death of the great khan. According to this source, Genghis Khan died a violent death at the hands of a woman—the Western Xia princess Gulberjin Guwahatu, who had recently been taken as one of his consorts.
When the Mongol forces attacked Western Xia, the Xia army suffered successive defeats. During this campaign, the Western Xia princess was captured by the Mongols. Fierce and resolute, she entered Genghis Khan’s tent with the resolve to die rather than be humiliated. When Genghis Khan attempted to assault her, the unsuspecting khan was suddenly gravely wounded by the princess, who stabbed him, resulting in his death. This unexpected and ignominious death of the great khan was not only embarrassing but also revealed his underestimation of female captives, as such fierce resistance was rare.
However, it would be unfair to entirely blame Genghis Khan for this lapse in vigilance. Among the many women captured by him, none had ever attempted assassination. Most captives—such as the consorts Gurbesu, Yesui, and Yesugan—submitted and remained loyal to Temujin. During the rise of the Mongol Empire, it was common to witness incidents of bride capture; for example, Genghis Khan’s mother, Hoelun, was taken by Yesugei, and his wife B?rte was once captured by the Merkit tribe but later returned to and remained loyal to him.
In ancient nomadic societies, captive women typically did not choose to resist to the death but rather opted to endure and survive. Why was this the case?
To the nomads of the steppes, women were often viewed similarly to livestock or precious possessions, such as cattle, horses, or jewels. The growth of a tribe depended heavily on increasing its population, and young women—being fertile—were considered vital to this expansion. Consequently, after raids and wars, women were often the only survivors, whereas older individuals and adult males frequently faced execution.
Compliance usually meant the difference between life and death. The instinct to preserve one’s life is natural—fear of death is inherent to human beings, and mustering the courage to fight to the death is a rare trait.
Moreover, nomadic life revolved around tribal units with limited marriage options. To avoid the harmful effects of inbreeding, inter-tribal marriages were necessary. Such marriages required good relations between tribes, compatible social status, and mutual acceptance, making them complex and infrequent. Even Temujin’s father, a tribal leader, secured his marriage through bride capture.
Thus, for many common tribe members, marriage prospects were scarce, and marrying captive women after war or raids was a common practice on the steppe. These marriages often turned out to be stable and harmonious, which partly explains why captive women usually did not exhibit strong resistance.
Beyond the imbalance of physical power, many women refrained from fighting back because they hoped their sacrifice would protect their families and clans, potentially securing a better future for them. Survival meant opportunity, and this spirit of selflessness and courage was widespread among nomadic women, who rarely embraced the idea of fighting to the death.
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