Tao Te Ching

The Power of Goodness, the Wisdom Beyond Words

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Mandukhai Khatun ндухай сэцэн хатан

(Queen Mandukhai the Wise)

1449 – 1510 CE

Queen Mandukhai the Wise

Greatest Mongolian monarch in the 800 years after Genshis with enemies on every side, brilliant strategist, and wise leader; Mandukhai for the first time in over 100 years united the Mongolians under a strong central government. Recognizing Genghis Khan’s mistakes in establishing a Mongolian legacy, she set in place a stable government that lasted for generations up until World War II. After her heirless husband was poisoned by a Ming dynasty spy, Mandukhai adopted Batmonkh the recently orphaned and last living direct Genghis Khan descendent making here the leader of the civil war plagued Mongol Empire. She defeated the warring factions, married Batmonkh when he turned 19, and continued dramatic military victories over both new factions and Chinese incursion, fighting in battle even when pregnant and birthing babies. She became the reason for the largest and fastest Great Wall of China expansion. Columbus made his voyages in an attempt to find her; and, though not knowing her name, carried a letter to her from his Spanish monarch patrons. Her descendants include all of the Mongolian nobles and khans that followed after her. Inspired by and continuing her example, these descendants converted to Buddhism and in 1578 began the Dalia Lama lineage when they gave the Tibetan monk Sonam Gyatso this title, dalai (ocean—'Sea of Power') first used by Genghis Khan's son, Ogodei.

Lineages
Politicians Women of Wisdom

Eras

Western

Renaissance (1304 – 1576 CE)

Chinese

Ming dynasty (1368 – 1644 CE)

Quotes by Mandukhai Khatun

Quotes about Mandukhai Khatun (2 quotes)

“The censors who sliced the pages did not destroy the history; they only hampered our ability to see it... There are architectural tributes to the lives and importance of these women in enduring structures as varied as the Taj Mahal of India and the Great Wall of China. The music of Puccini, the plays of Schiller, the poetry of Chaucer, and even the dances of Mongolian wrestlers keep the stories alive.”

— Jack Weatherford 1945 CE –
from Secret History of the Mongol Queens

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“Almost all Mongols recognize Queen Manduhai the Wise and Dayan Khan as the two greatest monarchs after Genghis Khan... The earlier queens faded from public memory but... For the first time since the collapse of the empire of Genghis Khan, she had managed to unite the tribes into a single, reconstituted nation... Their influence continues on the modern map of national boundaries, in the Buddhism of the modern day, and in the legacy of the Silk Route that became the prototype for the modern world system.”