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Attolia (Irene) and Manduhai the Wise
May. 17th, 2015 10:44 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
jessre.livejournal.comWhen I was reading Jack Weatherford's The Secret History of the Mongol Queens, a few striking similarities between the khatun (queen) Manduhai the Wise and Attolia Irene emerged. Their lives, careers, and geographical realm were strikingly different, but there were a few amusing similarities.
Both have no say in the matter of their first marriages; although they inherit the throne (Irene from her father, Manduhai from her husband) their position is precarious. Both want to rule and need an army to do so. They face down strong pressure to marry again, and choose their own husbands. In both cases the husband is crippled (Gen is missing a hand; Batu Mongke is severely malnourished and possibly had misaligned bones) and much younger. (Also, both husbands nearly die but heal: Batu Mongke's bones are massaged into alignment; Gen learns to write and use a sword with his left hand, and a hook with his right. In both cases, the physical impediment is severe: Batu Mongke learns to ride years after most children did in a country and culture where riding was as standard as literacy is today; Gen - well, we know about Gen.) To differing extents, the queen raises her husband (Manduhai quite literally takes him into her ger and rears him, training him to be king; Irene less so - although first Gen's fascination with her and then the suffering he endures because of her actions make him grow beyond a clever boy-hero into a man and king). Initially, although both queens rule in the name of their husbands, everyone knows that the queen is the real power on the throne... and in both cases, that changes. Sort of. Manduhai's husband becomes her equal and they work as a magnificent team, although it can also be argued that he never attains the success she does apart from her. In Irene's case, the people who need to know that Gen rules with Irene know, and the people who don't, don't. Both queens distinctly work to bring their younger, less experienced husband out and work to install him as co-ruler.
Military conquest and war play a large role in their lives (okay, we don't really know for Irene yet, because she's still pretty young. But so far, she's ruled Attolia through a number of wars and would-be conquests, so I'll count this one in). The queens (re)unify their people against foreign threats: Manduhai reunites the Mongolian tribes under her and her husband's banner, defeating internal enemies and external threats, although she does not attempt to expand her rule beyond the traditional territory; Irene and Gen gather Sounis and Eddis under their wings as vassal states in order that their countries may survive the pending threat of invasion from the Medes - although this is conquest, of a sort, it is intended to solidify the homeland rather than to expand an empire. Both queens use religious symbols to assert and reinforce their power: Manduhai by holding symbolic ceremonies at sites that link her reign to the First Queen and to Genghis Khan; Irene by dressing as Hephestia. They have very close relationships with their second husbands, both politically/militarily and personally. Both queens are emotionally isolated and bereft of family.
Their hold on the throne is shaky at first, but later in their reigns both queens command absolute loyalty. Maintaining strategic trade routes cities is very important to their rule. Oh, and for both queens, one would-be and highly suitable suitor is rejected yet remains loyal all his life (for Manduhai, the general Une-Bolod; for Irene, Dite). After Manduhai and her husband have children, either could have separated from or disposed of the other, but instead they remained close all their lives. (I just thought that was interesting, there isn't a direct parallel with Irene and Gen, unless you count the times that they don't kill each other before they are married :p)
I thought this was neat. Irene and Manduhai have very different habits and reigns, but they also have a lot in common. Manduhai was a warrior queen, riding into battle, while Irene has not, so far, attacked the enemy on the front line of battle - although in both cases, each queen follows accepted standards of behaviour for female monarchs - so long as it suits her.
Both have no say in the matter of their first marriages; although they inherit the throne (Irene from her father, Manduhai from her husband) their position is precarious. Both want to rule and need an army to do so. They face down strong pressure to marry again, and choose their own husbands. In both cases the husband is crippled (Gen is missing a hand; Batu Mongke is severely malnourished and possibly had misaligned bones) and much younger. (Also, both husbands nearly die but heal: Batu Mongke's bones are massaged into alignment; Gen learns to write and use a sword with his left hand, and a hook with his right. In both cases, the physical impediment is severe: Batu Mongke learns to ride years after most children did in a country and culture where riding was as standard as literacy is today; Gen - well, we know about Gen.) To differing extents, the queen raises her husband (Manduhai quite literally takes him into her ger and rears him, training him to be king; Irene less so - although first Gen's fascination with her and then the suffering he endures because of her actions make him grow beyond a clever boy-hero into a man and king). Initially, although both queens rule in the name of their husbands, everyone knows that the queen is the real power on the throne... and in both cases, that changes. Sort of. Manduhai's husband becomes her equal and they work as a magnificent team, although it can also be argued that he never attains the success she does apart from her. In Irene's case, the people who need to know that Gen rules with Irene know, and the people who don't, don't. Both queens distinctly work to bring their younger, less experienced husband out and work to install him as co-ruler.
Military conquest and war play a large role in their lives (okay, we don't really know for Irene yet, because she's still pretty young. But so far, she's ruled Attolia through a number of wars and would-be conquests, so I'll count this one in). The queens (re)unify their people against foreign threats: Manduhai reunites the Mongolian tribes under her and her husband's banner, defeating internal enemies and external threats, although she does not attempt to expand her rule beyond the traditional territory; Irene and Gen gather Sounis and Eddis under their wings as vassal states in order that their countries may survive the pending threat of invasion from the Medes - although this is conquest, of a sort, it is intended to solidify the homeland rather than to expand an empire. Both queens use religious symbols to assert and reinforce their power: Manduhai by holding symbolic ceremonies at sites that link her reign to the First Queen and to Genghis Khan; Irene by dressing as Hephestia. They have very close relationships with their second husbands, both politically/militarily and personally. Both queens are emotionally isolated and bereft of family.
Their hold on the throne is shaky at first, but later in their reigns both queens command absolute loyalty. Maintaining strategic trade routes cities is very important to their rule. Oh, and for both queens, one would-be and highly suitable suitor is rejected yet remains loyal all his life (for Manduhai, the general Une-Bolod; for Irene, Dite). After Manduhai and her husband have children, either could have separated from or disposed of the other, but instead they remained close all their lives. (I just thought that was interesting, there isn't a direct parallel with Irene and Gen, unless you count the times that they don't kill each other before they are married :p)
I thought this was neat. Irene and Manduhai have very different habits and reigns, but they also have a lot in common. Manduhai was a warrior queen, riding into battle, while Irene has not, so far, attacked the enemy on the front line of battle - although in both cases, each queen follows accepted standards of behaviour for female monarchs - so long as it suits her.
