Altun Jan Khatun
| Altun Jan Khatun | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Empress of the Seljuk Empire | |||||
| Tenure | 1037 - 1063 | ||||
| Born | Khwarezm, Khwarazmian Empire | ||||
| Died | 1060 Zanjan, Seljuk Empire | ||||
| Burial | |||||
| Spouse | Tughril | ||||
| Issue | From her first husband: Anoushiravan | ||||
| |||||
| House | House of Seljuq (by marriage) | ||||
| Religion | Islam | ||||
Altun Jan Khatun (died 1060; meaning "Golden soul") was the Empress of the Seljuk Empire as the first wife and chief consort of Tughril, the founder of the Seljuk Empire, ruling from 1037 to 1063.
Early life
Altun Jan Khatun was a Turkish woman, possibly from Khwarezm. Before becoming Tughril Beg's wife she had been married to the Khwarezm Shah. Her son by that marriage, Anoushiravan, apparently remained with her after she married Tughril Beg.[1]
Toghril Beg is reported to have consulted his chief wife Altun Jan in affairs, Sibt ibn al-Jawzi states that she was a religious woman, much given to charitable works, of good judgement and firm determination.[2][3] When Tughril Beg went to Hamadan in 1058 to deal with the revolt of Ibrahim Inal, he sent Altun Jan, Anoushiravan and al-Kunduri to Baghdad. Al-Kunduri appears on this occasion to have considered replacing Tughril Bey by Anoushiravan. Anoushiravan rebelled but was captured. He was imprisoned in Rey and was killed after Tughril's death.[4]
Death and aftermath
She died of edema in 1059 in Zanjan. Tughril grieved for her greatly, and her bier was carried to Rey, where she was buried.[5][6] She held estates in Iran. Just before her death she bequeathed her states, assignments and pensions to the Caliph's daughter. Tughril assigned these to the latter when the marriage contract between him and the caliph's daughter was finally concluded in 1062.[7] According to some sources it was her who requested Tughril to marry the caliph's daughter at her deathbed.
References
- ^ Lambton 1988, p. 262.
- ^ Gibb 1954, p. 482.
- ^ Kupferschmidt 1987, p. 482.
- ^ Lambton 1988, p. 262-3.
- ^ Boyle 1968, p. 224.
- ^ Richards 2014, p. 134.
- ^ Lambton 1988, p. 259.
Bibliography
- J. A. Boyle, ed. (1968). The Cambridge History of Iran, Volume 5. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-06936-6.
- Ann K. S. Lambton (January 1, 1988). Continuity and Change in Medieval Persia. SUNY Press. ISBN 978-0-887-06133-2.
- Hamilton Alexander Rosskeen Gibb (1954). The Encyclopedia of Islam, Volume 6. Brill. ISBN 978-9-004-08112-3.
- Uri M. Kupferschmidt (1987). The Supreme Muslim Council: Islam Under the British Mandate for Palestine. BRILL. ISBN 978-9-004-07929-8.
- D.S. Richards (April 4, 2014). The Annals of the Saljuq Turks: Selections from Al-Kamil Fi'l-Ta'rikh of Ibn Al-Athir. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-317-83255-3.