Sochigel ( Modern Mongolian: Сочигэл,

Russian Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including: *Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...

: Сочихэл, Chinese (Simplifed): 速赤格勒) was either a junior wife or concubine of

Yesügei Yesugei Baghatur or Yesükhei ( Traditional Mongolian: ; Modern Mongolian: Есүхэй баатар, ''Yesukhei baatar'', ; ) (b. 1134 – d. 1171) was a major chief of the Khamag Mongol confederation and the father of Temüjin, later known as ...

, the chief of the

Khamag Mongol Khamag Mongol ( mn, Хамаг монгол, Khamag mongol, lit=the whole Mongol; ) was a major Mongolic tribal confederation (khanlig) on the Mongolian Plateau in the 12th century. It is sometimes considered to be a predecessor state to the ...

confederation and father of Genghis Khan. Sochigel's children were Ghengis Khan's half-siblings, and included

Behter Behter or Bekter ( mn, Бэхтэр; died 1180) was the son of Yesugei, chief of the Kiyad clan, and a junior wife named Sochigel or Suchigu in some sources and Ko'agjin in others. He was also half-brother of Genghis Khan, then known as Temujin. ...

and

Belgutei Belgutei ( – ) was the son of Yesugei and Sochigel and half-brother to Genghis Khan. He also became general to Genghis Khan. Belgutei was considered a wise counselor and skilled diplomat, and was often used as a messenger by Genghis Khan. With ...

, the latter became one of Genghis Khan's advisors.

Biography

Little is known about Sochigel's early life until she either married or became a concubine of

. According to anthropologist

Jack Weatherford Jack McIver Weatherford is the former DeWitt Wallace Professor of anthropology at Macalester College in Minnesota. He is best known for his 2004 book, ''Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World''. In 2006, he was awarded the Order of the ...

, Sochigel was already established in

's household prior to the arrival of

Hoelun Hoelun (also Hoelun Üjin; Mongolian: ; Cyrillic: Өэлүн үжин, Өэлүн эх, ''Mother Hoelun'', Öülen/Oulen; ), 1140-1221 was the mother of Genghis Khan and the wife of his father Yesügei, the chief of the Khamag Mongol confederat ...

, whom he had abducted from her fiancé. However Hoelun was quickly made his chief wife, which meant that her children, rather than Sochigel's would become his heirs.

's children included

Temujin ''Chinggis Khaan'' ͡ʃʰiŋɡɪs xaːŋbr /> Mongol script: ''Chinggis Qa(gh)an/ Chinggis Khagan'' , birth_name = Temüjin , successor = Tolui (as regent)Ögedei Khan , spouse = , issue = , house = Borjigin , ...

- the future Genghis Khan,

Qasar Qasar (also spelled Hasar or Khasar, and also known as Jo'chi Qasar; Mongolian: Жочи Хасар) was one of Genghis Khan's three full brothers. According to the ''Jami' al-Tawarikh'', his given name was Jo'chi and he got the nickname Khasar ...

, Khachiun and daughter Temulun. In 1171

died and his followers abandoned Sochigel, Hoelun and their children, driving them out of their homes and driving away all their cattle. For several years, the widows with their children lived in complete poverty, wandered the steppes, feeding on roots, game and fish. Under these conditions, the children did not get along with each other, which led to the murder of

by his half-brothers Genghis Khan and

, after he and

stole a fish from them. The impact of

's abduction of Hoelun years before, continued to affect the families. In circa 1184, three hundred

Merkit The Merkit (literally ''"skillful/wise ones"''; mn, ᠮᠡᠷᠬᠢᠳ ; Мэргид, translit=, Mergid; ) was one of the five major tribal confederations (''khanlig'') of probably Mongol

soldiers attacked their camp and Sochigel, Temujin's fiancée

Börte Börte (simply Borte, also Börte Üjin; Mongolian: ; Cyrillic: Бөртэ үжин; 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 ...

, and a maid, Khoakhchin, were captured as revenge. Temujin gathered a force together in order to rescue Börte in particular; when all the women were found, Sochigel refused to return with them, fleeing into the taiga. Her son Belgutei was angered by her action and punished the Merkit people by ordering the killing of all the warriors who undertook the raid and confiscated their wives and daughters forcing them to become concubines or maids.

Legacy

Sochigel features in the historical fiction novel ''The Tiger Queens''. In the 2007 film, '' Mongol: The Rise to Power of Genghis Khan,'' Sochigel was played by the actress Tunga.

Historiography

Unlike

, Sochigel's name is not mentioned in ''

The Secret History of the Mongols ''The Secret History of the Mongols'' (Middle Mongol: ''Mongɣol‑un niɣuca tobciyan''; Traditional Mongolian: , Khalkha Mongolian: , ; ) is the oldest surviving literary work in the Mongolian language. It was written for the Mongol royal fam ...

''. Unorthodox ethnologist

Lev Gumilyov Lev Nikolayevich Gumilyov (russian: Лев Никола́евич Гумилёв; 1 October 1912 – 15 June 1992) was a Soviet historian, ethnologist, anthropologist and translator. He had a reputation for his highly unorthodox theories of et ...

believed that Sochigel did not return with Temujin because she had betrayed him and the rest of the family. Gumilyov believed that Sochigel had assisted the Merkits and enabled them to find the camp, as well as preferring her new Merkit husband.''Гумилёв Л. Н.'' Поиски вымышленного царства (Легенда о «государстве пресвитера Иоанна»). — М.: Айрис-пресс, 2002. — 432 с. — (Библиотека истории и культуры). — 5000 экз. — .

References

{{Authority control Year of birth unknown Year of death unknown 12th-century Mongolian women Women of the Mongol Empire Genghis Khan