Chabi (, ; , 1216–1281) was a

Khongirad The Khongirad (; ; ; ) was one of the major divisions of the Mongol tribes. Their homeland was located in the vicinity of Hulun Lake, Lake Hulun in Inner Mongolia and Khalkha River in Mongolia,M. Sanjdorj, History of the Mongolian People's Repub ...

empress consort of the

Mongol Mongols are an East Asian ethnic group native to Mongolia, China (Inner Mongolia and other 11 autonomous territories), as well as the republics of Buryatia and Kalmykia in Russia. The Mongols are the principal member of the large family of M ...

-led

Yuan dynasty The Yuan dynasty ( ; zh, c=元朝, p=Yuáncháo), officially the Great Yuan (; Mongolian language, Mongolian: , , literally 'Great Yuan State'), was a Mongol-led imperial dynasty of China and a successor state to the Mongol Empire after Div ...

of China, married to

Kublai Khan Kublai Khan (23 September 1215 – 18 February 1294), also known by his temple name as the Emperor Shizu of Yuan and his regnal name Setsen Khan, was the founder and first emperor of the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty of China. He proclaimed the ...

(Emperor Shizu).

Life

Chabi was born around 1216 to Anchen (按陳), Prince of Jining Zhongwu (濟寧忠武王) of Khongirad. She married Kublai as his second wife and bore him four sons and six daughters. She was an important political and diplomatic influence, especially in pleasing the Chinese masses through reconciliation with

Confucianism Confucianism, also known as Ruism or Ru classicism, is a system of thought and behavior originating in ancient China, and is variously described as a tradition, philosophy, Religious Confucianism, religion, theory of government, or way of li ...

. She was compared to Börte though for her reputation. Rashid al-Din described her as extremely beautiful and charming. Möngke Khagan died in 1259 while Kublai was campaigning against the

Song dynasty The Song dynasty ( ) was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 960 to 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song, who usurped the throne of the Later Zhou dynasty and went on to conquer the rest of the Fiv ...

. She warned her husband of advancements of

Ariq Böke Ariq Böke (after 1219–1266), the components of his name also spelled Arigh, Arik and Bukha, Buka (, ; ), was the seventh and youngest son of Tolui and a grandson of Genghis Khan. After the death of his brother the Great Khan Möngke, Ariq Bök ...

beforehand. After the conquest of China, she suggested a better treatment of the north Chinese imperial family, namely Empress Quan in 1276. She also introduced new court fashion in the form of hats. Chabi also fiercely promoted

Buddhism Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...

in the high levels of government. She also named her child under the influence of Buddhism. She mediated religious disputes between Kublai and Phagpa, and supported the latter both economically and politically. She was also patron of Zangpo Pal. Here are some of the many accomplishments of the queen: "Mongol hats didn't have a brim before. The king's eyes sparkled when he shot a bow and arrow. When he told the queen about it, the queen immediately sewed a brim for his hat. The king was very happy and immediately started to wear the hat. This sable hat is the hat depicted in the portraits of many Mongolian kings of the Yuan dynasty.Д.Идэр. Их Юань Улсын Хатад. УБ., 2016. т.25-26 The queen made another item of clothing. According to the ''Yuan shi'', the invention of bijia is attributed to Empress Chabi during the

. Empress Chabi designed the bijia so that it would be a convenient form of attire while riding horses and shooting arrows. The front region of the bijia designed by Empress Chabi was made of a single piece of fabric, and its back region was twice as long as the front region. It was collarless and sleeveless, and there were two loop straps which attached to it. It also had no lapels. The bijia was first worn by the Yuan dynasty emperor but it later became popular among commoners. She died in 1281, probably arranging for her niece Nambui to marry Kublai afterwards. She was posthumously renamed Empress Zhaorui Shunsheng (昭睿順聖皇后) by her grandson Temür Khan.

Family

Chabi had four sons and six daughters with Kublai Khan: # Grand Princess of Zhao, Yuelie (赵国大長公主) — married to Ay Buqa, Prince of Zhao (趙王) # Grand Princess of Chang, Ulujin (吾魯真公主) — married to Buqa from Ikires clan # Princess-Aunt of the State of Chang, Chalun (昌国大长公主) – married to Teliqian from Ikires clan # Crown Prince Zhenjin (1240–1285) — Prince of Yan (燕王) # Manggala (c. 1242–1280) — Prince of Anxi (安西王) # Grand Princess of Lu, Öljei (鲁国长公主) — married to Ulujin Küregen from Khongirad clan, Prince of Lu # Nomugan (d. 1301) — Prince of Beiping (北平王) # Grand Princess of Lu, Nangiajin (鲁国大长公主) — married to Ulujin Küregen from Khongirad clan, Princess of Lu, then after Ulujin's death in 1278 to his brother Temür, and after Temür's death in 1290 to a third brother, Manzitai # Kokechi (d.1271) — Prince of Yunnan (云南王) # Imperial-Aunt of the State of Je, Qutluq kelmish (忽都魯揭里迷失) (c.1251-1297) — married Chungnyeol of Goryeo

In popular media

Chabi was portrayed several times in TV series and films: * ''

Marco Polo Marco Polo (; ; ; 8 January 1324) was a Republic of Venice, Venetian merchant, explorer and writer who travelled through Asia along the Silk Road between 1271 and 1295. His travels are recorded in ''The Travels of Marco Polo'' (also known a ...

'' (1982) by Beulah Quo * '' Eternal Happiness'' (2002) by Law Lan * '' The Legend of Kublai Khan'' (2013) by Charmaine Sheh * ''

'' (2014) by

Joan Chen Joan Chen (simplified Chinese; 陈冲; born April 26, 1961) is an American actress and film director. She made her film debut in the Chinese film ''Youth'' (1977) before starring in the film (1979). She came to the attention of American audien ...

* ''Hojo Tokimune'' (2001) by Shurenhuar

References

Sources

* * Jack Weatherford (2011). The Secret History of the Mongol Queens: How the Daughters of Genghis Khan Rescued His Empire Paperback. Broadway Books. . {{Yuan empresses 1281 deaths Yuan dynasty empresses 1210s births 13th-century Mongols 13th-century Chinese women 13th-century Chinese people 13th-century Mongol women 13th-century Buddhists Women from the Mongol Empire