Genghis (or Chinggis) Khan is pretty famous for building the largest contiguous land empire the world has ever seen. But he couldn't have done it with his wife, Börte. She was his advisor in all things, bore him MANY children, and ran their expansive horde while he was away. Empress Börte was the Mongols's chief manager, organising seasonal migrations, dealing with herders, and holding meetings with dignitaries and merchants. In other words, when her husband was away, she ran the show. The story of their marriage, and her rise to power, is extraordinary. But her influence wasn't necessarily unique within the Mongol Empire, which respected their ladies and saw them, in many ways, as mens' equal. So let's join Börte as she walks us through life for women in the Mongol Empire.

Our special guests this episode includes Marie Favereau, author of The Horde: How the Mongols Changed the World, and Mongol expert and educator Stephanie Honchell Smith. You can listen to my full interviews with both of them on patreon. Some of the music in this episode comes courtesy of Kevin MacLeod (Spirit of the Girl" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License)

Ways to support The Exploress:

Become a patron and enjoy exclusive bonus episodes, including the video version of this conversation and special episodes you won't find anywhere else
Grab a book at the Exploress Bookshop
Buy some merch and art available at the Exploress shop
Check out Kate's novels, NIGHTBIRDS and FYREBIRDS

Empress Börte and Life for Women in the Mongol Empire