# Altani

Altani (Traditional Mongolian: ᠠᠯᠲᠠᠨᠢ; Cyrillic: Алтани; Classical Armenian: Էլտինա, Այլթանա) was a Mongol woman mentioned in The Secret History of the Mongols and possibly in medieval Armenian sources.

## Biography

In The Secret History of the Mongols, Altani's name appears seven times, as the wife of Boroghul, one of Chinggis Khan's four steeds (Traditional Mongolian: ᠬᠦᠯᠢᠭ). Chinggis Khan's mother, Hö'elün, raised Boroghul along with other orphans—Shigi Qutuqu, Kücü, and Kökecu—who would later become influential statesmen of the Mongol Empire. Altani's clan identity is unknown.
After the Mongols defeated their longstanding rivals, the Tatars, in 1202, a Tatar refugee named Qargil-Shira, disguised as a traveler, sought food at Hö'elün's ger. The Tatar warrior then attempted to kidnap and kill five-year-old Tolui, the son of Chinggis Khan and the future father of Möngke, Qubilai, Hulegu, and Ariq-Boke. Hearing Hö'elün's scream for help, the unarmed Altani confronted Qargil-Shira who wielded a knife, engaging him in a hand-to-hand fight until two of Chinggis Khan's commanders, Jetei and Jelme, Subutai’s older brother, arrived to help. According to Jack Weatherford, Altani was about ten to fourteen years old during the incident. During the 1206 quriltai, Chinggis Khan praised both Boroghul and Altani for their bravery, specifically remarking that “Boroghul's wife (Altani), as the other axle for Boroghul, saved Tolui's life.” However, some historians question the authenticity of this story, as Rashid al-Din records that Shigi Qutuqu saved Tolui. Nevertheless, Altani's story exemplifies the skill of Mongolian women in the arts of war and their ability to train their sons in weaponry independently of men.
The Secret History of the Mongols does not mention Altani after 1206. However, the name Altani, appearing as Eltina or Aylt'ana in Armenian records, is cited as the wife (khatun) of Chormaqan, the Mongol commander overseeing western Iran, Armenia, and Georgia. The thirteenth-century Armenian historian Gregory of Akner mentions that they resided in Mughan from 1230 onwards, however, he identified her as Chinggis Khan's wife, rather than as the wife of his champion Boroghul. Altani's husband, Boroghul, was killed by the Tumad rebels around 1217, so it is possible she remarried Chinggis Khan's guard and commander Chormaqan, as was common among the Mongols. The American historian Timothy May interpreted Eltina as Altan and hypothesized that she was the wife of Ogedei. However, Francis W. Cleaves confirmed Eltina or Aylt'ana was Altani. Jack Weatherford speculated that Altani may have been one of Hö'elün's granddaughters or an adopted child, thus establishing a connection to Chinggis Khan's family. The historian and translator of The Secret History of the Mongols, Igor de Rachewiltz believed that Altani was a historical person and had two names, Altani and Tekui, as was common among Mongol elites.
After Chormaqan became deaf around 1240, Eltina (Altani) shared command with Baiju until her death. All important aristocrats and envoys from western Asia passed through Eltina and Baiju in Azerbaijan before reaching the Great Khan's court in Mongolia. Altani [Eltina or Aylt'ana] maintained friendly relations with Christians, including Georgians, Assyrians, and Armenians.
It is known that Chormaqan's wife Altani had two sons-Shiremun and Bora, and one daughter. Hulegu executed Bora upon his arrival in Iran in the late 1250s. Shiremun successfully served the Great Khan Güyük and the Ilkhans Hulegu and Abagha and patronized Christian churches and Christians in Caucasia and Iran.