Hoelun

Layout of a 1908 Chinese re-edition of the Secret History of the Mongols: Yesügei steals Chiledu's wife, Hoelun, i.e. the future mother of Temüjin. Chinese transcription of the Mongolian text. On the right, with smaller characters, the Chinese-language glossary.

Hoelun (also Hoelun Üjin, Cyrillic: Өэлүн үжин, Өэлүн эх, Mother Hoelun, Öülen/Oulen) was the mother of Genghis Khan and the wife of his father Yesügei, the chief of the Khamag Mongol confederation.

Early life

Hoelun was born to the Olkhunut tribe. She later was engaged to a member of the Mergid confederation, but was abducted by Yesügei on her way back to the Mergid camp around 1159 AD. Yesügei made Hoelun his chief wife. This was an honor, since only the chief wife could give birth to his heirs. She gave birth to five children: four sons, Temüjin (who would be later known as Genghis Khan), Qasar, Qachiun, and Temüge, and a daughter, Temülün. A second wife of Yesugei's, Ko'agjin gave birth to another two sons, Bekter and Belgutai.

Widowhood

After Yesügei's death, Yesügei's Khiyad clan abandoned Hoelun, junior wife Ko'agjin, and all of Yesügei's children to follow a rival chieftain. Hoelun immediately took charge of the group and began running up and down the Onon River valley gathering roots, berries, and millet to feed her family. As the boys grew, they learned how to hunt and fish in northern Mongolia's Khentii Mountains, improving the family's situation considerably. Hoelun taught her sons the basics of unity and support for one another, but sibling rivalry between the two eldest sons of the group, Temujin and Bekter, eventually lead to Temujin murdering Bekter, a crime for which Hoelun chastised her son angrily. Despite the killing, Bekter's mother Ko'agjin and surviving brother Belgutai bore no ill will toward Hoelun and her sons and continued living with them.

Life with Temüjin

Together with his wife Börte, Hoelun was counted as one of the most trusted advisors of Genghis Khan. She also took care of war orphans under the orders of her son, adopting them and bringing them into the family as a part of an inclusionist policy aimed at creating loyalty among conquered tribes. It was at her camp that a Tatar made an attempt to kill her young grandson Tolui, but was stopped by Altani and Hoelun's two guards.

See also

• History of Mongolia
• Genghis Khan
• Ogedei Khan