Mongolia's Wrestling Warrior Princess: Khutulun

Born: c. 1260

Died: c. 1306

Country: Mongolia 

Culture or Era: Mongol Empire

Aventurasnahistoria-uol

Khutulun was a force to be reckoned with. Since her childhood, she was trained in archery, combat, wrestling, and horseback riding. Her father Kaidu was a military leader, and she was a descendent of the feared Mongol emperor Genghis Khan. Khutulun was Kaidu’s only daughter among fourteen sons. 

Khutulun was very physically strong, and as she grew up she became respected as a fierce warrior. She rode into battle right next to her father, taking down enemies, wielding weapons on horseback, and capturing prisoners. But her real claim to fame was wrestling. 

Khutulun’s strength was known far and wide, and many young men challenged her to wrestling matches to test their strength. She handily trounced elite male warriors in wrestling competitions, taking all of their horses as a prize. Legend has it that she refused to marry anyone who could not defeat her in combat. If they couldn’t pin down her in a wrestling match, they couldn’t take her as a wife. While many suitors tried, she destroyed them all and legend has it that she collected more than 10,000 horses. Her strength and athletic prowess was known far and wide, and her story is recorded by two of the most famous ancient explorers, Marco Polo from Europe and Rashid al-Din Hamadani from Persia.

Medieval artists were fascinated by the story of Khutulun. This is a depiction of her story from c.1410 in a book of illustrations of Marco Polo's Travels: Combat de Qutulun, fille de Qaïdu, surnommée Aiyurug, ‘lune brillante’. Le Livre de Marco Polo, chapitre 196, manuscrit BnF fr. 2810, fol. 95v

Illustration of Khutulun by Daniel Angelo

But Khutulun wasn’t just about brute strength—she was also sharp. Her dad, Kaidu, knew she had a head for strategy, so he often turned to her for military and political advice. By the time she was twenty, her dad had built the most powerful empire in Central Asia, stretching from Mongolia to Russia, the Middle East, and India. When he passed, her brother took over, but Khutulun still ruled the military. She was a fierce and respected warrior for the rest of her life. 

In Mongolia, Khutulun is still revered as a fierce warrior and powerful athlete, renowned for her bravery, courage, and strength. The famous opera Turandot by Giacomo Puccini is based on her life.