Altun Jan Khatun

Altun Jan Khatun (died December 1060; meaning "Golden soul") was the Principal consort of Sultan Tughril, the founder of the Seljuk Empire, ruling from 1037 to 1063.

Altun Jan Khatun was a Turkish woman, possibly from Khwarezm. Before becoming Tughril Beg's wife she had been married to the Khwarazm Shah Shah Malik. Her son by that marriage, Anoushiravan, apparently remained with her after she married Tughril Beg in around 1043.

Tughril Beg is reported to have consulted his chief wife Altun Jan Khatun in affairs, Sibt ibn al-Jawzi states that she was a religious woman, much given to charitable works, of good judgement and firm determination.

When Tughril Beg went to Hamadan in 1058 to deal with the revolt of Ibrahim Inal, he sent Altun Jan, Anoushiravan and al-Kunduri to Baghdad. Despite the Caliph's objection, Altun Jan took the treasury and Seljuk soldiery in Baghdad with her, leaving al-Kanduri. When Ibrahim Inal learnt of Altun Jan's approach he seems to have sent a force to have her intercepted. Other Turkmen ruler also joined, and defeated Ibrahim Inal. After this Tughril retired to Rey, where Altun Jan joined him.

In Tughril's last days, before al-Basasiri's seizure of the city, a convulated plot had been hatched by Altun Jan Khatun and his vizier al-Kunduri to install Altun Jan's son, Anushirvan. However, Anushirvan attracted no support, and Altun Jan soon dissociated herself from the plot, all of whose conspirators appear to have been eventually restored to favor without further punishment.

She died of edema in December 1060 in Zanjan. Tughril grieved for her greatly, and her bier was carried to Rey, where she was buried. She held estates in Iran. Just before her death she bequeathed her states, assignments andpensions to the Caliph's daughter Seyyedeh Fatima. Tughril assigned these to the latter when the marriage contract between him and the caliph's daughter was finally concluded in 1062. According to some sources it was her who requested Tughril to marry the caliph's daughter at her deathbed. After Tughril's death in 1063, Anoushiravan rebelled but was captured. He was imprisoned in Rey and was killed.

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