Tandu Khatun

Tandu Khatun or Tindu Khatun was regent of the Jalairid Sultanate in Iraq in 1411-1419.

She was the daughter of Shaikh Awais Jalayir of the Jalairid Sultanate in Iraq. She was first married to Sayf ad-Din Barquq of the Egyptian Mamluk sultanate. The marriage was arrange by her father as an alliance between Iraq and Egypt against Timur.^[1] The marriage was arranged during a journey she made with her uncle to Cairo, when Barquq was allegedly astonished by her beauty and asked for her hand, and when her uncle returned to Iraq, she remained, while Egypt sent support of the Egyptian armies to assist Iraq against Timur.^[2]

The marriage was reportedly happy from Barquq's point of view, as he was said to have loved her greatly, but she did not like life in Egypt and suffered from homesickness, and eventually, Barquq allowed her to return to Iraq. In Iraq, she eventually remarried her cousin, Shah Walad Jalayir, who succeeded to the throne in 1410.

When her spouse died in 1411, Tandu reportedly took power herself as regent, and remained regent for eight years.^[3] Hanbali relates that: 'The khutba was said in her name from the pulpits and money was coined in her name until her death in 822. Her son took power after her.'^[4]

References

1. Mernissi, Fatima; Mary Jo Lakeland (2003). The forgotten queens of Islam. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-579868-5.
2. Mernissi, Fatima; Mary Jo Lakeland (2003). The forgotten queens of Islam. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-579868-5.
3. Mernissi, Fatima; Mary Jo Lakeland (2003). The forgotten queens of Islam. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-579868-5.
4. Mernissi, Fatima; Mary Jo Lakeland (2003). The forgotten queens of Islam. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-579868-5.

• Mernissi, Fatima; Mary Jo Lakeland (2003). The forgotten queens of Islam. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-579868-5.