Old Turkic women and khatuns in runic inscriptions

Abstract The texts left behind by the Old Turks, who were ruled by various tribes and dynasties between AD 550 and 840, are found on different objects and spread across a wide area. These Old Turkic texts carry much valuable information about the Old Turks to the present day. Notably, the inscriptions of the khaganate consist of longer texts and serve as historical sources. Additionally, there is a much larger number of inscriptions consisting of shorter texts with various contents. Although it is understood that these texts were created by men, many references to women are encountered. In the inscriptions, the god Tengri is masculinised and associated with the khagan, while Umay , who was likely a goddess, is associated with the khagan’s wife, the khatun . It is observed that both the ruler and the ruler’s wife were chosen by the deity, and the power to rule was granted to them by the deity. Based on this, expressions related to women have been identified in the Turkic inscriptions found across a vast geography, the collected data have been presented, and they have been evaluated collectively. Along with the role of women in society, the reasons why queens were chosen by the deity have been explored.