Hun İmparatorluğu’nda Yanzhilerin Oynadığı Politik Rol

Yanzhi title associated with the title huanghou (empress) in Chinese sources, was ofthen used to include concubines of the chanyu. Women who were called yanzhi were generally recorded for their political activities during the decline of the Xiongnu Empire and the weakening of the chanyu’s authority. In spite of that, yanzhis were functional as part of a permanent system. The empire was ruled by the Luanti/Xulianti dynasty. The dynasty established marriage ties only with certain noble families. These families were the ruling partners of the dynasty and their marriage ties represented the political cooperation between them and the dynasty. Chanyus probably had a concubine from each noble family, and the woman who was the most powerful and important family’s member rose as yanzhi. Yanzhi not only represented the strength of the bond between her family and chanyu, but also worked as an intermediary to strengthen the bond. Typical in steppe societies, the custom of marrying stepmother when the father died, or sister in law when the brother died, helped the yanzhi to maintain her position and the power of her family. However, the new chanyu inherited all concubines and could claim any of them as yanzhi. In this case, the balance of power was changing. In order to both maintain their position and influence, these yanzhis were making efforts to be accepted as yanzhi by the newly erected chanyu or to put their own son on the throne. In times when the central authority of the empire weakened, these efforts could cause great turmoil.