Rulers of the Ottoman Empire. Fathers and Sons

29.02.2024 | Schoolchildren

P The last sultana of Ottoman origin was the mother of Suleiman I the Magnificent, her name was Aishe Sultan Hafsa (December 5, 1479 - March 19, 1534), according to sources, she was from Crimea and was the daughter of Khan Mengli-Girey. However, this information is controversial and has not yet been fully verified.

After Aishe, the era of the “female sultanate” (1550-1656) began, when women influenced government affairs. Naturally, they cannot be compared with European rulers (Catherine II, or Elizabeth I of England) due to the fact that these women had disproportionately less power, personal freedom and were further from absolutism. It is believed that this era began with Anastasia (Alexandra) Lisovskaya, or Roksolana known to us. She was the wife of Suleiman I the Magnificent and the mother of Selim II, and became the first sultana taken from the harem.

After Roksolana, the main women of the country became two relatives, two beautiful Venetian women from the Baffo family, Cecilia and Sofia. Both one and the other came to the top through the harem. Cecilia Baffo became Roksolana's daughter-in-law.

So, Cecilia Vernier-Baffo, or Nurbanu Sultan, was born on the island of Paros around 1525. Her father was a noble Venetian, the governor of the island of Paros, Nicolo Venier, and her mother was Violanta Baffo. The girl's parents were not married, so the girl was named Cecilia Baffo, giving her mother's surname.

According to another, less popular version, based on Ottoman sources, Nurbanu's real name was Rachel, and she was the daughter of Violanta Baffo and an unknown Spanish Jew.

Little is known about Cecilia's history.

It is known that in 1537, the pirate and admiral of the Turkish flotilla Khair ad-din Barbarossa captured Paros and 12-year-old Cecilia was enslaved. She was sold to the Sultan's harem, where Hurrem Sultan was noticed for her intelligence . Hurrem gave her the name Nurbanu, which means "Queen who exudes divine light" and sent her to serve her son, Prince Selim.

According to the chronicles, having reached adulthood in 1543, Selim was sent to Konya to take up the post due to him as heir, Cecilia Nurbanu accompanied him. At this time, the young prince was inflamed with love for his beautiful accompanying odalisque.

Soon Nurbanu had a daughter, Shah Sultan, and later, in 1546, a son, Murad, who was at that time the only son of Selim. Later, Nurbanu Sultan gave birth to four more daughters for Selima. And after Selim’s accession to the throne, Nurbanu becomes Haseki.

In the Ottoman Empire itself, Selim received the nickname “Drunkard” because of his passion for wine, but he was not a drunkard in the literal sense of the word. And yet, state affairs were handled by Mehmed Sokollu (Grand Vizier of Bosnian origin Boyko Sokolović), who came under the influence of Nurbanu.

As a ruler, Nurbanu corresponded with many ruling dynasties, pursued a pro-Venetian policy, for which the Genoese hated her and, judging by rumors, the Genoese ambassador poisoned her.

In honor of Nurban, the Attik Valide Mosque was built near the capital, where she was buried in 1583, bitterly mourned by her son Murad III, who often relied on his mother in his politics.

Safiye Sultan (translated from Turkish as "Pure"), born Sofia Baffo, was of Venetian origin, and was a relative of her mother-in-law, Nurban Sultan. She was born around 1550, the daughter of the ruler of the Greek island of Corfu and a relative of the Venetian senator and poet Giorgio Baffo.

Sofia, like Cecilia, was captured by corsairs and sold into a harem, where she then attracted the attention of Crown Prince Murad, for whom she became the only favorite for a long time. It was rumored that the reason for such constancy were problems in the prince’s intimate life, which only Safiye knew how to somehow overcome. These rumors are very similar to the truth, since before Murad became Sultan (in 1574, at the age of 28, after the death of his father Sultan Selim II), he only had children with Safiye.

Having become the ruler of the Ottoman Empire, Murad III, obviously, recovered after some time from his intimate illness, since he moved from forced monogamy to sexual excesses, and practically devoted his future life exclusively to the pleasures of the flesh, to the detriment of state affairs. So 20 sons and 27 daughters (however, we should not forget that in the 15th-16th centuries infant mortality was very high and out of 10 newborn babies, 7 died in childhood, 2 in adolescence and young adulthood, and only one had any chance live to at least 40 years old), which Sultan Murad III left after his death - a completely natural result of his lifestyle.

in the 15th-16th centuries, infant mortality was very high and out of 10 newborn babies, 7 died in childhood, 2 in adolescence and young adulthood, and only one had any chance of surviving at least 40 years

Despite the fact that Murad never married his beloved Safiya, this did not stop her from becoming one of the most influential women of that time.

The first nine years of his reign, Murad completely shared with his mother Nurbana, obeyed her in everything. And it was Nurbanu who played an important role in his attitude towards Safiya. Despite family ties, both in state affairs and in the affairs of the harem, Venetian women constantly fought with each other for leadership. Nevertheless, as they say, youth won.

In 1583, after the death of Nurbanu Sultan, Safiye Sultan began to strengthen the position of her son Mehmed as the heir of Murad III. Mehmed was already 15 years old and he was very popular among the Janissaries, which greatly frightened his father. Murad III even prepared conspiracies, but Safiyya always managed to warn her son. This struggle continued for 12 years, until Murad’s death.

Safiye Sultan received almost unlimited power at the age of 45, simultaneously with the title of Valide Sultan, after the death of Sultan Murad III in 1595. Her son, the bloodthirsty Mehmed III, immediately after his accession to the throne, the Ottomans ordered the murder of not only his 20 younger brothers, but also all of his father’s pregnant concubines. It was he who introduced in the Sublime Porte the disastrous custom of not giving the princes the opportunity to take part in governing the state during the life of their father, but of keeping them locked up in the seraglio, in the Cafes (cage) pavilion.

WOMEN OF SULTAN SULEYMAN It is not known how many women there were in the life of Sultan Suleiman I, but his relationships with some of them are provable. Suleiman's first woman was the Montenegrin Mukrime (Mukarrem), whom Valide Hafsa introduced to him in Caffa in 1508/09. Mukrime was born in Shokdra in 1496 (or 1494), she was the daughter of Prince Stefan (Staniš) Černoević of the Montenegrin royal family of Crnojević (Černoević) and an Albanian princess; it was given to the Sultan's court in 1507 as a tribute. Stefan Chernoevich converted to Islam after the conquest of Montenegro by the Turks (around 1507) and called himself Iskender. Selim I gave him one of his daughters as a wife and gained control of Montenegro. Thanks to his family connection with the sultan's dynasty, Stefan Cernoević (Iskender) remained governor of Montenegro until his death in 1530. Mukrime gave birth to three children: Neslihan (1510) and Meryem (1511) were born in Kaffa: both girls died during the smallpox epidemic in 1512. Seven years later, Mukrime gave birth to a son, Murad, in Sarukhan - he also died of smallpox in 1521 in the summer palace of Edirne. As a childless sultana, Mukrime remained in the shadows until 1534. After the death of her mother-in-law Hafsa, she was expelled from Istanbul along with two other women of Suleiman - Gulbahar and Mahidevran. Suleiman gave Mukrima a mansion in Edirne and she remained there until his death in 1555. Suleiman's second wife was the Albanian Gülbahar Melekcihan (also called Kadriye), who became the Sultan's concubine around 1511 in Caffa. She is often mistakenly identified with Makhidevran. Gulbahar came from an Albanian noble family and, thanks to family ties with the Ottoman dynasty, became a servant of Hafsa. It is unknown how many children she bore to Suleiman: there must have been at least two. Being a childless concubine, after Roksolana appeared in the harem, she lost her influence, and in 1534 she was expelled from Istanbul along with Mukrime and Makhidevran. She first lived in a mansion in Edirne, then in a manor near Arnavutkoy near the capital, and died there in 1559 at the age of 63. Suleiman's third wife, Makhidevran (one of the Sultan's most famous wives), was the daughter of the Circassian prince Idar. She was born in Taman in 1498; her mother, Princess Nazkan-Begum, was the daughter of the Crimean Tatar ruler Mengli 1st Giray. Mahidevran met Suleiman in the winter of 1511 in Kaffa, where she was visiting her mother. Suleiman married Mahidevran a little later, on January 5, 1512 in Kaffa. At the end of the same year she gave birth to her first child, Sehzade Mahmud, in 1515 - Sehzade Mustafa, in 1518 - Sehzade Ahmed, in 1521 - Fatma Sultan and, finally, in 1525 - Raziy Sultan: at this time Mahidevran already was not Suleiman’s first favorite, since the Slavic slave Hurrem became his favorite concubine. It was assumed that Makhidevran was also named Gulbahar, but the certificate of payment to her was not given a second name. In historical documents Mahidevran is mentioned as Valide-i Şehzade-Sultan Mustafa Mahidevran Hatun. From the documentation of expenses (1521) it is clear that Gülbahar Hatun, mother of the deceased Shehzade Abdullah (orig.: Gülbahar Hatun mader-i mürdü Şehzade Sultan Abdullah), spent 120 akçe on her stables. Another document from 1532 states that 400 akche were granted to the brother of Gulbahar Khatun - Tahir aga from Ohrit. (orig.: padişah-ı mülkü alem Sultan Suleyman Han Hazretlerinin halile-i muhteremeleri Gülbahar Hatunun karındaşı Ohritli Tahir Ağa’nın şahsi hükmüne atayayı seniyyeden 400 Akça ihsan edildi). A letter dated 1554 states: “Gulbahar Kadriye, daughter of Hasan Bey and highly respected wife of Suleiman, Shah of the World, asks from her native state the sum of 90 aspers.” (orig. Gülbahar Kadriye binti Hasan Bey, harem-i muhtereme-i Cıhan-ı Şehinşah-ı Cihan-ı Suleyman Han, hane-i ahalisi içün 90 Asper mercuu eyler). This important document shows that Gulbahar's middle name was Kadriye. This proves that Mahidevran and Gulbahar are two completely different women. In a document from 1531, Gulbahar is referred to as Melekcihan (orig. Padişah-ı mülk Sultan Suleyman Han harem-i Arnavut nesebinden Kadriye Melekcihan Hatun). Around 1517 or 1518, a woman named Kumru Khatun appears in the harem, who is said to have been Suleiman's concubine. In a document from 1518, Kumru Khatun is mentioned among the influential ladies of the harem. But since 1533 her name has not been found in any historical documents, perhaps she died or was exiled. A certain Kumru Memdukha Khatun (died in 1561) was a servant of Mukrime Khatun. Presumably these two Kumru Khatuns are identical. Hurrem, whose real name was Alexandra Lisowska, was the daughter of a peasant from Ruthenia and was born in 1505 in eastern Poland. When she was very young, she was kidnapped by Cossacks and sold to the court of the Crimean Tatars in Bakhchisarai. She remained there for a short time, and then was sent along with other slaves to the Sultan's court. As soon as she arrived in the imperial harem, she became the Sultan's mistress. In the autumn of 1520 she was already pregnant with her first child, and in early 1521 she gave birth to Şehzade Mehmed. Over the next five years, she was constantly pregnant and gave birth every year: at the end of 1521 Mihrimah Sultan was born, in 1523 - Abdullah, in 1524 - Selim, and in 1525 - Bayezid. Six years passed after the birth of Bayezid, and she again gave birth to a son, Cihangir (in December 1530). The boy probably suffered from scoliosis, which progressed throughout his life and caused severe pain. With this group of children, Hurrem strengthened her position at court and replaced her rival Mahidevran, becoming the first favorite of the Sultan. A fight began between the two women over the future of their sons. Mahidevran lost this war because Hurrem, with the help of her daughter Mihrimah and son-in-law Rustem Pasha, convinced the Sultan that Mahidevran's son, Prince Mustafa, was a traitor. Suleiman executed Mustafa. After the assassination of Prince Mustafa on October 6, 1553 in Aktepe near Konya, the path to the throne was clear for Hurrem's sons, but she did not live to see her son Selim II become the 11th Ottoman Sultan. She died after a short illness on April 15, 1558 in Istanbul. Suleiman fell into a deep depression and allegedly mourned his beloved wife until his death. Little is known about Suleiman's last women. They say that while Hurrem was still alive, he took two concubines, with whom he had children. Around 1555, he chose Merziban Khatun, an Albanian, as his concubine, and around 1557, Meleksime Khatun, a Bosnian from Mostar. The power-hungry Venetian wife of the heir Selim, Nurbanu, did not tolerate rivals in the palace, especially since Suleiman had a son with Meleksime Khatun, and the boy could be considered as a contender for the throne. Shortly after the execution of Bayezid and his sons in 1561, the little prince died unexpectedly at the age of about seven, and his mother Meleksime, as well as Merziban, were forced to leave the palace. Apparently, Suleiman did not object, because since 1564 Meleksime lived in Edirne, and Merziban lived in Kizilagac. From 6 women, Suleiman had 22 children: From Mukrime Khatun: 1. Meryem (1510 - 1512) 2. Neslihan (1511 - 1512) 3. Murad (1519 - 1521) Gulbahar Khatun: 1. daughter - name unknown (1511 - 1520) 2. Abdullah (1520 - 1521) died of smallpox 3. Hafiza (1521 - about 1560) died a widow, the name of her husband is unknown. Mahidevran Khatun: 1. Mahmud (1512 – 1521) died of smallpox 2. Mustafa (1515 – 1553) 3. Ahmed (1518 – after 1534) date of death unknown, possibly around 1540 or later. It is unknown whether Prince Ahmed died of natural causes; murder is possible. 4. Fatma (1520 - 1572) was married to Gazi Hoxha Mehmed Pasha (died 1548). Mehmed Pasha was the son of Ghazi Yahya Pasha and Princess Shahzadi (daughter of Sultan Bayezid II). 5. Raziye (1525 – 1556) died a widow, the name of her husband is unknown. Hurrem Haseki Sultan: 1. Mehmed (1521 - 1543) 2. Mihrimah (1522 - 1578) 3. Abdullah (1523 - 1523) died in infancy 4. Selim II (1524 - 1574) 5. Bayazid (1525 - 1561) 6. Cihangir (1531 – 1553) Merziban Khatun: 1. Hatice (c. 1555 – after 1575) died in youth 2. son, whose name is unknown (ca. 1556 – c. 1563) this prince may have been killed. Meleksime Khatun: 1. Orhan? (about 1556 - 1562) in other sources he is called Mehmed. However, Sehzade Bayezid also had a son named Orhan, who was killed in Bursa around 1562. Confusion is quite possible. 2. Shahikhuban (1560 - about 1595) presumably she was married and had children.

All the sultans of the Ottoman Empire and the years of their reign are divided into several stages in history: from the period of creation to the formation of the republic. These time periods have almost exact boundaries in Ottoman history.

Formation of the Ottoman Empire

It is believed that the founders of the Ottoman state arrived in Asia Minor (Anatolia) from Central Asia (Turkmenistan) in the 20s of the 13th century. Sultan of the Seljuk Turks Keykubad II provided them with areas near the cities of Ankara and Segut for their residence.

The Seljuk Sultanate perished in 1243 under the attacks of the Mongols. Since 1281, Osman came to power in the possession allocated to the Turkmen (beylik), who pursued a policy of expanding his beylik: he captured small towns, proclaimed ghazawat - a holy war with the infidels (Byzantines and others). Osman partially subjugates the territory of Western Anatolia, in 1326 he takes the city of Bursa and makes it the capital of the empire.

In 1324, Osman I Gazi dies. He was buried in Bursa. The inscription on the grave became a prayer said by the Ottoman sultans upon ascending the throne.

Successors of the Ottoman dynasty:

Expanding the borders of the empire

In the middle of the 15th century. The period of the most active expansion of the Ottoman Empire began. At this time, the empire was headed by:

Mehmed II the Conqueror - reigned 1444 - 1446. and in 1451 - 1481. At the end of May 1453, he captured and plundered Constantinople. He moved the capital to the plundered city. St. Sophia Cathedral was converted into the main temple of Islam. At the request of the Sultan, the residences of the Orthodox Greek and Armenian patriarchs, as well as the chief Jewish rabbi, were located in Istanbul. Under Mehmed II, the autonomy of Serbia was terminated, Bosnia was subordinated, and Crimea was annexed. The death of the Sultan prevented the capture of Rome. The Sultan did not value human life at all, but he wrote poetry and created the first poetic duvan.
Bayezid II the Saint (Dervish) - reigned from 1481 to 1512. Almost never fought. Stopped the tradition of the Sultan's personal leadership of troops. He patronized culture and wrote poetry. He died, transferring power to his son.
Selim I the Terrible (Merciless) - reigned from 1512 to 1520. He began his reign by destroying his closest competitors. Brutally suppressed the Shiite uprising. Captured Kurdistan, western Armenia, Syria, Palestine, Arabia and Egypt. A poet whose poems were subsequently published by the German Emperor Wilhelm II.
Suleiman I Kanuni (Lawgiver) - reigned from 1520 to 1566. Expanded the borders to Budapest, the upper Nile and the Strait of Gibraltar, the Tigris and Euphrates, Baghdad and Georgia. Conducted many government reforms. The last 20 years have passed under the influence of the concubine and then the wife of Roksolana. He is the most prolific among the sultans in poetic creativity. He died during a campaign in Hungary.
Selim II the Drunkard - reigned from 1566 to 1574. There was an addiction to alcohol. A talented poet. During this reign, the first conflict between the Ottoman Empire and the Principality of Moscow and the first major defeat at sea occurred. The only expansion of the empire was the capture of Fr. Cyprus. He died from hitting his head on stone slabs in a bathhouse.
Murad III - on the throne from 1574 to 1595. A “lover” of numerous concubines and a corrupt official who was practically not involved in managing the empire. During his reign, Tiflis was captured, and imperial troops reached Dagestan and Azerbaijan.
Mehmed III - reigned from 1595 to 1603. Record holder for the destruction of competitors for the throne - on his orders, 19 brothers, their pregnant women and son were killed.
Ahmed I - reigned from 1603 to 1617. The reign is characterized by a leapfrog of senior officials, who were often replaced at the request of the harem. The Empire lost Transcaucasia and Baghdad.
Mustafa I - reigned from 1617 to 1618. and from 1622 to 1623. He was considered a saint for his dementia and sleepwalking. I spent 14 years in prison.
Osman II - reigned from 1618 to 1622. Enthroned at the age of 14 by the Janissaries. He was pathologically cruel. After the defeat near Khotin from the Zaporozhye Cossacks, he was killed by the Janissaries for attempting to escape with the treasury.
Murad IV - reigned from 1622 to 1640. At the cost of great blood, he brought order to the corps of the Janissaries, destroyed the dictatorship of the viziers, and cleared the courts and government apparatus of corrupt officials. Returned Erivan and Baghdad to the empire. Before his death, he ordered the death of his brother Ibrahim, the last of the Ottomanids. Died of wine and fever.
Ibrahim ruled from 1640 to 1648. Weak and weak-willed, cruel and wasteful, greedy for female caresses. Deposed and strangled by the Janissaries with the support of the clergy.
Mehmed IV the Hunter - reigned from 1648 to 1687. Proclaimed Sultan at age 6. The true administration of the state was carried out by the grand viziers, especially in the early years. During the first period of reign, the empire strengthened its military power, conquered about. Crete. The second period was not so successful - the Battle of St. Gotthard was lost, Vienna was not taken, the Janissaries revolt and the overthrow of the Sultan.
Suleiman II - reigned from 1687 to 1691. Enthroned by the Janissaries.
Ahmed II - reigned from 1691 to 1695. Enthroned by the Janissaries.
Mustafa II - reigned from 1695 to 1703. Enthroned by the Janissaries. The first partition of the Ottoman Empire by the Treaty of Karlowitz in 1699 and the Treaty of Constantinople with Russia in 1700.
Ahmed III - reigned from 1703 to 1730. He sheltered Hetman Mazepa and Charles XII after the Battle of Poltava. During his reign, the war with Venice and Austria was lost, part of his possessions in Eastern Europe, as well as Algeria and Tunisia, were lost.

In the article we will describe in detail the Women's Sultanate. We will talk about its representatives and their rule, about assessments of this period in history.

Before examining the Women's Sultanate in detail, let's say a few words about the state itself in which it was observed. This is necessary to fit the period of interest to us into the context of history.

The Ottoman Empire is otherwise called the Ottoman Empire. It was founded in 1299. It was then that Osman I Ghazi, who became the first Sultan, declared the territory of a small state independent from the Seljuks. However, some sources report that the title of Sultan was first officially accepted only by Murad I, his grandson.

Rise of the Ottoman Empire

The reign of Suleiman I the Magnificent (from 1521 to 1566) is considered the heyday of the Ottoman Empire. A portrait of this sultan is presented above. In the 16th and 17th centuries, the Ottoman state was one of the most powerful in the world. The territory of the empire by 1566 included lands located from the Persian city of Baghdad in the east and Hungarian Budapest in the north to Mecca in the south and Algeria in the west. The influence of this state in the region began to gradually increase from the 17th century. The Empire finally collapsed after losing the First World War.

The role of women in government

For 623 years, the Ottoman dynasty ruled the country's lands, from 1299 to 1922, when the monarchy ceased to exist. Women in the empire we are interested in, unlike the monarchies of Europe, were not allowed to govern the state. However, this situation existed in all Islamic countries.

However, in the history of the Ottoman Empire there is a period called the Women's Sultanate. At this time, representatives of the fair sex actively participated in government. Many famous historians have tried to understand what the Sultanate of Women is and to comprehend its role. We invite you to take a closer look at this interesting period in history.

The term "Female Sultanate"

This term was first proposed to be used in 1916 by Ahmet Refik Altynay, a Turkish historian. It appears in the book of this scientist. His work is called “Women’s Sultanate”. And in our time, debates continue about the impact this period had on the development of the Ottoman Empire. There is disagreement as to what is the main reason for this phenomenon, which is so unusual in the Islamic world. Scientists also argue about who should be considered the first representative of the Women's Sultanate.

Causes

Some historians believe that this period was generated by the end of the campaigns. It is known that the system of conquering lands and obtaining military spoils was based precisely on them. Other scholars believe that the Sultanate of Women in the Ottoman Empire arose due to the struggle to repeal the Law of Succession issued by Fatih. According to this law, all the Sultan's brothers must be executed after ascending to the throne. It didn't matter what their intentions were. Historians who adhere to this opinion consider Hurrem Sultan to be the first representative of the Women's Sultanate.

Khurem Sultan

This woman (her portrait is presented above) was the wife of Suleiman I. It was she who in 1521, for the first time in the history of the state, began to bear the title “Haseki Sultan”. Translated, this phrase means “most beloved wife.”

Let's tell you more about Hurrem Sultan, with whose name the Women's Sultanate in Turkey is often associated. Her real name is Lisovskaya Alexandra (Anastasia). In Europe, this woman is known as Roksolana. She was born in 1505 in Western Ukraine (Rohatina). In 1520, Hurrem Sultan came to the Topkapi Palace in Istanbul. Here Suleiman I, the Turkish Sultan, gave Alexandra a new name - Hurrem. This word from Arabic can be translated as “bringing joy.” Suleiman I, as we have already said, bestowed on this woman the title “Haseki Sultan.” Alexandra Lisovskaya received great power. It became even stronger in 1534, when the Sultan's mother died. From that time on, Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska began to manage the harem.

It should be noted that this woman was very educated for her time. She spoke several foreign languages, so she answered letters from influential nobles, foreign rulers and artists. In addition, Hurrem Haseki Sultan received foreign ambassadors. Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska was actually a political adviser to Suleiman I. Her husband spent a significant part of his time on campaigns, so she often had to take on his responsibilities.

Ambiguity in assessing the role of Hurrem Sultan

Not all scholars agree that this woman should be considered a representative of the Women's Sultanate. One of the main arguments they present is that each of the representatives of this period in history was characterized by the following two points: the short reign of the sultans and the presence of the title “valide” (mother of the sultan). None of them refer to Hurrem. She did not live eight years to receive the title "valide". Moreover, it would be simply absurd to believe that the reign of Sultan Suleiman I was short, because he ruled for 46 years. However, it would be wrong to call his reign a “decline.” But the period we are interested in is considered to be a consequence of precisely the “decline” of the empire. It was the poor state of affairs in the state that gave birth to the Women's Sultanate in the Ottoman Empire.

Mihrimah replaced the deceased Hurrem (her grave is pictured above), becoming the leader of the Topkapi harem. It is also believed that this woman influenced her brother. However, she cannot be called a representative of the Women's Sultanate.

And who can rightfully be included among them? We present to your attention a list of rulers.

Women's Sultanate of the Ottoman Empire: list of representatives

For the reasons mentioned above, the majority of historians believe that there were only four representatives.

The first of them is Nurbanu Sultan (years of life - 1525-1583). She was Venetian by origin, the name of this woman was Cecilia Venier-Baffo.
The second representative is Safiye Sultan (about 1550 - 1603). She is also a Venetian whose real name is Sofia Baffo.
The third representative is Kesem Sultan (years of life - 1589 - 1651). Her origins are not known for sure, but she was presumably a Greek woman, Anastasia.
And the last, fourth representative is Turkhan Sultan (years of life - 1627-1683). This woman is a Ukrainian named Nadezhda.

Turhan Sultan and Kesem Sultan

When the Ukrainian Nadezhda turned 12 years old, the Crimean Tatars captured her. They sold it to Ker Suleiman Pasha. He, in turn, resold the woman to Valide Kesem, the mother of Ibrahim I, a mentally disabled ruler. There is a film called "Mahpaker", which tells about the life of this sultan and his mother, who was actually at the head of the empire. She had to manage all the affairs as Ibrahim I was mentally retarded and therefore could not perform his duties properly.

This ruler ascended the throne in 1640, at the age of 25. Such an important event for the state occurred after the death of Murad IV, his elder brother (for whom Kesem Sultan also ruled the country in the early years). Murad IV was the last sultan of the Ottoman dynasty. Therefore, Kesem was forced to solve the problems of further rule.

Question of succession to the throne

It would seem that getting an heir if you have a large harem is not at all difficult. However, there was one catch. It was that the weak-minded Sultan had an unusual taste and his own ideas about female beauty. Ibrahim I (his portrait is presented above) preferred very fat women. Chronicle records of those years have been preserved, which mention one concubine he liked. Her weight was about 150 kg. From this we can assume that Turhan, which his mother gave to her son, also had considerable weight. Perhaps that's why Kesem bought it.

Fight of two Valides

It is unknown how many children were born to Ukrainian Nadezhda. But it is known that it was she who was the first of the other concubines to give him a son, Mehmed. This happened in January 1642. Mehmed was recognized as the heir to the throne. After the death of Ibrahim I, who died as a result of the coup, he became the new sultan. However, by this time he was only 6 years old. Turhan, his mother, was legally required to receive the title "valide", which would have elevated her to the pinnacle of power. However, everything did not turn out in her favor. Her mother-in-law, Kesem Sultan, did not want to give in to her. She achieved what no other woman could do. She became Valide Sultan for the third time. This woman was the only one in history who had this title under the reigning grandson.

But the fact of her reign haunted Turkhan. In the palace for three years (from 1648 to 1651), scandals flared up and intrigues were woven. In September 1651, 62-year-old Kesem was found strangled. She gave her place to Turhan.

End of the Women's Sultanate

So, according to most historians, the start date of the Women's Sultanate is 1574. It was then that Nurban Sultan was given the title of Valida. The period of interest to us ended in 1687, after the accession to the throne of Sultan Suleiman II. Already in adulthood, he received supreme power, 4 years after Turhan Sultan, who became the last influential Valide, died.

This woman died in 1683, at the age of 55-56 years. Her remains were buried in a tomb in a mosque that she had completed. However, not 1683, but 1687 is considered the official end date of the period of the Women's Sultanate. It was then that at the age of 45 he was overthrown from the throne. This happened as a result of a conspiracy that was organized by Koprulu, the son of the Grand Vizier. Thus ended the sultanate of women. Mehmed spent another 5 years in prison and died in 1693.

Why has the role of women in governing the country increased?

Among the main reasons why the role of women in government has increased, several can be identified. One of them is the love of the sultans for the fair sex. Another is the influence that their mother had on the sons. Another reason is that the sultans were incapacitated at the time of their accession to the throne. One can also note the deceit and intrigue of women and the usual coincidence of circumstances. Another important factor is that the grand viziers changed frequently. Their duration of office in the early 17th century averaged just over a year. This naturally contributed to chaos and political fragmentation in the empire.

Beginning in the 18th century, sultans began to ascend the throne at a fairly mature age. The mothers of many of them died before their children became rulers. Others were so old that they were no longer able to fight for power and participate in solving important state issues. It can be said that by the middle of the 18th century, valides no longer played a special role at court. They did not participate in government.

Estimates of the Women's Sultanate period

The female sultanate in the Ottoman Empire is assessed very ambiguously. Representatives of the fair sex, who were once slaves and were able to rise to the status of valide, were often not prepared to conduct political affairs. In their selection of candidates and their appointment to important positions, they relied mainly on the advice of those close to them. The choice was often based not on the abilities of certain individuals or their loyalty to the ruling dynasty, but on their ethnic loyalty.

On the other hand, the Women's Sultanate in the Ottoman Empire had its positive sides. Thanks to him, it was possible to maintain the monarchical order characteristic of this state. It was based on the fact that all sultans should be from the same dynasty. The incompetence or personal shortcomings of rulers (such as the cruel Sultan Murad IV, whose portrait is shown above, or the mentally ill Ibrahim I) were compensated by the influence and power of their mothers or women. However, one cannot fail to take into account that the actions of women carried out during this period contributed to the stagnation of the empire. This applies to a greater extent to Turhan Sultan. Mehmed IV, her son, lost the Battle of Vienna on September 11, 1683.

Finally

In general, we can say that in our time there is no unambiguous and generally accepted historical assessment of the influence that the Women's Sultanate had on the development of the empire. Some scholars believe that the rule of the fair sex pushed the state to its death. Others believe that it was more a consequence than a cause of the country's decline. However, one thing is clear: the women of the Ottoman Empire had much less influence and were much further from absolutism than their modern rulers in Europe (for example, Elizabeth I and Catherine II).

Any Hollywood script pales in comparison with the life path of Roksolana, who became the most influential woman in the history of the great empire. Her powers, contrary to Turkish laws and Islamic canons, could only be compared with the capabilities of the Sultan himself. Roksolana became not just a wife, she was a co-ruler; They didn’t listen to her opinion; it was the only one that was correct and legal.
Anastasia Gavrilovna Lisovskaya (born c. 1506 - d. c. 1562) was the daughter of the priest Gavrila Lisovsky from Rohatyn, a small town in Western Ukraine, located southwest of Ternopil. In the 16th century, this territory belonged to the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and was constantly subject to devastating raids by the Crimean Tatars. During one of them, in the summer of 1522, the young daughter of a clergyman was caught by a detachment of robbers. Legend has it that the misfortune happened just before Anastasia's wedding.
First, the captive ended up in Crimea - this is the usual route for all slaves. The Tatars did not drive valuable “live goods” on foot across the steppe, but carried them on horseback under vigilant guard, without even tying their hands, so as not to spoil the delicate girl’s skin with ropes. Most sources say that the Crimeans, struck by the beauty of Polonyanka, decided to send the girl to Istanbul, hoping to sell her profitably at one of the largest slave markets in the Muslim East.

“Giovane, ma non bella” (“young, but ugly”), Venetian nobles said about her in 1526, but “graceful and short in stature.” None of her contemporaries, contrary to legend, called Roksolana a beauty.
The captive was sent to the capital of the sultans on a large felucca, and the owner himself took her to sell her - history has not preserved his name. On the very first day, when the Horde took the captive to the market, she accidentally caught the eye of the all-powerful vizier of the young Sultan Suleiman I, the noble Rustem, who happened to be there - Pasha. Again, the legend says that the Turk was struck by the dazzling beauty of the girl, and he decided to buy her to give a gift to the Sultan.
As can be seen from the portraits and confirmations of contemporaries, beauty clearly has nothing to do with it - I can call this coincidence of circumstances with only one word - Fate.
During this era, the sultan was Suleiman I the Magnificent (Luxurious), who ruled from 1520 to 1566, considered the greatest sultan of the Ottoman dynasty. During the years of his rule, the empire reached the apogee of its development, including all of Serbia with Belgrade, most of Hungary, the island of Rhodes, significant territories in North Africa to the borders of Morocco and the Middle East. Europe gave the Sultan the nickname Magnificent, while in the Muslim world he is more often called Kanuni, which translated from Turkish means Lawgiver. “Such greatness and nobility,” the report of the 16th-century Venetian ambassador Marini Sanuto wrote about Suleiman, “was also adorned by the fact that he, unlike his father and many other sultans, had no inclination towards pederasty.” An honest ruler and uncompromising fighter against bribery, he encouraged the development of the arts and philosophy, and was also considered a skilled poet and blacksmith - few European monarchs could compete with Suleiman I.
According to the laws of faith, the padishah could have four legal wives. The children of the first of them became heirs to the throne. Or rather, one firstborn inherited the throne, and the rest often faced a sad fate: all possible contenders for supreme power were subject to destruction.
In addition to wives, the Commander of the Faithful had any number of concubines that his soul desired and his flesh required. At different times, under different sultans, from several hundred to a thousand or more women lived in the harem, each of whom was certainly an amazing beauty. In addition to women, the harem consisted of a whole staff of castrati eunuchs, maids of various ages, chiropractors, midwives, masseuses, doctors and the like. But no one except the padishah himself could encroach on the beauties belonging to him. All this complex and hectic economy was supervised by the “chief of the girls” - the eunuch of Kyzlyaragassy.
However, amazing beauty alone was not enough: the girls destined for the padishah’s harem were required to be taught music, dancing, Muslim poetry and, of course, the art of love. Naturally, the course of love sciences was theoretical, and the practice was taught by experienced old women and women experienced in all the intricacies of sex.
Now let’s return to Roksolana, so Rustem Pasha decided to buy the Slavic beauty. But her Krymchak owner refused to sell Anastasia and presented her as a gift to the all-powerful courtier, rightly expecting to receive for this not only an expensive return gift, as is customary in the East, but also considerable benefits.
Rustem Pasha ordered it to be fully prepared as a gift to the Sultan, in turn hoping to achieve even greater favor with him. The padishah was young; he ascended the throne only in 1520 and greatly appreciated female beauty, and not just as a contemplator.
In the harem, Anastasia receives the name Khurrem (laughing). And for the Sultan, she always remained only Khurrem. Roksolana, the name under which she went down in history, is just the name of the Sarmatian tribes in the 2nd-4th centuries AD, who roamed the steppes between the Dnieper and Don, translated from Latin as “Russian”. Roksolana will often be called, both during her life and after her death, nothing more than “Rusynka” - a native of Rus' or Roxolanii, as Ukraine was previously called.

The mystery of the birth of love between the Sultan and a fifteen-year-old unknown captive will remain unsolved. After all, there was a strict hierarchy in the harem, and anyone who violated it would face severe punishment. Often - death. The female recruits - adzhemi, step by step, first became jariye, then shagird, gedikli and usta. No one except the mouth had the right to be in the Sultan's chambers. Only the mother of the ruling sultan, the valide sultan, had absolute power within the harem, and decided who and when to share a bed with the sultan from her mouth. How Roksolana managed to occupy the Sultan’s monastery almost immediately will forever remain a mystery.
There is a legend about how Hurrem came to the attention of the Sultan. When new slaves (more beautiful and expensive than she) were introduced to the Sultan, a small figure suddenly flew into the circle of dancing odalisques and, pushing away the “soloist,” laughed. And then she sang her song. The harem lived according to cruel laws. And the eunuchs were waiting for only one sign - what to prepare for the girl - clothes for the Sultan’s bedroom or a cord used to strangle the slaves. The Sultan was intrigued and surprised. And that same evening, Khurrem received the Sultan’s scarf - a sign that in the evening he was waiting for her in his bedroom. Having interested the Sultan with her silence, she asked for only one thing - the right to visit the Sultan’s library. The Sultan was shocked, but allowed it. When he returned from a military campaign some time later, Khurrem already spoke several languages. She dedicated poems to her Sultan and even wrote books. This was unprecedented at that time, and instead of respect it aroused fear. Her learning, plus the fact that the Sultan spent all his nights with her, created Khurrem's lasting fame as a witch. They said about Roksolana that she bewitched the Sultan with the help of evil spirits. And in fact he was bewitched.
“Finally, let us unite with soul, thoughts, imagination, will, heart, everything that I left mine in you and took with me yours, oh my only love!”, the Sultan wrote in a letter to Roksolana. “My lord, your absence has kindled a fire in me that does not go out. Have pity on this suffering soul and hurry up your letter so that I can find at least a little consolation in it,” answered Khurrem.
Roksolana greedily absorbed everything that she was taught in the palace, took everything that life gave her. Historians testify that after some time she actually mastered the Turkish, Arabic and Persian languages, learned to dance perfectly, recite her contemporaries, and also play according to the rules of the foreign, cruel country in which she lived. Following the rules of her new homeland, Roksolana converted to Islam.
Her main trump card was that Rustem Pasha, thanks to whom she got to the palace of the padishah, received her as a gift, and did not buy her. In turn, he did not sell it to the kyzlyaragassa, who replenished the harem, but gave it to Suleiman. This means that Roxalana remained a free woman and could lay claim to the role of the padishah’s wife. According to the laws of the Ottoman Empire, a slave could never, under any circumstances, become the wife of the Commander of the Faithful.
A few years later, Suleiman enters into an official marriage with her according to Muslim rites, elevates her to the rank of bash-kadyna - the main (and in fact, the only) wife and addresses her “Haseki,” which means “dear to the heart.”
Roksolana’s incredible position at the Sultan’s court amazed both Asia and Europe. Her education made scientists bow to her, she received foreign ambassadors, responded to messages from foreign sovereigns, influential nobles and artists. She not only came to terms with the new faith, but also gained fame as a zealous orthodox Muslim, which earned her considerable respect at court.
One day, the Florentines placed a ceremonial portrait of Hurrem, for which she posed for a Venetian artist, in an art gallery. It was the only female portrait among the images of hook-nosed, bearded sultans in huge turbans. “There was never another woman in the Ottoman palace who had such power” - Venetian ambassador Navajero, 1533.
Lisovskaya gives birth to the Sultan four sons (Mohammed, Bayazet, Selim, Jehangir) and a daughter, Khamerie. But Mustafa, the eldest son of the padishah’s first wife, Circassian Gulbekhar, was still officially considered the heir to the throne. She and her children became mortal enemies of the power-hungry and treacherous Roxalana.

Lisovskaya understood perfectly well: until her son became the heir to the throne or sat on the throne of the padishahs, her own position was constantly under threat. At any moment, Suleiman could be carried away by a new beautiful concubine and make her his legal wife, and order one of the old wives to be executed: in the harem, an unwanted wife or concubine was put alive in a leather bag, an angry cat and a poisonous snake were thrown in there, the bag was tied and a special stone chute was used to lower him with a tied stone into the waters of the Bosphorus. The guilty considered it lucky if they were simply quickly strangled with a silk cord.
Therefore, Roxalana prepared for a very long time and began to act actively and cruelly only after almost fifteen years!
Her daughter turned twelve years old, and she decided to marry her to... Rustem Pasha, who was already over fifty. But he was in great favor at court, close to the throne of the padishah and, most importantly, was something of a mentor and “godfather” to the heir to the throne, Mustafa, the son of the Circassian Gulbehar, Suleiman’s first wife.
Roxalana's daughter grew up with a similar face and chiseled figure to her beautiful mother, and Rustem Pasha with great pleasure became related to the Sultan - this is a very high honor for a courtier. Women were not forbidden to see each other, and the sultana deftly found out from her daughter about everything that was happening in the house of Rustem Pasha, literally collecting the information she needed bit by bit. Finally, Lisovskaya decided it was time to strike the fatal blow!
During a meeting with her husband, Roxalana secretly informed the Commander of the Faithful about the “terrible conspiracy.” Merciful Allah granted her time to learn about the secret plans of the conspirators and allowed her to warn her adored husband about the danger that threatened him: Rustem Pasha and the sons of Gulbehar planned to take the life of the padishah and take possession of the throne, placing Mustafa on it!
The intriguer knew well where and how to strike - the mythical “conspiracy” was quite plausible: in the East during the time of the sultans, bloody palace coups were the most common thing. In addition, Roxalana cited as an irrefutable argument the true words of Rustem Pasha, Mustafa and other “conspirators” that the daughter of Anastasia and the Sultan heard. Therefore, the seeds of evil fell on fertile soil!
Rustem Pasha was immediately taken into custody, and an investigation began: Pasha was terribly tortured. Perhaps he incriminated himself and others under torture. But even if he was silent, this only confirmed the padishah in the actual existence of a “conspiracy.” After torture, Rustem Pasha was beheaded.
Only Mustafa and his brothers were spared - they were an obstacle to the throne of Roxalana’s first-born, red-haired Selim, and for this reason they simply had to die! Constantly instigated by his wife, Suleiman agreed and gave the order to kill his children! The Prophet forbade the shedding of the blood of the padishahs and their heirs, so Mustafa and his brothers were strangled with a green silk twisted cord. Gulbehar went crazy with grief and soon died.
The cruelty and injustice of her son struck Valide Khamse, the mother of Padishah Suleiman, who came from the family of the Crimean khans Giray. At the meeting, she told her son everything she thought about the “conspiracy,” the execution, and her son’s beloved wife Roxalana. It is not surprising that after this Valide Khamse, the Sultan’s mother, lived for less than a month: the East knows a lot about poisons!
The Sultana went even further: she ordered to find in the harem and throughout the country other sons of Suleiman, whom wives and concubines gave birth to, and to take the lives of all of them! As it turned out, the Sultan had about forty sons - all of them, some secretly, some openly, were killed by order of Lisovskaya.
Thus, over forty years of marriage, Roksolana managed the almost impossible. She was proclaimed the first wife, and her son Selim became the heir. But the sacrifices did not stop there. Roksolana's two youngest sons were strangled. Some sources accuse her of involvement in these murders - allegedly this was done in order to strengthen the position of her beloved son Selim. However, reliable data about this tragedy has never been found.
She was no longer able to see her son ascend the throne, becoming Sultan Selim II. He reigned after the death of his father for only eight years - from 1566 to 1574 - and, although the Koran forbids drinking wine, he was a terrible alcoholic! His heart once simply could not withstand the constant excessive libations, and in the memory of the people he remained as Sultan Selim the drunkard!
No one will ever know what the true feelings of the famous Roksolana were. What is it like for a young girl to find herself in slavery, in a foreign country, with a foreign faith imposed on her. Not only not to break, but also to grow into the mistress of the empire, gaining glory throughout Asia and Europe. Trying to erase shame and humiliation from her memory, Roksolana ordered the slave market to be hidden and a mosque, madrasah and almshouse to be erected in its place. That mosque and hospital in the almshouse building still bear the name of Haseki, as well as the surrounding area of the city.
Her name, shrouded in myths and legends, sung by her contemporaries and covered in black glory, remains forever in history. Nastasia Lisovskaya, whose fate could be similar to hundreds of thousands of the same Nastya, Khristin, Oles, Mari. But life decreed otherwise. No one knows how much grief, tears and misfortunes Nastasya endured on the way to Roksolana. However, for the Muslim world she will remain Hurrem - LAUGHING.
Roksolana died either in 1558 or 1561. Suleiman I - in 1566. He managed to complete the construction of the majestic Suleymaniye Mosque - one of the largest architectural monuments of the Ottoman Empire - near which Roksolana’s ashes rest in an octagonal stone tomb, next to the also octagonal tomb of the Sultan. This tomb has stood for more than four hundred years. Inside, under the high dome, Suleiman ordered to carve alabaster rosettes and decorate each of them with a priceless emerald, Roksolana’s favorite gem.
When Suleiman died, his tomb was also decorated with emeralds, forgetting that his favorite stone was ruby.