#Şah Sultan (Daughter of Hafsa)

[magnificentlyreused]

This tiara was first worn by Şah Sultan in the twenty-eighth episode of the third season of Magnificent Century. It was used again on Gülfem Hatun in the sixth episode of the fourth season.

The tiara appeared also on Akile Hanim in the twenty-ninth episode of the first season of Magnificent Century: Kösem.

[redxluna]

Had a reason to return to a certain bit from within the series again that, the longer I sat with it, the more I found to unpack about it.

It’s a moment that, at its heart, speaks to the disconnect that exists between how Hürrem’s enemies are inclined to perceive her and her actual behavior. Because, after hearing the role of Mihrimah in stopping Firuze from being able to have a favored trip with the sultan, there’s only one person Hatice believes to be to blame. And, spoiler alert, it’s not her niece.

Now, of course, there’s an entire separate discussion to be had about the praise Mustafa receives for such behavior and the comparative shame Hürrem’s children receive. However, the bigger issue is that, as the all seeing eye of the show, the viewers know this to be an utter falsehood. After all, Hürrem, as a mother has a very firm rule when it comes to her children—they will not go against their dynasty family members, not even for her.

In listening to this over, however, I realized how incredibly similar this sounds to another mother of the harem. One who, in this case, was also rebuking her daughter for questioning the decisions of a reigning sultan.

In regards to the Firuze arc, it’s always seemed as though, while trying to hurt Hürrem as she herself was (out of blaming the wrong person for Ibrahim’s misdeeds), Hatice is trying to emulate her mother. It’s something she never manages to master as well as she thinks she does (out of the sisters, only Şah ever truly does so to me). So, it’s extra interesting to me to find this connection to Ayşe Hafsa to Hürrem over her own daughter.

I do, however, think that there’s a true, solid reason for that. Because, despite most certainly respecting them and wishing to be like them, the very difference in status between an Imperial princess and her mother makes that difficult. So, much like with Nurbanu being a greater reflection of Hürrem than her own daughter, it makes sense for the same to happen with Ayşe Hafsa and Hürrem (and Mahidevran, for that matter!).

[awkward-sultana]

Like mother, like daughter (requested by anonymous)

[mc-critical]

I don't know if it was asked before, but what do you think about Valide and Beyhan Sultan? I know she is not her real daughter in history, but in the show she still called her daughter and in episode 102 Hatice said they have the same mother and father. Yet...I think Valide was a little more careless to her if you compare her love for Hatice. Show didn't give us many details about Beyhan and her past, but for a mother who got sick just after hearing her daughter got betrayed (Hatice-Ibrahim), her reaction and care for Beyhan after Beyhan's husband death seemed...low and weak to me. Maybe it's because she is older, or wasn't with her for years like Hatice, what do you think? :)

I never got such an ask before, don't worry. :)

Valide wasn't shown to be that close to her daughters other than Hatice, but this could be more because of their place of introduction - Şah and Fatma got introduced in the third and fourth seasons respectively and that was when Valide was dead, hence leaving us with no chance to flesh her relationship with them out. Still it's weird that they got no more than a passing mention by Valide and that was in her monologue in E58. In the case of Beyhan, I feel it has more to do with Beyhan's prominence in the story - she was (unfortunately) barely around and when she was around, she was usually around for emotional support to other characters, which also didn't truly allow a detailed development. Not to mention that Beyhan was usually supporting Hatice, her most fleshed out relationship which consisted of separate scenes between them and limited even further her interactions with her mother. The sisters so often seemed to be a family that's independent of Valide, even though they consider her a part of it as well, maybe because they can share stuff with each other that Hafsa would reprimand them for or simply not understand. It's like the dynastic family learns to rely on each other first and foremost, something both Şah and Hatice advocated for and Beyhan seemed to be on board with. No matter how strong her will to cut her family out was after the execution of her husband was, she didn't cut Hatice or Şah out, even when she appeared to resent Hatice as much as Hafsa from trying to distract her while SS was executing the punishment of her husband to the point of claiming she would understand only when SS executes Ibrahim, too.

Despite of any and all shortcomings, Beyhan was the second closest daughter to Hafsa. It's true that they didn't get much chance to interact - just like Şah and Fatma, Beyhan was far from the harem and had a very solid life for so long. They were miles apart and she could visit only so much, but still they were always happy to see each other. Beyhan also holds family in a high regard and is shown to be a very stable and mature character for the little screentime she had. It's probable Valide took Hatice in her wing because of the death and misery she experienced, in contrast to Beyhan's relatively calm life far away. There's clearly a strive for protection of the daughter that seemed to have experienced more sorrow and not have a marriage where she could take her own life into her hands. Sure, at first Valide thought that's the reason for her sorrow (and it was, along with her love for Ibrahim, rendered impossible by the customs in the harem in her eyes) and tried to marry her as soon as possible, but there's a hint of favoritism Beyhan is aware of and mentioned to Şah - that Hatice is Valide's favourite daughter, the one closest to her, the one who is inspired by her and the biggest witness of the dynastic virtues Valide had and wanted everyone else to follow. Hatice being alongside Valide the most out of every other daughter of hers would normally trigger another kind of sentiment, different than anything else she had with the others. Being together everyday and being a long distance away does make a difference. And since Valide knew Beyhan was fine (before E21), she had no reason or need to bond with her all the more or visit her that much all these years before E21 happened (Beyhan visited instead). The system encourages the dynastic sultanas to have a separate life outside of the castle and that's something that's considered normal both for Valide and Beyhan, so why would that be of worry? They still had a pretty decent connection for such circumstances. As seen in E14 and E21, Valide and Beyhan were pretty fine until that scene happened.

Beyhan confronting everyone after her husband's execution is a very important scene for her, because all of her familial ties seem to be breaking apart. She is shown to be a big emotional support to everyone else afterwards, but here, it's like no one fully understood what she went through. Similarly to the way they were trying to help Hatice get over Ibrahim in S03, here Beyhan appears to feel the same Hatice felt. They were trying the way they knew how, but they weren't helping. And what's worse, while with Hatice they were mostly saying that it would pass, with Beyhan they try to justify SS's decision. They're right, yes, because the audience knows that he was a continuous traitor, but Beyhan didn't and couldn't see it that way (at least not yet) and they didn't understand. Only Hatice tried to understand, but to Beyhan that all was just empty words, because Hatice was trying to empathize, but how could she empathize when she doesn't know the actual extent of that pain? Valide also didn't understand. And she couldn't understand. She wasn't truly willing to go beyond what had to be done and consolation while justifying the object of Beyhan's rage would in no way work at that moment. Beyhan was indeed disappointed by everyone then, which caused her to detach herself to all these alleged familial values, because that was almost fully destroyed. And while SS was the most culpable in this aspect and Beyhan was aware of that, Valide (and Hatice) also plays a part in this with her bad attempts to console. And Beyhan's actions are totally understandable.

Still, we should note that Valide didn't react in the same way she did when she found out about Ibrahim's affair, because the situations were inherently different. Ibrahim's infidelity seemed to be both a bigger and more personal issue than Ferhat's execution. Or actually, Ferhat's execution was a necessity regardless, in spite of Beyhan's feelings, something that needed to be done for "the order to be kept" after so many betrayals from the pasha, while with Ibrahim we have a situation with a whole cascade of consequences and many, too ruthless executions. It would not only hurt Hatice's feelings, but it would distort all the balance and piece of the dynasty in a massive way. We once again circle back to Beyhan being more stable as a character, we see that, but Valide also knows that and she may not have expected Beyhan to want to cut herself out from everyone like that. She expected her to understand the necessity of the execution anyway, but with Hatice she knew that wouldn't be possible because of all she suffered because of Ibrahim and the fragile state of her mind. Beyhan was different in that regard and even though they lived far from each other, I believe Valide knew that about her daughter. And we see that Beyhan did the right call in cutting herself out for a bit and took things far better than Hatice did when it came to her husband's death because of it.

We should hand it to Hafsa for still trying numerous times to stop Ferhat's execution before it happened. It showed that she was perfectly able to take and did take the feelings of her children into consideration, because she knew that would hurt Beyhan in some ways and used that as an argument in front of SS. This even made him wait and postpone the decision as much as he could. But really, Valide took account of Beyhan's feelings, but I feel her reaction went past her worst expectations. There is also the angle of Valide's motherhood and value of family being in conflict with her immense care for tradition. (both layers of her character were in accordance in Hatice's case.)

And ultimately, Beyhan realized that a punishment for her husband was in order (but exile, not execution!), reunited with Hatice, regretting her earlier words to her, and came to mourn Hafsa after all, but the wound still remained and I don't think she let it go completely. She didn't come in the harem (except for E84 when Hatice called Hürrem out for the entertainment), which could mean that there's a part of her that would never go back there because of the lingering memory. And that included both SS and Valide.

[mihrunnisasultans]

Opinion on

Sah sultan? Her influence and power? how powerful do u think she was and if she stayed could she have defeated mihrimah? or hurrem?

I really loved Şah’s character. And I think her character gets frequently reduced in the fandom to being “badass” princess & her power fight with mostly Hürrem (also a bit of Mihrimah).

Yes, she’s the most ambitious and pragmatic of Suleiman’s sisters. I’d also say she had the most influence on Suleiman of them all, perhaps because she reminded him of their mother most and she never actually crossed him, which is why she absolutely could contest Mihrimah’s claims and continue the fight. However, she chose not to. I also elaborated on this issue earlier here.

All of Suleiman’s sisters try to replace their mother following Hafsa’s demise, as an upholder of harem order & protecting the dynasty. Hatice even invites Şah specifically so she can support her in this task, even despite the fact they weren’t the closest of sisters, such as she was with more maternal-like Beyhan. Still, of course Şah does not take a stand against Hürrem just because Hatice wants her to - first and foremost, those people do not live in vacuum and it’s implied Şah and Hürrem actually have met before. For several episodes Şah observes and assesses the situation carefully without taking any side openly and Ibrahim’s death is the moment she decides to act, even though her plans are still hidden because she has a long-term plan. Her method of working to remove Hürrem is very wise - she decides not to try to assassinate her, bring another woman or anything of this sort, but to make her fall permanently from Suleiman’s favour. And she also knows what is the only thing to make Suleiman cast Hürrem away - not her doing any harm to others or committing any crimes, but to hurt his ego and use his paranoia. If Hürrem had yielded and had crowned Bayezid (and Şah again did it so masterfully it was very believable Suleiman d worded), it would have been over. It’s the sort of thing Suleiman would never forgive Hürrem, probably the only one. Same with making H loans money from Venetians during war with them. /Big thanks to @mc-critical for our discussion on this topic some time ago :)/

Sah and Hatice’s relationship is very complicated - they are like polar opposites, with one being highly emotional, and the other very pragmatic and cold, but despite even Hürrem hoping for wedge between them and trying to put it between them - she cannot. Sah is very much concerned each time anything happens to Hatice and she is heartbroken seeing her pain following Ibrahim’s demise too. She promises Hatice she will help her in revenge “Because anyone who comes to their palace with blood and death, will leave with the same”. Their family got attacked and obviously subsequent actions of Hürrem against Mustafa only solidified their need to unite against her.

Sah also has her own ambitions, which I mentioned in the other post, but those are not only simply power oriented. She also desires to prove herself to her own family by being the one to neutralise Hürrem, which is why she has the arrogant attitude towards Hatice or Mahidevran. Unlike Fatma or Hatice, she actually abandoned hope for a fulfilling private life - she’s stuck in a marriage to a guy she does not respect, but she also knows she needs him for pragmatic reasons. The guy she clearly admired a lot married her sister, and even Suleiman & Hafsa showed their preference for sweet Hatice. She felt like her colder, more pragmatic personality was not appreciated enough by her closest. This is why she mocks others’ attempts to remove Hürrem and tries to paint herself as different. In a way it actually shows her inferiority complex & also desire to prove herself to others.

While Şah is deeply embittered by her marriage and does not actively search for love (like Hatice or Fatma), she has a close bond with her daughter (for whom she also sets aside her pride and asks Suleiman to spare Lütfi) & also is very concerned with spiritual matters. Of course providing money for religious establishments & building endeavours (which was done also by historical Sah) is also a way to gain influence, it’s clearly an area important to her also personally, which is why in the end she decides to live in one monasteries after her marriage falls apart and Hatice dies.

And it is a great ending to her arc IMO. She’s well aware that to have an influence as a princess, she should get married again to a prominent statesman, but she obviously does not desire another marriage after the last one ended so traumatically. Hatice took her own revenge herself before dying & it seemed that she was the one who neutralised Hürrem in her last desperate attempt. Suleiman is depressed and while she leaves Mercan to take care of him, idk whether she’s up to sitting with him and pretending she’s sorry Hürrem disappeared. Since Hürrem is gone, Rüstem is powerless and it seems like Mustafa does not need protection anymore.

Standing against Mihrimah would be for Sah a betrayal of her values - standing up against her own blood and dynasty, for what at this moment? Staying in the capital, where almost all her closest are gone? Power for the sake of empty power now?

Sah did never want any harm to come to Hürrem’s kids yet she already almost brought harm to her family inadvertently - she specifically instructed Nigar not to harm Mihrimah or her daughter, only Rüstem and Hürrem, yet the little one suffered most. It was against what Sah wanted or believed in. She fucked up big time here and she knows it. She almost brought harm to dynasty she aimed to protect. It’s not the age when Dilruba sets her nephews on fire - Hafsa’s daughters were brought with a strong sense of family and family loyalty, which is why as much as they did not like Hürrem, they did not treat her kids as enemies, but as their own blood.

Şah is a woman of action and she has no more work to do in the capital. She was always interested in supporting scholars & monasteries, so she chooses to be important & influential there. She’s disillusioned by all the power games in Topkapi & the futility of it. She again confides in Mercan she’s tired. Sah does have her limits, she does not intend to cause upheaval by going against the dynasty (represented by fellow member in Mihrimah) & now all she needs is finding peace & calm.

Could she rival Mihrimah? Mihrimah at that point was not at peak of her power - she was still a young girl and freshly married to Rüstem who had not yet become the Grand Vizier and with Hürrem gone lost a lot of his power. Mihrimah’s role has much more increased following her mother’s demise when she was left with the task to protect her brothers and to be her dad’s adviser and confidant. Upon  Rüstem’s demise (historically), she inherited his huge fortune, which helped her to maintain influential even though she was no longer married to a prominent statesman. Even though her relations with Selim were soured by her support for Bayezid, her brother needed her (or her money) very much once he ascended the throne. It’s truly when she was at the peak of her power - in early years of Selim’s reign, and again absence of Valide and Nurbanu needing time to build her own faction & network of power in capital also worked in her favour.

Princesses did not wield that much direct political influence usually, but Şah and Mihrimah were similar in that they found ways to yield some even without their statesman husbands they could influence. A bit of historical info to finish my musings:

Shah’s career as a sufi devotee began early, in Ioannina in western Greece, where she accompanied her husband Lutfi to his post as governor. There the princess became a lifelong follower of the popular sufi order of the Halvetis. Returning to Istanbul when Lutfi was promoted to vizier, Shah built the first of three mosques with an attached dervish lodge, this one for her Ioannina shaykh. The next lodge-mosque was dedicated in 1537 to the Halveti shaykh Merkez Efendi, who had recently become Shah’s new spiritual guide; the last was a memorial foundation erected after his death in 1552.

Source: Leslie Peirce, Empress of the East. How a European Slave Girl Became the Empress of the Ottoman Empire

Source: Necdet Sakaoğlu, Famous Ottoman Women 

 As we can see, Sah continued her construction & spiritual works following her divorce and moving out to live in a dervish lodge outside capital.

A bit about Mihrimah after Rüstem died (she was also aware how beneficial marrying a prominent statesman was because her proposal to Semiz Pasha was true also historically):

From this date on, Mihrimah lived as a widow until her death. In the beginning, Mihrimah was afraid that the political influence she had during her late husband's vizierate period would decrease after her husband's death. Indeed, according to the report of the Venetian bailor Daniele Barbarigo, she had proposed to Semiz Ali Pasha, who was the grand vizier after Rüstem Pasha's death, to marry him, but the Pasha refused the offer, saying that he was not thinking of marrying her. But Mihrimah continued to be politically influential as a widowed member of the dynasty.

Source: Zahit Atçıl, Ottoman Dynastic Marriage Politics and Mihrimah Sultan’s Marriage (translation mine)

And

However, Mihrümah, although now a widow after Rüstem’s death in 1561, still figured prominently in dynastic politics. To illustrate, she was privy to the fact that the royal treasury had been emptied by her father and carried to Hungary to wage the campaign, and she rushed to her brother’s aid, lending him the much-needed gold to cover the obligatory accession donatives. As such, Donini’s assessment and prediction concerning both Selim and Mihrümah’s future relations came true. The eventual return of Süleyman’s treasure to Istanbul, coupled with the pillaging of Chios under the command of Piyale Pasha, soon restored the solvency of the imperial treasury; but Selim remained forever grateful to Mihrümah for the aid she provided at a most critical time.

Source:  Pinar Kayaalp, The Empress Nurbanu and Ottoman Politics in the Sixteenth Century: Building the Atik Valide

[minetteskvareninova]

Nonono. Ayşe Hafsa being a hypocrite in this regard actually works really well.

Sure, she didn't have to deal with concubine rivals. But you see, that's because she's different! She isn't just some floozy from the slave market, she's the daughter of the khan of Crimea! It's only natural that noone can compare to her! To have the uppity slaves like Mahidevran or Hürrem demand exclusivity in their relationship with the sultan, let alone Hürrem gaining freedom and the title of sultan's wife just like Ayşe Hafsa had... Well, that's just inconcievable!

Also, history aside, if any of sultan's sisters should have been a concubine's daughter, it was Fatma. First, it would explain why she's largely removed from the family dynamics, at least untill she takes Huricihan in. Second, Şah's extreme elitism just makes more sense if she learned it from her mother. While Fatma is also elitist to a certain extent, it's not as overt as with her sister.

A while back I sent you the ask below and you ask what I ment. I finely remembered.

I think they should have followed history where Shah isn't Hafsa's daughter. They should have shown more of Suleiman's half sister only showing Hafsa's daughter's shows her as a hypocrite.

I was trying to say it's frustrating that Hafsa spends the better part of two seasons telling Mahidevran and Hurrem they have to share Suleyman with the harem. On at least one occasion she tells Mahidevran she knows how she fills. It's frustrating because we never see any proof that Silem 1st had other concubines or children that weren't Hafsa's with the exception of Üveys Pasha who we only hear about once in the first episode.

That is interesting. It could also highlight the toxic cycle and how people who have been through something can perpetuate it. I think it was @redxluna who pointed out that Mahidevran gives the same advice to Fatma in season 3 that Ayşe Hafsa did to her. So seeing that Ayşe Hafsa herself went through that process could highlight that this cycle extends beyond the scope of what we see in the series.

[minetteskvareninova]

How would you rank the (main) non-blood Sultanas?

Hmm... Again, I would have to exclude the wives of Murad and Ibrahim; I know next to nothing about Ibrahim's harem, and as for Haseki Ayşe and Farya... Haseki Ayşe is a strong candidate for the bottom of the rankings, since she possesses the deadly combination of malice and stupidity, while Farya is somewhere in the middle. Also, with Kösem, I don't take her s2 version into account, although so far she seems pretty high, maybe even at the top. I also don't remember Defne, so people who wanted to see her here are out of luck.

Hürrem/Mahidevran - This one is kinda unfair, since they had much more time and character development than any other sultana, with the exception of Kösem (who wasted a lot of that time with NO character development, see below). I also don't think it's fair to put one ahead of the other; Hürrem is our beloved iconic drama queen, while Mahi had better character development. So yeah. The best sultanas, the most sultanas.

Halime - She did become much less interesting in the back half of the show, and also was stupid enough to trust Safiye with the life of her son that one time. With that said, I can't just ignore how strongly I rooted for her at the beginning.

Handan - She almost tied with Halime, but ultimately lost, because she lacks her charisma. With that said, she's still pretty cool as a mum, grandma and local firecracker who should really think things trough more. Also, she has very good taste in men, and almost killed Kösem that one time.

Gülbahar - I just have a soft spot for her, is all. A prime party with Satan material. My third favourite child murderer. Also, her relationship with Sinan is canon! Other sultanas could have strong subtext (Şah) or tragic yearning (Handan), but Gülbahar is a girl who can Get It. Even if Sinan himself is one of the least charizmatic villains this show has ever seen.

Safiye - An icon in her own right, as you all know. She could be higher, but ultimately I just like everyone above her more.

Nurbanu - I am not a fan personally, but I can see how she could be someone's favourite evil conniving bitch. Plus her and Selim are such an iconic couple!

Mihrunissa - She's fine, I guess. Kinda boring, if you ask me.

Mahfiruze - Annoying af, but at least had the good sense to die early, unlike...

Kösem - Going from Anastasia!Kösem to Beren!Kösem was the downgrade of the century. I am going to be extremely vindictive towards her just for that. Is the sweetest, bestest, smartest girl ever, but can't even realize that during a popular uprising, sultan might just die. Fuck her.

Ayşe Hafsa - I could say a lot of things about her, and most of them would include slurs against old women. You can see where her daughters got the very worst parts of their personality. Just... Fuck her especially.

[ottomanladies]

Can you explain the political marriages between the Ottoman dynasty and the giray dynasty? Some sources claim that Salim's daughter is married to Saadat giray. Can you give me more information about Salim I Harem?

By some sources, I guess you mean Alderson, as he is the only one I could find that says this: un unnamed daughter of Selim I's married Mengili Giray's son and successor, Saadat Giray Han, and had a son with him called Ahmed.

Sakaoğlu doesn't seem to believe this because he could not find any information about this princess, not even when she died or where she was buried.

I have already described Selim I's harem but it's been such a long time and in the meantime I have done some more digging so I am going to talk about it once more.

The harem of Selim I

Consorts

Alderson wrote that he [Selim I] had four wives, three of whom were named Ayşe, Hafsa, and Taçlı Hatun. He claimed that the last one’s name was unknown. Even if he wrote that Ayşe was the daughter of the Crimean Khan, that she was married to Mehmed, Bayezid II’s son, and that Selim married her upon Mehmed’s death at a young age, it is not true. Because we know that during the reigns of Bayezid II and Selim I, Mehmed’s mother and wife were paid and stayed in the Old Palace. According to Hafsa Sultan’s endowment, the woman’s name was Ayşe. Therefore, it is highly likely that Ayşe and Hafsa were the same person. Taçlı Hatun was married at the end of the Çaldıran War to Tacizade Cafer Çelebi. Lütfi Pasha, who participated in this war, described it most clearly in his history. However, even if it is understood from the letters Hafsa Sultan wrote to Yavuz Sultan Selim that Yavuz had other wives other than her, their names cannot be determined. — M. Çağatay Uluçay, Padişahların Kadınları ve Kızları

Ayşe Hafsa Hâtûn (later Vâlide-Sultân): concubine of slave origins, her origins are obscure:

It took the Ottoman populace a long while to discard the assumption that the mothers of princes and princesses were all royally born. This reluctance, present even today, helps to explain why legend has long claimed Suleyman’s mother Hafsa to be a Giray Tatar princess. Hafsa may well have hailed from the northern Black Sea region or even been a gift of the Tatar khan to the Ottoman court, but she was in fact a captive convert of modest origins, like virtually every woman in the imperial harem at the time when she entered it, probably the early 1490s. The tenacious story of Hafsa’s royal Tatar pedigree probably has something at least to do with a different sort of association she enjoyed with the Crimean Khanate. Hafsa accompanied Suleyman on his first political assignment as prince when in 1509 he was appointed, at the age of fifteen, to serve as governor of Caffa. The city was capital of a ribbon of territory running along the southeastern shores of the Crimean peninsula that constituted a province under direct Ottoman rule. In Caffa, Suleyman and his mother doubtless had contact with the Tatar authorities, perhaps with the khan himself. — Peirce, Empress of the East: How a European Slave Girl Became Queen of the Ottoman Empire

She is sometimes called also Hafisa or Hafiza. She was the mother of Süleymân I, Hatice Sultan, Fatma Sultan and possibly Beyhan or Hafsa Sultan. Ayşe Hafsa was the first concubine to receive the title of sultan, therefore making her the first valide sultan. She was also the first woman to build an imperial mosque complex, the Sultaniye in Manisa.

Children

The same mystery that surrounds Selim I's consorts also surrounds his sons. According to tradition, he supposedly killed them all except for Süleymân after he had designated him as heir. Another theory holds that all his other sons simply died in childhood and that Süleymân was the only prince to survive into adulthood.

Süleymân I (27.4.1494/1495 - 7.9.1566): 10th sultan of the Ottoman Empire

Şehzade Orhan (1500?-1510?)

Şehzade Musa and Şehzade Korkut: died little

Alderson instead calls Selim I’s other sons: Abdullah, Murad and Mahmud

His daughters are also a matter of discussion among historians: from their number to their actual names, nothing is set in stone so far.

Gevherhan Sultan (1494?-?): figures only in Öztuna. She married İsfendiyâroğlu Dâmâd Sultân-zâde Mehmed Bey, the son of her aunt Fatma (daughter of Bayezid II)

Hatice Sultan (before 27.4.1494-1582?): Öztuna believes that her second name was Hanım. As Ayşe Hafsa's daughter, she must have been older than Süleymân. Her marriages and children are a matter of speculation:

according to Dumas and Turan, she married Bostancıbaşı İskender Paşa in 1508; widowed in 1515, she married Çoban Mustafa Paşa in 1517. Mustafa Paşa was, for the occasion, elevated to the rank of vizier

That she married İbrâhîm Paşa is a tradition that has long since been dispelled.

With her first husband, she had Sultân-zâde Mehmed-Şâh Bey, Sultân-zâde Süleymân Bey, Sultân-zâde ‘Alî Bey, Nefîse Hanım-Sultân and Sultân-zâde Kara ‘Osman-Şâh Bey/Paşa (1510?-1567/68), though ‘Osman-Şâh is sometimes ascribed to her sister Hafsa. It is not certain if Sultân-zâde Mehmed-Şâh Bey (1525?-?), and X Hanım-Sultân were her children from her second marriage as Mehmed-Şâh was also the name of İbrâhîm Paşa's son with his wife Muhsine Hatun. Hânım Hanım-Sultân is buried in Hürrem Sultan's tomb and called Hatice Sultan's daughter on her plaque. We don't know when she was born but she lived long enough to be married to a Abdü'l-Kerîm Bey.

Fatma Sultan (before 27.4.1494-1556): daughter of Ayşe Hafsa, she had three husbands during her life: Mustafa Paşa, governor of Antalya, but the marriage was dissolved because he was homosexual. Her second husband was Grand Vizier Kara Ahmed Paşa, possibly married in 1532, who was executed on 28 September 1555. Her third and final husband was Hâdim İbrâhîm Paşa, a eunuch, and possibly a love match. She was buried in the mausoleum of her second husband, Ahmed Paşa. All her marriages were childless.

Beyhan Sultan (?-before 1559): if she was Ayşe Hafsa's daughter, she must have been born before 1494. She married Ferhâd Paşa, former chief of the Janissaries and afterwards governor of Rumelia, of Damascus and ultimately second vizier. He was executed by her brother Süleymân I in 1524. She seems to have re-married after 1524, to a Mehmed Paşa with which she had İsmihân Hanım-Sultân. According to Dumas, İsmihân was Ferhâd Paşa's daughter and Beyhan never remarried. Beyhan is also called Peykhan in some harem documents.

Hafsa (or Hafisa) Sultan (1500?-1538?): she was born in Trabzon. According to Uluçay, Ayşe Hafsa was her mother (though this would make her date of birth earlier than 1494). Her first husband was Grand Vizier Dukaginzade Ahmed Paşa, whom Selim I executed in 1515, according to Sakaoğlu. According to Uluçay, she married İskender Paşa, former bostâncıbaşı; Öztuna, on the other hand, claims she had married an unnamed Ağa, and Selim I's bostâncıbaşı. Her second husband is a matter of discussion as well:

Öztuna claims she married Gaazî Çoban Mustafa Paşa (but it seems that he was married to Hatice)

According to Alderson, Dumas and Sakaoğlu, she instead married Boşnak Mustafa Paşa

According to Alderson and Sakaoglu, she had only one son: Sultân-zâde Kara ‘Osman-Şâh Bey/Paşa. Hafsa Sultan died on 10 July 1538 and was buried in the Sultan Selim Mosque.

Şah, Şah-i Huban or Devlet-Şah Sultan (??-1572): daughter of an unknown concubine who resided in the Old Palace as late as 1556, therefore giving credit to Uluçay's theory that Selim I had more consorts other than Ayşe Hafsa but that we lost their names. She married Lutfî Paşa around 1523 and had İsmihân Hanım-Sultân with him. She was a very pious person:

Suleyman’s sister Shah Sultan would prove a prolific patron, although of relatively modest projects (over the course of her long lifetime, she endowed three mosques, three dervish lodges, and other smaller structures in three different Istanbul neighborhoods) — Peirce, Empress of the East: How a European Slave Girl Became Queen of the Ottoman Empire

Her brother Süleymân I granted her a divorce after Lutfî Paşa had tried to hit her:

Shah was wed to the Albanian Lutfi Pasha, grand vizier from 1539 until his dismissal and forced retirement in 1541. The rupture was precipitated by an argument between the couple over Lutfi’s harsh punishment of a prostitute, possibly possibly circumcision or the branding of her genitals. In the heat of dispute, the vizier committed an unpardonable act—he struck his princess wife, grounds for their divorce and his banishment. A notable patron of dervishes, Shah continued to observe her sufi piety through further endowments. — Peirce, Empress of the East: How a European Slave Girl Became Queen of the Ottoman Empire

After her divorce, she did not remarry and instead retired in the Old Palace.

Şehzade or Sultanzade Sultan (??-??): her existence is proven by harem records of the Old Palace, where she figures with her daughter, Ayşe. According to Uluçay, she was married to Çoban Mustafa Paşa but that seems impossible, as Çoban Mustafa Paşa seems to have been Hatice Sultan's second husband. He also says that he died in 1527-28 but he actually died in 1529. Uluçay also called her Hanım.

According to Öztuna, a granddaughter of Selim I firstly married Grand Vizier Koca Sinân Paşa and then married in 1596 Dâmâd Güzelce Mahmûd Paşa, but the marriage lasted less than a year because she died in June 1597. Dâmâd Güzelce Mahmûd Paşa would later become Murad III’s daughter Ayşe’s third husband. Another granddaughter married Pertev Paşa and had a son with him called Ahmed who died before his father. I could not verify these claims but maybe one of these granddaughters was Şehzade's daughter.

[reallifesultanas]

Portrait of Mahidevran Hatun / Mahidevran Hatun portréja

Many consider Mahidevran to have one of the most tragic life in the Sultanate of Women. Her life really wasn’t easy and she had to suffer a lot. Unfortunately, there is a lot of misinformation and lies about her life, so I would like to clarify them now.

Her origin and life in Süleyman’s Manisa harem

Little is known about Mahidevran's early life. She was born into a Christian family between 1498 and 1500, and soon became a slave, then she became part of the princely harem of Suleiman. Her origin is disputed, most likely she was of Albanian or Montenegrin origin, but the Circassian origin cannot be ruled out either. The legend that she was a princess, however, is clearly not true. Posterity has spent this around her to express their love and respect for her.

It is not clear exactly when she went to Suleiman’s harem, her first mention being a Manisa record, which was unfortunately not dated, but presumably could have been made before 1515. According to this, Suleiman probably had four concubines: Yasemin, Hubeh, Server, and Mahidevran. The former three earned 5 aspers for a day while Mahidevran only four. Mahidevran’s low salary may be due to the fact that she has not yet become a mother, while the other three consorts may already have. Suleiman had at least one son, Mahmud, before Mustafa, but he could also have had a daughter named Raziye older than Mustafa. Thus, it is conceivable that the other three women were the mothers of these children. But it could also be that they were simply favorite consorts.

Finally, in 1515, Mahidevran gave birth to her first and only child, Mustafa. Since Suleiman in Manisa followed the one-concubine-one-son rule (and for other reasons as well) it is impossible that Mahidevran would have had another child. Her status certainly rose after the birth of Mustafa, but she was only one of Suleiman's concubines, never being Suleiman's favorite, his love, especially not his wife, as some say.

Mahidevran probably became a friend of Suleiman's sister, Hatice, in Manisa, with whom she later frequently exchanged personal letters. After Hatice was widowed, it is possible that she returned to her mother and brother in Manisa.

After Suleiman's accession

When Suleiman received news of his father's death, he immediately went to Istanbul with his small entourage. His mother Ayşe Hafsa arranged the harem of Manisa before she left. Ayşe Hafsa finally left still before the other members of the harem and arrived to her son on 18 December. Mahidevran and the other harem ladies quite certainly arrived in Istanbul in early 1521.

By the time the harem arrived, Suleiman already had a new concubine and favorite, a Ruthenian girl, Hürrem. Probably Hürrem was already pregnant with her first child. Presumably there was no conflict between Hürrem and Suleiman’s other concubines, as none of Suleiman’s concubines had a privileged status, so it is unlikely that they would have feared the new woman. Furthermore, on arrival in Istanbul, these women may have been busy settling down and helping their children through the difficulties of moving. It must have not been easy to explain to the children why they do not see their father every day now, as it happened in Manisa before.

Suleiman went on a campaign in spring of 1521, leaving his harem behind. Probably by that time everyone had arrived from Manisa and was comfortably furnished in the Old Palace. The months of spring and summer were probably spent in peace, uneventfully. In the autumn, however, the plague appeared in the city and soon broke into the palace as well. Suleiman’s eldest son, Mahmud, toddler Murad, and his only daughter, Raziye, also fell victim to the plague, and probably the mother of one of the princes. Mahidevran, with his little son Mustafa, certainly prayed in their apartment to escape the tragedy. Her prayers were heard so she and her child survived the epidemic, just like Hürrem and her newborn son. Mahidevran then truly became the first woman, as she was the mother of the Sultan's eldest son. Surely her salary has also risen and her status has increased.

Suleiman had to quickly take care of producing new heirs, as his heirs were a six-year-old boy and an infant, which was not enough security in that period. Presumably the dislike of Mahidevran and Hürrem started at this time. Suleiman, instead of calling new, virgin concubines, asked for Hürrem again, contrary to custom. This must have outraged Mahidevran deeply. Of course not because (we could see it in the series) of jealousy... Mahidevran was never a favorite of the sultan and there were always other women beside her. However, she felt it's disrespectful for granting privileges to a woman of a lower rank, and she feared that this woman would gain more and more power as the number of her children increased, thereby endangering her son, Mustafa. Hürrem gave birth to a daughter in 1522, which presumably reassured Mahidevran. However, her joy could not last long, for in 1524 Hürrem gave birth to another boy, followed in 1525 and 1526 by other sons. So far it has become clear that there is no place for other woman in Suleiman's life, just for Hürrem. We know, as ambassadors wrote several times, that the whole joy of Mahidevran during these years was her son, Mustafa, and he spent all her time with him. Contrary to the customs of the period, she entrusted the prince less to his governess and dealt with him herself.

The two consorts rivalry is legendary. It is certain that they did not like each other and that there was sometimes a verbal conflict between them, but the famous brawl-fight could probably never have happened. According to the legend, Mahidevran beat Hürrem before the birth of her first child, scratching her face. However, it can't be true, since when Mahidevran arrived to Istanbul she couldn't have been any problem with Hürrem and the latter was pregnant anyway. Beating a pregnant concubine would have been a huge sin and she would certainly have been exiled for it. In addition, eunuchs and kalfas were bustling in every corridor of the harem, it is inconceivable that the two women could have fought for minutes. The most extreme thing imaginable is a slap and an insult. However, Hürrem and Mahidevran were forced to tolerate each other as they had to appear together many times. One such event was in 1530, during the circumcision ceremony of the Mustafa, Mehmed and Selim. Both and of course Ayşe Hafsa were present behind their curtained place during the celebration as well. They had to learn to tolerate each other. In any case, the two women certainly did not make life easier for Valide Ayşe Hafsa Sultan. It is not true, by the way, that Ayşe Hafsa would have preferred Mahidevran. She wasn’t really interested in any of the women, she just cared with her son and his happiness. For this reason she tried to treat both Mahidevran and Hürrem equally.

Her new life in Manisa

Mahidevran was finally able to get rid of Hürrem in 1533 when the Sultan appointed Mustafa to govern the province of Manisa. According to custom, the prince was accomponied into his province by his mother, and Mahidevran acted like that. She and her son were welcomed in Manisa. Mustafa was very popular among the Janissaries from an early age and the young prince was also sympathic to the common people. The worship of Mustafa may also have been due to the fact that Hürrem was hated by the common people, so it was natural that the other woman and her son would be supported more. This love grew especially when, in 1534, Suleiman created a new rank, the title of Haseki, for Hürrem and married her. With the rank of Haseki, he raised his concubine next to (and even above) the sultan’s true sisters, and the marriage was particularly scandalous, since the Sultans have not been married since Mehmed II. These events certainly upset Mahidevran and Mustafa, however, the love for them gave them strength.

Regarding Mustafa's stay in Manisa, the ambassadors unanimously stated that "his mother, who is always by his side, helps, gives advice on how to make himself loved by the people." Mahidevran's experience certainly helped him a lot, but it could have been a hard task for Mahidevran also, as she had not previously had the opportunity to control any harem. She must have watched Ayşe Hafsa before to learn from her the ins and outs of harem administration.

Mahidevran was also able to try herself in a new role in Manisa, for in addition to leading an entire court for the first time in her life, she also became a grandmother in 1536, when her first grandchild, Nergis-Şah, was born. There are many questions about Mustafa’s children, but it was probably Nergis-Şah who was the first child who reached adulthood.

Another turning point

In 1542, a turning point occurred in her life, as Suleiman moved Mustafa from Manisa to Amasya province. There are plenty of question marks around this event, and of course we cannot know for sure that Mahidevran and Mustafa were really disappointed with this relocation. Although Manisa was indeed close to the capital (which is important in case of the Sultan's death), it was an easily governable province that was just right for a novice prince, but it was not a real challenge for the prince to show his ability. In earlier periods, Amasya was the most coveted province, as it was a real challenge because of its closeness to the borders and it was easy to prove how capable is the ruler of it. In any case, it must have hurt Mahidevran that soon after their departure, Suleiman had appointed his favorite son, Mehmed to rule in Manisa.

However, Mehmed could not rule Manisa for long because he died in 1543 as a result of an epidemic. Mahidevran had nothing to do with the prince's death. Although she certainly had not mourned Mehmed for months, even if she wished for his death, she would never have risked her own and Mustafa's life with such an act. For if Mahidevran had tried to kill Mehmed and fail, she would be executed immediately and Mustafa would be cruelly punished, perhaps even executed. Nevertheless, although Mehmed was supported by Suleiman, he did not pose a threat to Mustafa, whom everyone adored. It would have been madness to risk everything with killing Mehmed.

After Mehmed's death, by 1546, Hürrem's other two sons, Bayezid and Selim, had also were sent out to provinces, but they were both much younger than Mustafa, neither of them had as many supporters as Mustafa. Suleiman's youngest son, Cihangir, had physical deformities and needed constant medical treatment, which made him incapable to becoming a sultan. Mustafa's victory seemed clear.

It was precisely for this reason that they had to fear Hürrem. Hürrem would have done anything to save her own sons, so she made alliances and fought, she was especially supported by her son-in-law, Rüstem Pasha. Mahidevran dreaded losing her son. It was such a fear that the ambassadors also mentioned: "Mustafa's mother is always by his side and pays special attention to him and did everything to avoid poisoning, she reminded him every day that there is nothing that can endanger him but poisons." Some ambassadors even claimed they had received information that Mahidevran was preparing and supervising the preparation of Mustafa's food personally. Hürrem was, of course, smarter than trying to poison Mustafa, rather she reported the prince's every faults always through Rüstem. Thus, at first Hürrem did not specifically state lies about Mustafa, she only reported his mistakes to Suleiman. Meanwhile in the case of her own sons, she tried to cover up the mistakes. Mahidevran must have known about this, but she could do nothing. She was far from the capital, while Hürrem lived there, in the immediate vicinity of Suleiman. However, the events that projected the tragic fate of Mustafa will be discussed in more detail in Mustafa’s portrait.

The beginning of the end

Mustafa's popularity among the Janissaries reached such extreme proportions that Suleiman began to fear his own son. Under these circumstances, filled with Hürrem’s intrigues, the situation became very dangerous for Mustafa and Mahidevran. In the autumn of 1553, Suleiman went on a campaign, where he also called Mustafa. By this time there were already many rumors that the sultan wanted to execute the prince for planning a rebellion against him. There were two ways before Mustafa: if he had not planned a rebellion before, he could have start it and could have rebelled against the Sultan now, for all the soldiers were on his side; or trying to convince the sultan that he was innocent. Mustafa's advisers clearly suggested the former, we do not know what Mahidevran thought, but knowing the circumstances, she certainly supported the former solution as well, as it was the only way to keep her son alive. Mustafa, however, for some reason decided to go to his father, who immediately strangled him on October 6 as soon as he entered the tent.

When Mahidevran received the news of Mustafa's death, we cannot imagine the pain she may have experienced, since with the death of her son the only purpose and meaning of her whole life was lost. Suleiman then soon ordered the execution of Mustafa's six-year-old son. Probably the loss of his grandson may have been the last straw, but in my opinion, she was much better prepared for this than for Mustafa's death, knowing that the sons of the rebellious prince would have a similar fate as their father. Especially that the common people began to deify Mustafa's little son after the prince's death. So even though they did not want to hand over the little prince to the embassy sent for him, they eventually forcibly took him from his mother and executed him.

Her last years

After the death of her son, Mahidevran marched to Bursa following the coffin of Mustafa. With this she became the last concubine of a sultan who, in keeping with tradition, retired to Bursa. However, Suleiman soon withdrew all support from Mahidevran because he made her responsible for Mustafa's rebellion. Mahidevran lived in poverty for years, unable to pay the rent for her house. Opinions about Mustafa's concubines are mixed, some say they have retired to the Old Palace, others say they have lived in Bursa with Mahidevran. In any case, it is certain that some of her faithful servants persevered with her, for we know that they were often stole and cheat in the market so that they could make a living somehow. Mahidevran spent all her money to build Mustafa's tomb, but failed to complete the construction. Salvation was probably brought to him by Prince Selim. In the early 1560s, Selim began sending money to Mahidevran. We do not know that Suleiman knew about this and if so what he said, but given that Selim remained the only heir, he could not really have done anything against Selim's action. Mahidevran received complete peace with the death of Suleiman in 1566, as almost after Selim's ascension to the throne, he gave Mahidevran a huge house with a beautiful garden, and also completed the construction of Mustusta's tomb. Thus, thanks to Selim, Mahidevran was able to spend her last years in peace and comfort in Bursa and saw his son’s tomb ready. In 1580/1, surviving Suleiman, Hürrem and all their children eventually she died. She was buried next to her son.

Used sources: L. Peirce - Empress of the East; L. Peirce - The imperial harem ; C. Imber - The Ottoman Empire 1300-1650; F. Suraiya, K. Fleet - The Cambridge History of Turkey 1453-1603; Z. Atçil - Why Did Süleyman the Magnificent Execute His Son Şehzade Mustafa in 1553?

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Sokan Mahidevrant tartják az egyik legtragikusabb sorsú nőnek a Nők szultánátusának időszakából. Élete valóban nem volt egyszerű és rengeteget kellett szenvednie. Sajnos életéről rengeteg félinformáció és hazugság kering, ezeket is szeretném most tisztázni.

Eredete és korai évei Szulejmán háremében

Mahidevran korai életéről keveset tudunk. 1498-1500 között születhetett keresztény családba, majd hamarosan rabszolga lett belőle, így került Szulejmán hercegi háremébe. Eredete kérdéses, legvalószínűbb az albán vagy montenegrói eredet, de a cserkesz eredet sem kizárható. Az a legenda, miszerint hercegnő lenne, viszont egyértelműen nem igaz. Az utókor költötte köré ezt, hogy ezzel fejezzék ki szeretetüket és tiszteletüket iránta. Kizárt, hogy nemesi származású lett volna.

Az nem tisztázott, hogy pontosan mikor került Szulejmán háremébe, első említése egy manisai jegyzőkönyv, amely sajnos nem dátumozott, de feltehetőleg egyetlen gyermekének születése előtt készülhetett. Eszerint Szulejmánnak valószínűleg négy ágyasa volt: Yasemin, Hubeh, Server és Mahidevran. Előbbi három naponta 5 aspert keresett, Mahidevran csupán négyet. Mahidevran alacsony fizetésének oka talán az lehet, hogy még nem vált anyává, míg a másik három ágyas talán már igen. Szulejmánnak ugyanis Musztafa előtt legalább egy fia, Mahmud már élt, de Raziye nevű leánya is lehetett idősebb Musztafánál. Így elképzelhető, hogy a másik három nő ezen gyermekek édesanyja volt. De az is lehet, hogy egyszerűen csak kedvenc ágyasok voltak. 

Végül Mahidevran 1515-ben életet adott első és egyetlen gyermekének, Musztafának. Mivel Szulejmán Manisában az egy ágyas - egy fiú szabályt követte (és egyéb okok miatt is) kizárt, hogy Mahidevrannak lett volna másik gyermeke. Státusza Musztafa születése után bizonyosan emelkedett, ám csak egyike volt Szulejmán ágyasainak, sosem volt Szulejmán kedvence, szerelme, különösen nem a felesége, ahogyan néhányan tartják.

Mahidevran valószínűleg Manisában került közel Szulejmán nővéréhez, Hatice Szultánához, akivel később gyakran váltottak személyes leveleket is. Hatice ugyanis megözvegyülése után lehetséges, hogy visszatért anyjához és öccséhez Manisába.

Szulejmán trónralépése után

Szulejmán mikor hírt kapott apja haláláról azonnal Isztambulba vágtázott szűk kíséretével. Anyja Ayşe Hafsa még elrendezte a manisai tartományt, megszervezte a hárem utaztatását is mielőtt elindult volna. Ayşe Hafsa végül valamivel a hárem többi tagja előtt indult el és december 18-án érkezett meg fiához. Mahidevran és a többi háremhölgy ekkor még egészen bizonyosan nem érkeztek meg Isztambulba, valószínűleg csak 1521 elején léptek be a birodalmi fővárosba. 

Amikor a hárem megérkezett Szulejmánnak már új ágyasa és kedvence volt, egy ruténiai lány, Hürrem. Valószínűleg Hürrem ekkora már várandós volt első gyermekével. Feltehetőleg nem volt semmiféle konfliktus Hürrem és Szulejmán többi ágyasa között, ugyanis Szulejmán egyik ágyasának sem volt kiemelt státusza, így nem valószínű, hogy tartottak volna az új nőtől. Továbbá Isztambulba érkezve ezek a nők azzal lehettek elfoglalva, hogy berendezkedjenek és gyermekeiket átsegítsék a költözés nehézségein. Bizonyára nem volt egyszerű azt sem elmagyarázni a gyerekeknek, miért nem látják most már minden nap apjukat, mint ahogy korábban Manisában ez jellemző volt.

Szulejmán 1521 tavaszán hadjáratra indult, hátrahagyva asszonyait. Valószínűleg eddigre már mindenki megérkezett Manisából és kényelmesen berendezkedtek a Régi Palotába. A tavasz és nyár hónapjai valószínűleg békességben, eseménytelenül teltek. Ősszel azonban a pestis megjelent a városban és hamarosan a palotába is betört. Szulejmán legidősebb fia, Mahmud, a totyogó Murad és egyetlen lánya Raziye is a pestis áldozatává váltak, és valószínűleg az egyik herceg édesanyja is. Mahidevran kisfiával Musztafával minden bizonnyal lakrészébe zárkózva imádkozott, hogy elkerülje őket a tragédia. Imái meghallgatásra találtak, így ő is és gyermeke is épségben túlélték a járványt. Éppúgy, mint a gyermekágyi időszakot töltő Hürrem és újszülött fia is. Mahidevran ekkor valóban első asszonnyá lépett elő, hiszen ő volt a szultán legidősebb fiának édesanyja. Bizonyára fizetése is emelkedett és státusza is nőtt. 

Szulejmánnak gyorsan kellett gondoskodni újabb trónörökösök nemzéséről, hiszen örökösei egy hat éves kisfiú és egy csecsemő voltak, ami nem volt elég biztosíték a korban. Feltehetőleg Mahidevran és Hürrem ellenszenve ekkor öltötte fel a legendás méreteket. Ugyanis Szulejmán ahelyett, hogy újabb ágyasokat hívatott volna, a szokásokkal ellentétben Hürremet kérette. Ez Mahidevrant minden bizonnyal mélységesen felháborította. Persze nem azért, amiért a sorozatban láthattuk, a féltékenység miatt... Mahidevran sosem volt a szultán kedvence és mindig voltak más asszonyok mellette. Azonban tiszteletlenségnek érezte, hogy egy tőle alacsonyabb rangú nőt kiváltságokkal ruház fel a szultán, valamint rettegett attól, hogy ez a nő majd gyermekeinek számának növekedésével egyre több hatalmat szerez, ezzel pedig az ő kisfiát, Musztafát veszélyezteti majd. Hürrem 1522-ben egy leánygyermeknek adott életet, ami vélhetőleg kissé megnyugtatta Mahidevrant. Azonban öröme nem tarthatott sokáig, mert 1524-ben újabb fiúnak adott életet Hürrem, akit 1525-ben és 1526-ban is további fiúk követtek. Eddigre egyértelművé vált, hogy Szulejmán életében egyetlen asszonynak van hely, aki pedig Hürrem. Tudjuk, hiszen több követ is megírta, hogy Mahidevran egyetlen öröme ezekben az években fia, Musztafa volt és minden idejét fiával töltötte. A kor szokásaitól eltérően kevesebbet bízta nevelőjére a herceget és inkább maga foglalkozott vele. 

A két ágyas rivalizálása legendás. Az bizonyos, hogy nem kedvelték egymást és bizonyára olykor verbálisan is volt közöttük konfliktus, azonban a híres verekedés feltehetőleg sosem történhetett meg. A legendák szerint Mahidevrán még első gyermeke születése előtt verte véresre Hürremet, arcát összekarmolva. Ez azonban kizárt, hiszen mikor Mahidevran megérkezett Isztambulba még nem lehetett semmi baja Hürremmel és egyébként is utóbbi terhes volt. Egy várandós ágyas megverése pedig hatalmas bűnnek számított volna és minden bizonnyal száműzték volna érte. Emellett a hárem minden folyosóján eunuchok és kalfák nyüzsögtek, elképzelhetetlen, hogy percekig verekedni tudott volna a két nő. A legextrémebb ami elképzelhető, az egy egy pofon és sértegetés. Hürrem és Mahidevran azonban kénytelenek voltak elviselni egymást, hiszen sokszor kellett együtt megjelenniük. Egyik ilyen esemény volt 1530-ban a Musztafa, Mehmed és Szelim körülmetélési szertartása. Mindketten és természetesen Ayşe Hafsa is jelen voltak elfüggönyözött helyükön az ünneplés során is. Meg kellett tanulniuk tolerálni egymást. Mindenesetre a két ágyas egészen biztosan nem könnyítette meg Valide Ayşe Hafsa Szultána életét. Az egyébként nem igaz, hogy Ayşe Hafsa Mahidevran pártját fogta volna. Nem igazán érdekelte egyik nő sem, csak a fia és az ő boldogsága. Emiatt igyekezett egyenlően kezelni mind Mahidevrant mind Hürremet.

Mahidevran új élete Manisában

Mahidevran 1533-ban végre megszabadulhatott Hürremtől, amikor a szultán Musztafát Manisa tartomány élére nevezte ki. A szokások szerint a herceget édesanyja követte a tartományába, így tett Mahidevran is. Manisában örömmel fogadták őt is és fiát is. Musztafa ugyanis nagyon népszerű volt már kisgyermekkorától kezdve a janicsárok körében és a közembereknek is szimpatikus volt a fiatal herceg. Musztafa imádatához hozzájárulhatott az is, hogy Hürremet gyűlölték a közemberek, így természetes volt, hogy a másik asszonyt és annak fiát támogatják inkább. Ez a szeretet különösen megnőtt, amikor 1534-ben Szulejmán egy új rangot, a Haseki rangot alkotta meg Hürrem számára és feleségül vette. A Haseki ranggal a szultán testvérei mellé (sőt fölé) emelte ágyasát, a házasság pedig különösen botrányos volt, hiszen II. Mehmed óta nem házasodtak a szultánok. Ezek az események bizonyosan kiborították Mahidevrant és Musztafát. Azonban erőt adott nekik a feléjük irányuló szeretet. 

Musztafa manisai tartózkodásáról a követek egybehangzóan azt állították, hogy "édesanyja, aki mindig mellette van, segíti, tanácsokkal látja el, hogyan szerettesse meg magát az emberekkel". Mahidevran tapasztalatai minden bizonnyal sokat segítettek neki Musztafa támogatásában, ám neki magának is embertpróbáló feladat lehetett ez, hiszen korábban nem volt lehetősége önállóan irányítani. Mindenbizonnyal sokszor figyelte korábban Ayşe Hafsát, hogy tőle eltanulja a hárem igazgatásának csínját-bínját. 

Mahidevran Manisában új szerepkörben is kipróbálhatta magát, ugyanis amellett, hogy életében először irányított egy egész udvartartást, nagymamává is vált 1536-ban, mikor megszületett valószínűleg első unokája Nergis-Şah. Musztafa gyermekeivel kapcsolatban sok a kérdés, de valószínűleg Nergis-Şah volt első gyermeke, aki megérte a felnőttkort.

Újabb fordulat

1542-ben fordulat következett be életébe, ugyanis Szulejmán Musztafát áthelyezte Manisából Amasya tartományba. Ezen esemény körül is rengeteg a kérdőjel, nem tudhatjuk bizonyosan, hogy Mahidevran és Musztafa valóban csalódottak voltak e az áthelyezés miatt. Manisa ugyan valóban közel volt a fővároshoz (ami a szultán halála esetében fontos), ám könnyen kormányozható tartomány volt, ami épp megfelelt egy kezdő hercegnek, de nem jelentett igazi kihívást, amivel a herceg megmutathatná rátermedtségét. A korábbi időszakokban Amasya volt a legvágyottabb tartomány, hiszen határmentisége miatt valódi kihívást jelentett és könnyű volt bizonyítani a rátermedtséget vagy akár belebukni kormányzásába. Mindenesetre az bizonyára bántotta Mahidevránt, hogy nemsokkal távozásuk után Szulejmán sokak által kedvencnek tartott fiát, Mehmedet nevezte ki Manisa élére. 

Mehmed azonban nem uralkodhatott sokáig Manisában, mert 1543-ban elhunyt egy járvány következtében. Mahidevrannak nem volt semmi köze a herceg halálához. Bár bizonyára nem gyászolta Mehmedet zokogva hónapokig, ha kívánta is halálát, sohasem kockáztatta volna a saját és fia életét egy ilyen cselekedettel. Ha ugyanis Mahidevran megpróbálta volna megölni Mehmedet és lebukik, azonnal kivégzik és Musztafát is kegyetlenül megbüntetik, talán őt is kivégzik. Mindemellett Mehmedet bár támogatta Szulejmán, de nem jelentett veszélyt Musztafára, akit mindenki imádott. Őrültség lett volna kockára tenni mindent. 

Mehmed halála után 1546-ra Hürrem másik két fia Bayezid és Szelim is beszálltak a trónért folyó küzdelembe, ám minketten jóval fiatalabbak voltak, mint Mustafa, egyiküknek sem volt annyi támogatója, mint Musztafának. Szulejmán legkisebb fia, Cihangir pedig testi deformitásokkal élt, állandó orvosi kezelésre szorult, ami miatt sosem lehetett volna belőle szultán. Musztafa győzelme egyértelműnek tűnt. 

Pont emiatt az egyértelmű kimenetel miatt kellett azonban tartaniuk Hürremtől. Hürrem bármit megtett volna, hogy saját fiait mentse, ezért pedig folyamatosan szövetkezett, elsősorban vejével, Rüsztem Pasával. Mahidevran rettegett attól, hogy elveszíti fiát, mely félelméről a követek is megemlékeztek: "Musztafa édesanyja mindig mellette van és különös odafigyeléssel óvja fiát a mérgezéstől, mindennap emlékeztetve őt, hogy nincs semmi más ami veszélyeztetheti őt, csak a mérgek." Egyes követek olyan messzire merészkedtek ezzel kapcsolatban, hogy azt állították, olyan információkat kaptak, hogy Mahidevran maga készíti és felügyeli Musztafa ételének elkészítését. Hürrem természetesen okosabb volt annál, hogy megpróbálja megmérgezni Musztafát, inkább a herceg hibáit jelentette mindig Rüsztemen keresztül. Így tehát Hürrem eleinte nem konkrétan állított hazugságokat Musztafáról, csupán természetes hibáit, ballépéseit jelentette mindig Szulejmánnak. Saját fiai esetében pedig ezeket igyekezett eltussolni. Mahidevran bizonyára tudott erről, ám nem tehetett semmit. Távol volt a fővárostól, Hürrem pedig ott élt, Szulejmán közvetlen közelében. Azonban a Musztafa tragikus sorsát előre vetítő eseményekről részletesebben Musztafa portréjában lesz szó.

A vég kezdete

Musztafa népszerűsége a janicsárok között olyan extrém méreteket öltött, hogy Szulejmán félni kezdett saját fiától. Ilyen körülmények között, Hürrem intrikáival megtoldva a helyzet nagyon ingataggá vált Musztafa és Mahidevran alatt. 1553 őszén Szulejmán hadjáratra indult ahová odahívatta Musztafát is. Ekkor már nagyon sokan pletykáltak arról, hogy a szultán ki akarja végeztetni a herceget, amiért az lázadást tervez ellene. Musztafa előtt két út volt: ha addig nem is tervezett lázadást, most mégis lázadhatott volna a szultán ellen hiszen minden katona az ő oldalán állt; vagy megpróbálja meggyőzni a szultánt arról, hogy ártatlan. Musztafa tanácsadói egyértelműen az előbbit javasolták, azt nem tudhatjuk, hogy Mahidevran mit gondolt, ám ismerve a körülményeket minden bizonnyal ő is az előbbi megoldást támogatta, hiszen ez volt az egyetlen lehetőség arra, hogy életben tartsa fiát. Musztafa azonban valamiért úgy döntött, hogy apja elé járul, aki október 6-án azonnal megfojtatta fiát, amint az belépett a sátrába.

Amikor Mahidevran hírt kapott Musztafa haláláról, elképzelni sem tudjuk milyen fájdalmat élhetett át, hiszen fia halálával egész életének egyetlen célja és értelme is elveszett. Szulejmán aztán hamarosan elrendelte Musztafa hat éves kisfiának kivégzését is. Valószínűleg unokája elvesztése az utolsó csepp lehetett a pohárban, azonban véleményem szerint, sokkal felkészültebben érte őt, mint Musztafa halála, hiszen tudta, hogy a lázadó herceg fiai is hasonló sorsot kapnak, mint apjuk. Különösen, hogy a közemberek Musztafa kisfiát kezdték el isteníteni a herceg halála után. Így tehát hiába nem akarták átadni a kisherceget az érte küldött követségnek, azok végül erőszakkal elvették édesanyjától és kivégezték.

Utolsó évei

Mahidevran fia halála után Bursába vonult Musztafa koporsója után. Ezzel ő lett az utolsó szultáni ágyas, aki a hagyományokhoz híven Bursába vonult vissza. Szulejmán azonban hamarosan megvont minden támogatást Mahidevrántól, mert őt tette felelőssé Musztafa lázadásáért. Mahidevrán évekig élt szegénységben, nem tudta fizetni a házának bérlését, szörnyű körülmények között tengődött. Musztafa ágyasairól vegyesek a vélemények, egyesek szerint a Régi Palotába vonultak vissza, mások szerint Mahidevrannal együtt Bursában éltek. Mindenesetre az bizonyos, hogy néhány hűséges szolgája, kitartott mellette, róluk ugyanis tudjuk, hogy gyakran csaltak és loptak a piacon, hogy megélhessenek valahogy. Mahidevran minden pénzét Musztafa türbéjének megépítésére költötte, azonban nem sikerült befejeznie az építkezést. 

A megváltást valószínűleg már Szulejmán életében elhozta neki Szelim herceg. Az 1560-as évek elején Szelim elkezdett pénzt küldeni Mahidevrannak. Nem tudjuk, hogy Szulejmán tudott e erről és ha igen mit szólt, azonban tekintve, hogy Szelim maradt az egyetlen örökös, nem igazán tudott volna bármit tenni ellene. A teljes nyugalmat pedig Szulejmán halálával kapta 1566-ban, ugyanis II. Szelim szinte trónralépése után egyből egy hatalmas házat bocsátott Mahidevran rendelkezésére, gyönyörű kerttel, emellett befejezte Musztafa türbéjének építtetését is. Mahidevran így Szelimnek köszönhetően utolsó éveit nyugalomban és kényelemben tölthette Bursában és láthatta ahogy fia türbéje elkészül. 1580/1-ben, túlélve Szulejmánt, Hürremet és azok minden gyermekét hunyt végül el. Fia mellé temették.

Felhasznált források:  L. Peirce - Empress of the East; L. Peirce - The imperial harem ; C. Imber - The Ottoman Empire 1300-1650; F. Suraiya, K. Fleet - The Cambridge History of Turkey 1453-1603; Z. Atçil - Why Did Süleyman the Magnificent Execute His Son Şehzade Mustafa in 1553?

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This golden and green tiara was first worn by Şah Sultan in the thirty-sixth episode of the third season of Magnificent Century. It appeared twice in the fourth season, first on Gülfem Hatun in the third episode and then on Rana Sultan in the twenty-sixth episode.

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This silver necklace was first worn by Hatice Sultan in the twenty-sixth episode of the second season of Magnificent Century. It was also worn by Efsun Hatun four episodes later with an additional pendant attached to it. The necklace appeared again on Nurbanu Sultan in the third episode of the fourth season, as well as briefly on Nurbanu's daughter Şah Sultan in the final episode of the series.

The necklace was also worn by Atike Sultan in the first episode of the second season of Magnificent Century: Kösem.

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This red and golden kaftan was first worn by Şah Sultan in the twenty-second episode of the third season of Magnificent Century. When she wore it again in the twenty-eighth episode, the kaftan's neckline had been drastically altered. This new version is next seen on Mihrimah Sultan in the eighth episode of the fourth season.

Magnificent Century: Kösem used the kaftan twice, first on Menekşe Hatun in the twenty-sixth episode of the first season and then on Madame Margaret (later Melek Hatun) in the third episode of the second season.

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This red and black kaftan was first worn by Şah Sultan in the thirty-ninth episode of the third season of Magnificent Century. It appeared again on Rana Sultan in the eleventh episode of the fourth season. The collar was removed for its next appearances on Mihrünnisa Sultan in the twenty-first and on Defne Sultan in the thirty-third episode of the fourth season.

The kaftan was also worn by Dilruba Sultan in the twenty-seventh episode of the first season of Magnificent Century: Kösem.

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This golden lace bolero jacket was first worn by Şah Sultan in the twenty-ninth episode of the third season of Magnificent Century. It was worn again by Mihrimah Sultan in the ninth episode of the fourth season.

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This black and grey kaftan was first worn by Şah Sultan in the third season of Magnificent Century. It was worn again by Huricihan Sultan and Nurbanu Sultan in the fourth season.

The kaftan appeared again in the seventh episode of the first season of Magnificent Century: Kösem on Handan Sultan.

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This black and silver kaftan was first worn by Şah Sultan in the thirty-sixth episode of the third season of Magnificent Century. It was worn again twice in the fourth season, first by Şah's sister Fatma Sultan and then by Defne Sultan.