#semsiruhsar hatun

[ottomanladies]

(OTTOMAN) WOMEN’S HISTORY MEME | 5 royal mothers: Şemsiruhsar, mother of Rukiye Sultan

The fact that so little is known about these concubines of non-haseki rank should not lead us to assume that they were completely deprived of status and power, however. That they enjoyed the prerogatives of a member of the royal family is suggested by the fact that Şemsiruhsar Khatun, one of the many concubines of Murad III and the mother of a daughter, created an endowment for the recitation of the Qur’an in the mosque of the Prophet in Medina. — Leslie P. Peirce, The Imperial Harem: Women and Sovereignty in the Ottoman Empire

[reallifesultanas]

Family of Murad III

[ottomanladies]

𝙤𝙩𝙩𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙣 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙨: Murad III

Murad III, not satisfied with the girls in the harem, engaged in relationships with women from outside as well. For this reason it was claimed he had 100-130 children while he was alive, most of them dying before him; at his death, he had 49 children, 19 sons and 30 daughters. Moreover, it was stated that seven concubines who were pregnant with his children were thrown in the sea at his death. When Murad died, his concubines and consorts were sent to the Old Palace and were married to statesmen, with a ratio of two concubines per statesman. — M. Çağatay Uluçay, Padişahların Kadınları ve Kızları

[ottomanladies]

Murad III of the Ottoman Empire + the women in his life

[ottomanladies]

What information is available about Şemsiruhsar Hatun and Rukiye Sultan, her daughter? Also, is it something interesting to know about Şahıhuban Hatun, consort of Murad III?

Şems-i Ruhsâr Hatun died before 1613, she was Rukiye Sultan’s mother and had a foundation in Medina (she provided funds for the recitation of prayers). She was identified by Uluçay through a Palace document which clearly stated her name and that she was Rukiye’s mother:

“Merhum Murad Han'ın evladından Rukiye Sultan'ın, bir süre önce ölen annesi sahibü'l-hayrat Şemsiruhsar Hatun binti Abdülgaffar'ın ruhuna, 8 kişinin Kuran okuması koşuluyla 1100 altın sikkeyi Mescid-i Nebevi'ye vakfettiği”

Rukiye Sultan (? - ?) married, according to Oztuna, Dâmâd Nakkaaş Hâşan Paşa in February 1613. Hâşan Paşa died in 1623, but it is not known if his wife was still alive at that moment; he had been Chief of the Janissaries twice, governor of Rumelia and Kubbe Vizier. 

Şâh-i Hûbân Hatun was buried in a tomb in Yenibahçe next to another woman, during her life she had had foundations. Ahmet Refik called her Şahhuban.

[ottomanladies]

And what is known about Shemsiruhsarh-Khatun? Did she compete with Safiye?

I doubt that the mother of one daughter had the power to compete with the haseki and mother to the heir to the throne. About Şemsiruhsar we only know that she “created an endowment for the recitation of the Qur'an in the mosque of the Prophet in Medina.”, as Peirce says in The Imperial Harem.

[ottomanladies]

Murad III + harem and children

Consorts:

Haseki Safiye Sultan: Albanian concubine presented to him by his cousin Hümaşah, she was his only consort for 20 years, when Murad III started sleeping with other women.

Şemsiruhsar Hatun: mother of Rukiye Sultan, she made a vakif for the reading of the Quran in the Mosque of the Prophet in Medina. She died before 1613.

Nazperver Hatun: appears in Ahmet Refik’s book Kadınlar Saltanati as one of Murad III’s consorts.

Şahıhuban Hatun: according to Ahmet Refik, she was buried in Yenibahçe with another consort.

Fakriye Hatun: according to Alderson, she was one of Murad III’s consorts.

Mihriban Hatun: again, according to Alderson she was one of Murad III’s consorts.

Unnamed consort: presented to Murad III by his son Mehmed, it could be one between Fakriye or Mihriban.

Children:

Ayşe Sultan (before 1565 - 15.5.1605): Murad and Safiye’s eldest child. She married Damad Ibrahim Paşa on 20 May 1586, who would serve as Grand Vizier three times. After the death of Ibrahim Paşa on 10 July 1601, she married Yemişçi Haşan Paşa in 1602, but he was executed in October 1603 by her brother Mehmed. In 1603 she built a fountain in honour of her first husband, located outside the Şehzade Mosque. Subsequently, she married her lover Güzelce Mahmud Paşa but she died soon later, on 15 May 1605. She was buried in the mausoleum of her father Murad. In her will, most of her wealth was left to the poor, orphans and sick; to the poor women in Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem and as ransom for Muslim female captives.

Fatma Sultan (before 1565 - ??): Murad and Safiye’s second child. On 8 December 1593 she married Kaptanıderya Halil Paşa in a magnificent ceremony. The marriage was described as very happy and they had a child together: Sultanzade Mahmud Bey (died in 1598). Halil Paşa died in 1603 and she subsequently married Vizier Cafer Paşa, though not according to Evliya Celebi.

Mehmed III (16/26.5.1566 - 21.12.1603): son of Safiye Sultan, he was the 13th Ottoman Sultan. (consorts and children here)

Şehzade Selim (1567 - 28.1.1595): executed by Mehmed III. Son of Safiye Sultan? (his date of birth would suggest this, but no source spoke of a second son of Safiye’s being alive at Murad III’s death)

Şehzade Mahmud (1568 - in or before 1581): son of Safiye Sultan

Unnamed prince (6.1582 - 6.1582): according to Alderson, he was born and died during the circumcision fest for prince Mehmed.

Şehzade Cihangir (2.1585 - 8.1585)

Şehzade Süleyman (2.1585 - 1585)

Şehzade Abdullah (1585 - 28.1.1595): executed by Mehmed III

Şehzade Mustafa (1585 - 28.1.1595): executed by Mehmed III

Şehzade Bayezid (1586 - 28.1.1595): executed by Mehmed III

Şehzade Cihangir (1587 - 28.1.1595): executed by Mehmed III

Şehzade Abdurrahman (?? - 28.1.1595): executed by Mehmed III

Şehzade Ahmed (?? - ??)

Şehzade Alaeddin Davud (?? - 28.1.1595): executed by Mehmed III

Şehzade Alemşah (?? - 28.1.1595): executed by Mehmed III

Şehzade Ali (?? - 28.1.1595): executed by Mehmed III

Şehzade Hasan (?? - 28.1.1595): executed by Mehmed III

Şehzade Hüseyin (?? - 28.1.1595): executed by Mehmed III

Şehzade Ishak (?? - 28.1.1595): executed by Mehmed III

Şehzade Murad (?? - 28.1.1595): executed by Mehmed III

Şehzade Osman (?? - 28.1.1595): executed by Mehmed III

Şehzade Ömer (?? - 28.1.1595): executed by Mehmed III

Şehzade Yusuf (?? - 28.1.1595): executed by Mehmed III

Hüma/Hümaşah Sultan (?? - ??): she may have been a daughter of Safiye’s, since she was born in Manisa. She married Lala Kara Sokoloviç Mustafa Paşa (cousin of Sokollu Mehmed Paşa), who died in 1580, and then Nişar Mustafazade Mehmed Paşa, who died in 1586. Nothing else is known about her. [here]

Fahriye Sultan (?? - after 1641): she married Çuhadar Ahmed Paşa in 1604, who died in 1618. According to Uluçay, she was married instead to the governor of Bosnia Sofu Bayram Paşa.

Fethiye Sultan (?? - ??): she does not appear in Sicill-i Osmani.

Rukiye Sultan (?? - ??): daughter of Şemsiruhsar Hatun, she was buried in the mausoleum of her father.

Mihrimah Sultan: she married Mirahur Ahmed Paşa in 1604.

Mihriban Sultan: she was buried in the mausoleum of Murad III.

17 unnamed daughters: died of smallpox in 1598.

Hatice Sultan: no information about her

sources:- A. D. Alderson - The Structure of the Ottoman Dynasty

- Leslie P. Peirce - The Imperial Harem: Women and Sovereignty in the Ottoman Empire

- Necdet Sakaoğlu - Bu Mülkün Kadın Sultanları

- M. Çağatay Uluçay - Padişahların Kadınları ve Kızları

[ottomanladies]

Do you have any information about any of the concubines of Murad lll after Safiye Sultan? I read something about his mother or sister offering him two Russian women.

Hello! Other known concubines of Murad III were:

Şemsiruhsar Hatun: mother of Rukiye Sultan, she died in or before 1613. She created an endowment for the recitation of the Qur'an in the mosque of the Prophet in Medina

Şâh-huban Hatun

Nazperver Hatun

Mihriban Hatun: Sakaoğlu says there was a Madrassa in Kumkapı built by a Mihriban Sultan, but she could have been a daughter of Murad III and not his concubine

Fakriye Hatun, maybe a slavic slave concubine presented by his son Mehmed

It is true that Ismihan Sultan gifted him two beautiful slave concubines that he accepted, but we don’t know their names or if they became mothers of children

[ottomanladies]

Can you write some information about Şemsiruhsar Hatun concubine of Murad III and mother of Rukiye Sultan.

I am afraid that’s all we know about her. Uluçay found a document in the Topkapi Archives that identified Şemsiruhsar Hatun as Rukiye Sultan’s mother. In the document, Şemsiruhsar allocated funds for the recitation of the Quran in the mosque of the Prophet in Medina.

"Merhum Murad Han'ın evladından Ruhiye Sultan'ın, bir süre önce ölen annesi sahibü'l-hayrat Şemsiruhsar Hatun binti Abdülgaffar'ın ruhuna, 8 kişinin Kuran okuması koşuluyla 1100 altın sihkeyi Mescid-i Nebevi'ye vakfettiği"

In the document she is called Şemsiruhsar Hatun binti Abdülgaffar, which means that she was of slave origins. Sakaoğlu claims that the document indicates that she died before 1613.