#valide turhan sultan

[elizabeth-halime]

[fictonrantsworld]

Turhan Sultan, I will never forgive the producers for only giving you 4 episodes, but that didn't stop me from making you one of my favourites... u served hard, with limited time u had and Ibrahim never deserved you.

Literally the only Sultana that was smart enough to care about herself and her son first and not the sultans love.

[1533-secrets-from-history]

Power and status of ottoman princess

Title and honorifics

Before the rule of sultan Bayazid II every high ranking woman were called Hatuns,including mother,sisters,aunts and daughters, however thier social standing was naturally higher than non imperial women. The way to adrress them was Hatun that was used after their given name,for example, Gevherhan hatun,daughter of Mehmed the coqueror or effendi that would have similar meaning as mistress.

After accession of Bayazid II his daughters and granddaughters were given title of sultan,however non of his living sisters or aunts got the honor. Later on proper way to adress them woulf become “Sultanim”, which would mean “my sultan”,or again “effendim” by other members of imperial family. I would like to underline that contrary to what wikipedia states, there is no records that I know,where princesses where called with “Devletlu İsmetlu” like Valide sultan and Haseki sultan were.

The term “sultana” that was made more feminine by Europeans never existed in ottoman language.

Family, Marrige and Issues

I want to start discussing their family with brothers,it’s widely known fact that before suleyman there was “once concubine,one son” tradition therefore if shehzade/Sultan had full-sisters they were all older,that is one way to deduce if princess of unspecified mother was full sister of half sister of reigning sultan. Naturally Shezades had closer relationship to their full sisters as they were leaving with him and their mother,when he was appointed as governor of princely province. Their latter life would be spent in their brother’s harem before marriage.

being half sister of sultan did not automatically mean that their relationship would have been stained,however mostly,princess would favour full-brother over half,but were treated by same respect regardless who ascended the throne. It was different case when imperial princess had no full brother at all,for example Sah Huban, she had very close relationship with Suleyman,even closer than his deeply respected full sisters.

Their marriages,much like any other princesses of any country, was political,arranged by their parents to strengthen standing of their father or brother,for example daughters of Selim I were firstly married to powerful politicians,so their father would have supporters in his rebellion,while their second marriages were arranged to help Suleyman in his early reign. Their husbands were usually much older than them, therefore marital life was likely not consensual and in no way their choice. For example,Rustem paha,husband of Mihrimah,was same age as Hurrem,her daughter’s fate was even worse as she had to marry peer of her own grandfather,however given the fact that they had 8 children,marriage can be considered successful. After the Marriage princesses were getting their own little “Harrem”,where they had great rooms for themselves and their servants,where even their Husbands needed permission to enter and even refuse to have sexual intercourse with them,sometimes their marriage could end unconsumated and after some time princess could use another of their privilege-divorce. Reason of divorce could have been different: Personal attitude,mistreatment,political move or adultery. It was made clear,especially by Suleyman,that imperial princesses were full-fledged members of imperial family so they ranked higher than their husbands,therefore having relationship with other women was their humiliation,which would lead to divorce, after which they would retire in old palace and could refuse to remarry again.

Only their first degree descendants would be given imperial titles.

Daughters- Hanimsultan(with Ayse Humashah as exception)

Sons-Sultanzades. They ranked even below non-sultan imperial consorts and some of the highest ranking harem servants.

Hierarchy and Power

They actually had equal standing in ottoman hierarchy. As female members of dynasty they had the same status and privileges,were reffered as sultans and often received relative stipend.( Which was on average 200 akche a day, for comparison, Valide sultan had around 2000-3000 depended on time period, Haseki sultan 1000-1100(Hurrem as only exception,who got stipend of Valide sultan ) Gulfem,who was almost regarded as member of family herself was recieving 150, Nurbanu’s trusted friend and one of the highest ranking non-sultan woman ever Canfeda received 200, Mahidevran only received 40 and avarage stipend of cariye was 2-4) Besides, sisters of sultans were technically daughters of sultan, though the deceased one, still they were treated with great respect much like their late father. However, birth order was important thing in ottoman society so younger sister respected older and bowed to them as well as nieces bowing to aunts regardles of their martial or fianacal status. Therefore saughters of sultan,as nieces, were calling sisters of sultan,as aunts, “effendi" out of respect.

In conclusion, even if they had same social standing, sisters of sultan were still bit ahead daughters of sultan formally.

However, Granddaughters, Nieces and cousins of sultan,despite the same rank, were less prestigious.

Despite their relative social status and order of birth their actual power was dependent on several factors:

1. Their relationship with Padishah,Valide sultan or Haseki sultan. They had higher rank and much more evident political power, they still needed their permissions about major decisions,even if it were their right, so being on good terms with them was a good move. Half-sisters naturally were not as favoured as full-sisters by Valide sultan,but with padisah had more options, they could have been supportive, religious, charitable and obedient another way was sending beautiful, well-educated concubines,who could have become Haseki(after 1533), that is when their good relationship begun,most of Sultanate of women memebers were raised at their court and remained in favour after they became Valide Sultans, in that case even some of the Padisah’s expressed gratitude and gratefulness for raising their mother, (such occasion was Ahmed I’s attitude towards her aunt which I will discuss below.), they could also donate money to wars, harem managements and charitable projects, either all their own or assist Haseki sultan.

2. The second way to gain power was wealth. Money opens many doors and it was like that in the past. They could establish some business or even receive bribes.

3. They could also gain power with marriages, it was not only beneficial for their brothers,but for them as well. If their husband had a high rank, they could keep an eye on the political situation and act accordingly, they would use that influence to assist their brothers, who,In turn, would be extremely grateful for their support.

Comparison between Ottoman and European princess

Status- Status of European princesses depended on their marriage. Being princes was not guaranteed power,but only a formal status. For example, Margaret Tudor was below prince Henry in rank but when she married by proxy to Scottish king, she outranked him and demonstrated that by walking in front of him. On the other hand, another sister Mary married to Charles Brandon and was Duchess of Suffolk ever since,while Status of Imperial princess remained the same.

Opportunity- European princesses could have become Queen consort and Queen mother and veiled immense power, while imperial princesses could never become Haseki or Valide.

Marriage- Ottoman princesses were usually older when married and outranked their husbands,while European princesses were always below their husbands. Sultan could also refuse remarryin,while European princesses had no such right

Freedom-European princesses were less limited by social customs.

Consummation-Ottoman princesses had the right to refuse Consummation without a deadline, while European princesses had to Consummate marriage even if they were twelve, unless of course parents arranged it other way.

Divorce - it was right of ottoman princesses to divorce their husbands,while for European princesses it was a rare privilege.

Despite so many differences, one thing was same- they had a loveless purely political match .

Powerful ottoman princesses

Here I Rank ottoman princesses,who had considerable power and influence, sorted by date of birth.

P.S gifs are from MC and MC:K,but some characters might represent different historical figures.

Fatma sultan

Fatma may have been the second child of Ayşe Hafsa and Selim I . She was born in Trabzon around 1492 and spent her childhood there. When her younger brother Süleyman received his own princely province in 1509, she probably accomponied him to Caffa with their mother.

She was married in 1516 for the first time,but it soon ended in divorce and Fatma returned to Manisa. She gained considerable influence as she was most likely the sister,who was recorded to be in Manisa, helping mother manage harem and protect Suleyman from their father. If legends are true and Selim was indeed trying to kill Suleyman,that she had hands in saving him. Most likely, Fatma and her mother were instructing young sukeyman,how not to deserve the wrath of father and covering his mistakes. After Suleyman ascended the throne, she was married again to Kara Ahmed pasha in 1522. Marriage lasted long,but did not produce any child, so either fatma was infertile (Kara Ahmed pasha had two daughters that are disputed to be fatmas,but they were likely from previous marriage) or the match was not happy and Fatma refused sexual intercourse, however considering her reaction to his death, it was most likely the former.

According to what we have Fatma seems to be quite free spirited as depicted in the series. She was wealthy, cunning and might have been fond of parties. She had hands in financing some of her brother’s campaigns and even won the favour of janissrries. However, in 1555 Kara Ahmed pasha was executed by the efforts of Mihrimah and Hurrem and Fatma was married to eunuch and banished from the capital for hed intrigues against them She died either in 1557 or 1573.

Sah huban sultan

Daughter of Selim I and unknown concubine, born in 1500. As she has no full brothers, she was very close to Suleyman and their father, with whom she spent most of her childhood. Considering Suleyman’s great respect for her, Sah was likely a supporter of him and helped to deal with Selim I.

She was married in 1523 to well-educated and intelligent Lutfi pasha with whom she shared religious thoughts and beliefs. Marriage, however did not seem to be successful the couple only had one daughter and Sah refused to have a sexual relationship ever since. She was very pious, intelligent,outspoken and fierce in nature. In the only description of her daughter Esmahan Burnaz, it is said that she was arrogant and demanding and it was Shah’s domineering attitude in the family that was blamed for it, as by this “she had ruined the role of woman” in the child’s mind. However,that was recorded by the European ambassador only, who had never met any of them and probably heard some rumors or made it up after an ugly end of their marriage.

In 1541, Lutfi pasha punished a prostitute for adultery by mutilating her genitals.Şah could not tolerate the humiliation and mutilation of a woman without a word, which is why she got into an argument with her husband, who hit her . Şah had Lutfi pasha beaten up and immediately asked his brother to allow the divorce. Süleyman then exiled him. Şah remained with her brother in Istanbul for the rest of her life and supported the wife of Süleyman, Hürrem, in carrying out her construction projects. She lived a modest life in the Old Palace and devoted all her time to charity and religion. Shah had excellent relationship with Hurrem and Mihrimah and in my opinion, close bond between aunt and niece helped young sultan to shape her mind and characteristics. She died in 1572 and was buried in her father’s complex.

Mihrimah Sultan(1522-1576)

Her life is very much known. She was the most powerful imperial princess in the empire, so I will just list some of her achievements:

1. Her stipend was 600 akches a day during the reign of three different Sultans. it was three times as much as regular pirncess

2. She had correspondence with Catherine de Medici and other foreigner diplomats, who would often send her gifts to help them in some political affairs.

3. She financed some of Suleyman’s campaigns all her own

4. She built a whole fleet of 400 ships.

5. She had three palaces and two mosques

6. She served as sole de facto Valide from 1558 to 1566 and shared it with Nurbanu from 1566 to 1574.

7. After the death of Bayazid Mihrimah banned everyone from laughing and sent back clothes to Suleyman and Selim who were secretly planning a grandiose wedding, that was cancelled by Mihrimah and instead a very plain ceremony was held.

Humasah 1543-c.1582 or later

She was a posthanous daughter of Shehzade Mehmed and despite being only a daughter of prince, she was given the same privileges,but greater power, as any other sultans. She was one of two favourite grandchildren of Hurrem and Suleyman. She married three times,but the source of her power was a good relationship with Sultans. She was the one who raised Safiye and gifted her to Murad, so her power reached it’s peak during his reign.

She financed many construction projects,but was buried in a mosque that was built by Hurrem and Suleyman for her father.

Ayse Humasah 1543-1594.

Daughter of Mihrimah sultan and Rustem pasha, she was practically the same as her cousin with whom she shared many things started from date of birth and ended with their name. Ayse Humasah was the only woman born to an ottoman princess,who was herself addressed as sultan and her children were considered members of the dynasty. She was married two times and her influence was extremely great during the reign of three Sultans. Her power reached it’s peak, when her husband was appointed a grand Vizier and she had hands in very major political decision.

Gevherhan Sultan. 1544-after 1526.

Eldest child of Nurbanu and Selim. She was married to Piyale Pasha, an admiral who died in 1578 and she was remarried in 1579. She was one who raised Handan and gifted it to the prince, for which not only Handan was grateful, but her son Ahmed as well, who after his accession gifted very expensive furs to Handan, Gevherhan and Safiye. The second gifts were given to Handan and Gevherhan only,which indicates that unlike Safiye,she never fell from his favour. Peak of her power was from 1598 during her husband’s grand vazirate. She did a lot of charity in her life.

Ismahan sultan 1545-1585

Daughter of Selim and Nurbanu,she was married to Sokollu Mehmed Pasha and Through her husband and her own rank, Esmehan was the most influential sultana of the empire for years. In wealth, only her aunt, Mihrimah, could overtake her, but in influence, almost no one could. She constructed several projects and had foreign diplomatic affairs, most notable her correspondence with Catherine de Medici. She had a very artistic and dramatic personality, often throwing parties and shows. She was recorded to be very much alike Hurrem,both of them were short, not conventionally beautiful,but very intelligent. She was heavily involving herself in politics with her mother.

Burnaz Atike Sultan

Sultan Atike was born in 1614 or 1615 and although some sources consider her to be the daughter of Kösem, she was certainly not her child. That can be supported by the fact that she supported Turhan’s rebellion and had a good relationship even after kosem was killed. She was one who raised Turhan and remained in friendly terms for both Turhan’s gratitude and their shared politican views. Atike was noted to love children very much,but had none on her own, so she was involved in raising her nephew,who regarded her as second mother and listened to every of her advice.

She died around 1570.

I hope you liked it, I think it’s unfair to only talk about Mihrimah,while there were so many powerful and intelligent Princesses. I did not talk about Esma sultan as she was in later centuries and I am not fond of her times.

Which ottoman princesses are you favourites?

If i accedentaly missed something out you can ask it in comments

[sevgilisultana]

𝑂𝑡𝑡𝑜𝑚𝑎𝑛 𝐷𝑦𝑛𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑦 𝐻𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑦 𝐴𝑝𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑀𝑜𝑛𝑡ℎ:

𝑊𝑒𝑒𝑘 1: 𝑉𝑎𝑙𝑖𝑑𝑒 𝑆𝑢𝑙𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑠

𝐷𝑎𝑦 7: 𝑇𝑢𝑟ℎ𝑎𝑛 𝐻𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑒 𝑆𝑢𝑙𝑡𝑎𝑛, 𝑇𝑢𝑟ℎ𝑎𝑛 𝐻𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑒 𝑉𝑎𝑙𝑖𝑑𝑒 𝑆𝑢𝑙𝑡𝑎𝑛

[arthistoryk]

Mükemmel bi şey

[chaos-of-the-abyss]

ok i just learned that mck only gives turhan four episodes of screentime and that's... such a disappointment? this woman was the last prominent figure in the sultanate of women, the last great valide sultan, after whose death it was said that "everyone was sad and sorrowful and wailed, saying ‘alas, the strongest prop of the state is gone.’” and you introduce her in the very last stretch of your two+ hours per episode, sixty episode long show? why

[ottomanladies]

How much influence was Turhan Hatice Sultan able to retain after her regency had ended? Are there any recorded moments of her using said influence post-regency?

I'd say this:

When the Marquis de Nointel, ambassador of Louis XIV, arrived by ship in Istanbul in 1670, he did not make the customary artillery salute when passing by the imperial palace, both because he wished to assert the superiority of the French monarchy to the Ottoman sultanate and because the sultan, Mehmed IV, was absent in Edirne. The city was scandalized and the ambassadorial community furious at the French for jeopardizing its collective standing. The diplomatic crisis was resolved when Turhan Sultan appeared one day with her retinue on the shore of the palace grounds in order to inspect a ship under construction and demanded that the French perform the royal salute in her name. The French ships were immediately decked out with multicolored banners, and their artillery began to fire, vying with the palace cannon, which were also fired in the valide sultan's honor. Soon, however, the volume and duration of the French detonations began to annoy the population of the city, and the Ottoman admiral sent word that pregnant women were miscarrying because of the disturbance.

She still represented the sultan even though she was not the regent anymore.

[rhaenahanzades]

As you know, in 1655, fourteen sultanas received gifts from Ragusian envoys:

1. Fatma sultana moglie di Fasli passa

2. Ghiusciahato sultana moglie di Chienan passa

3. Behar sultana moglie di passa di Cairo

4. Caia sultana moglie di Melek passa

5. Ruckie sultana moglie di Telak Mustafa passa

6. Fatisce sultana moglie di Haidar passa

7. Aisce sultana stata moglie di Gascir passa

8. Fatma sultana moglie di Jusuf passa

9. Vsci sultana moglie di Ahmet passa

10. Faslite sultana moglie di Lauer passa

11. Fatige sultana moglie di Jusuf basci

12. Inasce sultana moglie di Hassan passa

13. Hatige sultana moglie di Jusuf Gesali

14. Safie sultana moglie di Haidar Sade, figlia di sultan Murat

______________

1. Fatma Sultan binti Ibrahim, wife of Fasli pasha

2. Gevherhan Sultan binti Ibrahim, wife of Sari Kenan Pasha

3. Beyhan Sultan binti İbrahim, wife of Haseki Mehmed Pasha

4. Kaya Sultan binti Murad IV, wife of Melek Ahmed Pasha

5. Rukiye Sultan binti Murad IV wife of Tellak Mustafa Pasha

6. ???

7. Ayşe Sultan binti Ahmed I, wife of Ibşir Pasha

8. Fatma Sultan binti Ahmed I, wife of Koca Yusuf Pasha

9. Ümmügülsüm Sultan binti Ahmed I, wife of Ahmed Pasha

10. Fahrihan Sultan binti Murad III, wife of Dilaver Pasha

11. Atike Sultan binti Ahmed I, wife of Doğancı Yusuf pasha

12. Hümaşah Sultan binti Murad III, wife of Nakkaş Hasan Pasha

13. Hatice Sultan binti Murad III(?), wife of Jusuf pasha

14. Safiye Sultan binti Murad IV, wife of Haydarzade Mehmed Pasha

I have problem to identify certain Fatisce sultana, wife of certain Haydar Pasha. It could be misspelled by Ayşe, Atike, even Hatice. And I don't know whose daughter it could be. Maybe Turhan's daughter, Atike Ayşe Sultan? I don't know...

I wanted to ask you what do you think of this, who the sultana and the pasha are, because I am not sure.

Hi! Well, I'm sorry that I can't be of much help with this. I also have no idea who this princess could be, though I've been curious about her too. From what I searched about it before, there was apparently not an influential Haydar Pasha in that period (by influential I mean a vizier or admiral), which makes me think this princess might've not been exactly Turhan's daughter, maybe just one of Ibrahim's with a random woman. But as we know, there were cases were less influential matches for daughters of Hasekis and/or Valides were made depending on the situation (aka Hanzade with Bayram Pasha, which was a very specific situation). Unfortunately, we know nothing about this Haydar Pasha to make much with it and much less of what might've been his role in politics of that time.

[haldenhale]

36 OSMANLI PADİŞAHININ TÜRBELERİ NEREDE? BUYRUN ÖĞRENELİM..

1. Osman Gazi (I. Osman):Bursa’da Tophane semtinde kendi adını taşıyan türbesinde yatıyor...

2- Orhan Gazi:Aynı yerde, babasının yanıbaşında kendine ait türbesinde ebediyeti uyuyor...

3- Sultan I.Murad (Hüdavendigar): Bursa, Çekirge’de kendine ait üstü açık türbesinde kıyameti bekliyor…

4- Sultan I. Bayezid (Yıldırım)): Bursa’da Bayezid Hân Türbesi’nde yatıyor...

5- Sultan I. Mehmed (Çelebi):Bursa Yeşil Türbe’de yatıyor...

6- Sultan II. Murad:Bursa,Muradiye semtinde yatıyor...

7- Sultan II.Mehmed (Fatih):Fatih’te, Fatih Camii bahçesindeki türbesinde yatıyor...

8- Sultan II.Bayezid (Veli):Bayezıtta Bayezid Camii bahçesindeki türbesinde yatıyor...

9- Sultan I.Selim (Yavuz):Yavuz Selim Camii bahçesindeki türbesinde yatıyor...

10- Sultan I.Süleyman (Kanuni): Süleymaniye Camii bahçesindeki türbesinde yatıyor...

11- II. Selim: Ayasofya Camii ön bahçesindeki türbesinde.

12- Sultan III.Murad: Ayasofya Camii ön bahçesindeki türbesinde yatıyor…

13- Sultan III.Mehmed:Ayasofya Camii bahçesindeki türbesinde yatıyor...

14- Sultan I.Ahmed:Sultanahmet Camii yanındaki türbesinde yatıyor...

15- Sultan I. Mustafa:Ayasofya Camii önündeki türbesinde yatıyor...

16- II. Osman (Genç): Sultanahmet Camii yanındaki türbesinde yatıyor…

17- Sultan IV. Murad:Sultanahmet Camii yanındaki türbesinde yatıyor…

18- Sultan İbrâhim :Ayasofya Camii bitişiğindeki türbesinde yatıyor…

19- Sultan IV.Mehmed (Avcı):Yeni Camii arkasında Turhan Valide Sultân Türbesinde yatıyor…

20- Sultan II.Süleyman:Süleymaniye Camii bahçesindeki Kanunî Türbesi’nde yatıyor…

21- Sultan II.Ahmed:Süleymaniye Camii bahçesindeki Kanuni Türbesi’nde yatıyor…

22- Sultan II. Mustafa: Yeni Camii arkasındaki Turhan Valide Sultan Türbesi’nde yatıyor…

23- Sultan III.Ahmed: Yeni Camii arkasındaki Turhan Valide Sultan Türbesi’nde yatıyor…

24- Sultan I. Mahmud:Yeni Camii arkasındaki Turhan Valide Sultan Türbesi’nde yatıyor…

25- Sultan III.Osman:Yeni Camii arkasındaki Turhan Valide Sultan Türbesi’nde yatıyor…

26- Sultan III. Mustafa: Lâleli Camii önündeki türbesinde yatıyor…

27- I. Abdülhamid:Bahçekapı’da Hamidiye Türbesi’nde yatıyor…

28- Sultan III. Selim: Lâleli Camii önündeki türbesinde yatıyor…

29- Sultan IV.Mustafa:Bahçekapı’da Hamidiye Türbesi’nde yatıyor…

30- Sultan II.Mahmud:Çemberlitaş’taki kendi türbesinde yatıyor…

31- Sultan I.Abdülmecid: Yavuz Selim Camii bahçesindeki türbesinde yatıyor…

32- Sultan I.Abdülaziz: Çemberllitaş’taki Sultan II.Mahmud Türbesi’nde yatıyor…

33- Sultan V. Murad: Yeni Camii arkasındaki Turhan Valide Sultan Türbesi’nde.

34- Sultan II. Abdülhamid Han: Çemberlitaş’ta Sultan II. Mahmud Türbesi’nde yatıyor…

35- Sultan Mehmed Reşad: Eyüp’te Sultan Reşad Türbesi’nde yatıyor…

36- Sultan Vahideddin: Şam’da Sultan Selim

Camii kabristanında yatıyor…

Alemleri yaratan ve yöneten Hz. Allah hepsine gani gani rahmet eylesin.

[prettyokcentury]

If Zarife got pregnant a little bit later and wasn't exiled, how do you think she would have faired as a Sultana and mother of the eldest prince?

I don't think she would have fared all that well on her own. Turhan was ruthless, ambitious and unscrupulous and she would have been even more motivated to engineer Zarife's downfall. She wouldn't have had Kösem on her side, but I can easily see Turhan still plotting against Zarife.

That said, Zarife would have had Kösem on her side. And Kösem would do everything she could do to protect her. I can't say how successful Kösem would have been. But that is significant, since she was Valide Sultan after all. And she may not have even had a rift with Ibrahim, as Kösem disfavouring Zarife was one of the major factors in their falling out. But what I can say is that Turhan would have given Zarife and Kösem a hard time.

[life-kaan]

osmanlı padişahlarının anneleri, genellikle “valide sultan” unvanı taşıyan önemli figürlerdi. hem saray içerisindeki hem de devlet yönetimindeki etkileri büyüktü. işte osmanlı padişahlarının anneleri:

erken dönem (1299–1453)

1. osman gazi: hayme ana (osmanlı'nın kurucusunun annesi).

2. orhan gazi: malhun hatun veya nilüfer hatun (bu konuda bazı tartışmalar vardır).

3. i. murad: nilüfer hatun.

4. yıldırım bayezid: gülçiçek hatun.

5. i. mehmed (çelebi): devlet hatun.

6. ii. murad: emine hatun.

7. fatih sultan mehmed: hüma hatun.

klasik dönem (1453–1603)

8. ii. bayezid: gülbahar hatun.

9. yavuz sultan selim: gülbahar hatun (amasyalı).

10. kanuni sultan süleyman: hafsa sultan.

11. ii. selim: hürrem sultan.

12. iii. murad: nurbanu sultan.

13. iii. mehmed: safiye sultan.

14. i. ahmed: handan sultan.

15. i. mustafa: halime sultan.

16. ii. osman (genç osman): mahfiruz hatun.

17. iv. murad: kösem sultan.

18. i. ibrahim: kösem sultan.

geç dönem (1603–1922)

19. iv. mehmed (avcı mehmed): turhan sultan.

20. ii. süleyman: saliha dilaşub sultan.

21. ii. ahmed: hatice muazzez sultan.

22. ii. mustafa: emetullah rabia gülnuş sultan.

23. iii. ahmed: emetullah rabia gülnuş sultan.

24. i. mahmud: saliha sultan.

25. iii. osman: şehsuvar sultan.

26. iii. mustafa: mihrişah sultan.

27. i. abdülhamid: rabia şermi sultan.

28. iii. selim: mihrişah sultan.

29. iv. mustafa: ayşe sineperver sultan.

30. ii. mahmud: nakşidil sultan.

31. abdülmecid: bezmialem sultan.

32. abdülaziz: pertevniyal sultan.

33. v. murad: şevkefza sultan.

34. ii. abdülhamid: tirimüjgan sultan.

35. mehmed reşad (v.): gülcemal kadın.

36. mehmed vahdettin (vi.): gülüstü hanım.

notlar

• osmanlı annelerinin çoğu, özellikle son dönemlerde, köken itibarıyla yabancıydı ve genellikle cariye olarak saraya girmişlerdi.

• osmanlı sarayında “valide sultan”lık, padişahın annesi için güçlü bir konum sağlardı; bu nedenle devlet yönetiminde ve saray hayatında önemli roller üstlenmişlerdir.

[elizabeth-halime]

Artwork of Hürrem Sultan and Turhan Sultan

[valkyries-things]

TURHAN SULTAN // HASEKI SULTAN

“She was the first Haseki Sultan of the Ottoman Sultan Ibrahim (reign 1640–48) and Valide sultan as the mother of Mehmed IV (reign 1648–87). Turhan was prominent for the regency of her young son and her building patronage. She and Kösem Sultan are the only two women in Ottoman history to be regarded as official regents and had supreme control over the Ottoman Empire. As a result, Turhan became one of the prominent figures during the era known as Sultanate of Women.”

[1533-secrets-from-history]

10 most Influential women in the Ottoman Empire (plus five non- sultans)

I must say in advance, this is purely my opinion and it doesn't include legal power,but general influence. For example if one woman had more legal power but still was limited to some actions, that another woman could get away with, I will rank her higher. Let's start with non sultans.

Part I: Non-Sultans

Number 5: Çevri kalfa

Çevri kalfa was a woman of Georgian origin and previously loyal servant to Nakşidili Sultan (also Georgian). She became mistress head treasurer( Baş hazindar usta) after accession of Mahmud II, who she saved from executioners by throwing them hot coals and sneaking the prince out. After becoming Head treasurer, she attained so much wealth that she could afford expensive clothes not even sultans wore. A girls school, built in her name, is one of the first schools for girls and the biggest primary school in Istanbul. She remained in her office until her death and was Sultan's trusted and favoured advisor.

Number 4: Meleki Kalfa

Meleki kalfa was a servant of Kösem and Ibrahim, however following the deposition of the sultan, she secretly switched sides as an agent of Turhan. Meleki played an important role in Turhan's rebellion by giving her information about Kösem's plan to dethrone Mehmed. After Kösem's death and Turhan's accession, she became an important person in Valide Sultan's court, was freed and married to Şaban Khalife. The couple built a residence in Istanbul, where Meleki not only conditioned her line of information to Turhan, but also acted as a negotiator in the palace on behalf of people. The political influence of her and her husband grew so much and they were murdered in 1656 for abuse of power.

Number 3: Gulfem Hatun

I have spoken about her in my previous posts

Number 2: Mahidevran Hatun

I have thought a lot about where to put her. People would expect her to be Number 1,mostly because they are used to her being sultan. That is what I first thought,for other reasons,but here we are. She has several significant influences that not many other women had:

1. She was popular with janissaries and people

2. Had a spy network, allowing her to hear major events happening in the capital.

3. She had strong allies. Ibrahim Paşa supported her and Mustafa later in his life, Hatice and her husband were supporting her openly or indirectly.

4. She was a considerable rival to the first and one of the most powerful women in the ottoman empire.

5. She had powerful characteristics: Was an intelligent, educated woman. Could mask her resentment towards Hürrem and act calmly around him.

6. She was a trusted advisor to her son. Actually, she supported the idea of Mustafa revolting against Suleiman,but only after she received information about his imminent execution, through her spy network.

Number 1: Çanfeda Kalfa

Çanfeda was the woman of Circassian origin, who served as second in command of Nurbanu for 18 years and the ruler of harem for another 11, so we can say she was de-facto Valide sultan.

In her almost three decades of service, she acquired wealth, so great that it attracted negative attention of Janissaries and even the grand Vizier. Although she collected such affluence through her salary(that was extraordinarily high consisting of 200 akches a day, it was the average salary of an imperial princess) and bribery, she used it for selfless purposes. She built three mosques, fountains, hamams, two schools, irrigation systems and fixed the roads, costing her several million akches, still she remained as one of the wealthiest people in the empire. In 1595, when Safiye exiled her, she needed dozens of carriages to carry her holdings, which apparently did not consist of much of the furniture, because she bought it from Venice the next year. It's also considerable that as an exiled person, she had to give up some of her wealth to imperial treasury.

Apart from her vital involvements in harem management in which she dominated Safiye, she had considerable influence over state matters as well. Çanfeda used her connections to install her not so bright brothers as paşas and after the series of mistakes,they were imprisoned, Çanfeda not only defied Grand viziers orders and had them set free,but restored them to their offices as well. Her power, wealth and influence came to the attention of Janissaries, who demanded her dead, but she got away with this as well. Another indication of her power, was her attempt to free the second son of sultan Murad. Even though she was caught red handed, the power it would take to infiltrate the prison is still considerable.

P.S. I did not list Halime and Handan,because after becoming Valide Sultans and regents they reached a whole different level, leagues above almost every single woman in ottoman history, however their power and influence was immense even when they were Hatuns.

As there is only 10 images/Gif limit. I will speak about 10 most powerful women in second posts.

[mirelanast]

Royal Gifts and Exchanges

Turhan Valide Sultan, the mother of Sultan Mehmet IV, presented her son with a valuable golden dagger adorned with a single emerald at the inauguration of a new structure she had commissioned. This gesture of gratitude was among the most significant gifts exchanged within the royal family. Additionally, Sultan Mehmet IV followed the tradition of gifting valuable items to commanders, provincial governors, state officials, and foreign envoys, which were considered significant expenses for the treasury.

Diplomatic Gifts and Campaign Rewards

During campaigns, gifts were sent to allies such as the Khan of Crimea and distributed among members of the Imperial Army, including the commander-in-chief and officers of various ranks. After the conquest of the Candia fortress, the Sultan rewarded the Grand Vizier and Commander-in-Chief Serdar-i Ekrem with luxurious robes, adorned maces, and jeweled daggers, continuing the tradition of rewarding military successes with valuable items Private Istanbul Tours.

Continuous Flow in the Treasury

The exchange of gifts between the Ottoman Empire and its allies, as well as the rewards bestowed by the Sultan, ensured a continuous flow of valuable items in and out of the treasury. Records meticulously documented these transactions, often providing explanations or annotations for the items exchanged or received. Notably, significant goods such as the “Kaşıkçı Elması,” the largest diamond in Ottoman regalia, entered the treasury through unique circumstances, such as being found by a poor woman and later sold to a spoon-maker.

Unique Treasury Acquisitions

Aside from diplomatic exchanges and campaign rewards, the treasury also acquired valuable items through purchases. One notable example is the “Kaşıkçı Elması,” which has a fascinating origin story—it was discovered near the Tekfur Palace in Istanbul’s Ayvansaray district and eventually became one of the prized possessions of the Ottoman Empire.

[heartmylifes]

Royal Gifts and Exchanges

Turhan Valide Sultan, the mother of Sultan Mehmet IV, presented her son with a valuable golden dagger adorned with a single emerald at the inauguration of a new structure she had commissioned. This gesture of gratitude was among the most significant gifts exchanged within the royal family. Additionally, Sultan Mehmet IV followed the tradition of gifting valuable items to commanders, provincial governors, state officials, and foreign envoys, which were considered significant expenses for the treasury.

Diplomatic Gifts and Campaign Rewards

During campaigns, gifts were sent to allies such as the Khan of Crimea and distributed among members of the Imperial Army, including the commander-in-chief and officers of various ranks. After the conquest of the Candia fortress, the Sultan rewarded the Grand Vizier and Commander-in-Chief Serdar-i Ekrem with luxurious robes, adorned maces, and jeweled daggers, continuing the tradition of rewarding military successes with valuable items Private Istanbul Tours.

Continuous Flow in the Treasury

The exchange of gifts between the Ottoman Empire and its allies, as well as the rewards bestowed by the Sultan, ensured a continuous flow of valuable items in and out of the treasury. Records meticulously documented these transactions, often providing explanations or annotations for the items exchanged or received. Notably, significant goods such as the “Kaşıkçı Elması,” the largest diamond in Ottoman regalia, entered the treasury through unique circumstances, such as being found by a poor woman and later sold to a spoon-maker.

Unique Treasury Acquisitions

Aside from diplomatic exchanges and campaign rewards, the treasury also acquired valuable items through purchases. One notable example is the “Kaşıkçı Elması,” which has a fascinating origin story—it was discovered near the Tekfur Palace in Istanbul’s Ayvansaray district and eventually became one of the prized possessions of the Ottoman Empire.