Harem of the Sultans of the Ottoman Empire. Female Sultanate - Sultana involuntarily on the screen and in everyday life

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

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

The Ottoman Empire is otherwise known as the Ottoman Empire. It was founded in 1299. It was then that Osman I Gazi, who became the first sultan, declared independence from the Seljuks of the territory of a small state. However, some sources report that only Murad I, his grandson, officially accepted the title of Sultan for the first time.

Rise of the Ottoman Empire

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

The role of women in government

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

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

The term "Women's Sultanate"

For the first time, this term was proposed to be used in 1916 by Ahmet Refik Altynay, a Turkish historian. It is found in the book of this scientist. His work is called "Women's Sultanate". And in our time, disputes about the impact this period had on the development of the Ottoman Empire do not subside. There is disagreement as to what is the main cause of this phenomenon, which is so unusual for the Islamic world. Scientists also argue about who should be considered the first representative of the Women's Sultanate.

Causes

Some of the historians believe that this period was generated by the end of campaigns. It is known that the system of conquering lands and obtaining military booty was based precisely on them. Other scholars believe that the Sultanate of Women in the Ottoman Empire appeared due to the struggle to abolish the law "On Succession" issued by Fatih. According to this law, all the brothers of the Sultan must be executed without fail after ascending the throne. It didn't matter what their intentions were. Historians who hold this opinion consider Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska Sultan to be the first representative of the Women's Sultanate.

Khurem Sultan

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

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

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

Ambiguity in assessing the role of Hürrem Sultan

Not all scholars agree with the opinion that this woman should be considered a representative of the Women's Sultanate. One of the main arguments they present is that each of the representatives of this period in history was characterized by the following two points: the short reign of the sultans and the presence of the title "valide" (mother of the sultan). None of them apply to Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska. She did not live eight years before the opportunity to receive the title of "Valide". In addition, it would be simply absurd to believe that the reign of Sultan Suleiman I was short, because he ruled for 46 years. As, however, it would be wrong to call his reign "decline". But the period of interest to us is considered a consequence of just the "decline" of the empire. It was the bad state of affairs in the state that gave rise to the Women's Sultanate in the Ottoman Empire.

Mihrimah replaced the deceased Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska (in the photo above - her grave), becoming the head of the Topkapı harem. It is also believed that this woman influenced her brother. However, she cannot be called a representative of the Women's Sultanate.

And who can rightfully be attributed to their number? We bring to your attention a list of rulers.

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

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

The first of them is Nurbanu Sultan (years of life - 1525-1583). By origin she was a Venetian, the name of this woman is Cecilia Venier-Baffo.
The second representative is Safie Sultan (about 1550 - 1603). This is also a Venetian, whose real name is Sophia Baffo.
The third representative is Kesem Sultan (years of life - 1589 - 1651). Her origin is not exactly known, but, presumably, it was the Greek Anastasia.
And the last, fourth representative is Turhan Sultan (years of life - 1627-1683). This woman is a Ukrainian named Nadezhda.

Turhan Sultan and Kesem Sultan

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

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

Question of succession

It would seem that getting an heir in the presence of a numerous harem is not at all difficult. However, there was one catch. It consisted in the fact that the weak-minded Sultan had an unusual taste and his own ideas about female beauty. Ibrahim I (his portrait is presented above) preferred very fat women. Records of the chronicles of those years have been preserved in which one concubine was mentioned that he liked. Her weight was about 150 kg. From this it can be assumed that Turhan, which his mother gave to her son, also had considerable weight. Perhaps that is why Kesem bought it.

Fight of two Valides

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

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

End of the Women's Sultanate

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

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

Why has the role of women in government increased?

Among the main reasons for the increased role of women in government, there are several. One of them is the love of the sultans for the fair sex. The other is the influence that their mother's sons had on their sons. Another reason is that the sultans were incompetent at the time of accession to the throne. You can also note the deceit and intrigues of women and the usual combination of circumstances. Another important factor is that the Grand Viziers were often replaced. The duration of their tenure at the beginning of the 17th century averaged a little over a year. This, of course, contributed to the chaos and political fragmentation in the empire.

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

Estimates of the Women's Sultanate period

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

On the other hand, the Women's Sultanate in the Ottoman Empire also had positive aspects. Thanks to him, it was possible to preserve the monarchical order characteristic of this state. It was based on the fact that all sultans must be from the same dynasty. The incompetence or personal failings of rulers (such as the brutal Sultan Murad IV, pictured above, or the mentally ill Ibrahim I) were compensated for by the influence and strength of their mothers or women. However, one cannot ignore the fact that the actions of women carried out during this period contributed to the stagnation of the empire. To a greater extent, this applies to Turhan Sultan. Mehmed IV, her son, on September 11, 1683, lost the Battle of Vienna.

Finally

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

Since the creation of the Ottoman Empire, the state has been continuously ruled by the descendants of Osman in the male line. But despite the fecundity of the dynasty, there were those who ended their lives childless.

The founder of the dynasty Osman Gazi (ruled 1299-1326) was the father of 7 sons and 1 daughter.

The second ruler was the son of Osman Orkhan Gazi (pr.1326-59) had 5 sons and 1 daughter.

God did not deprive Murad 1 Khyudavendigyur of offspring (son of Orkhan, pr. 1359-89) - 4 sons and 2 daughters.

The famous Bayazid the Lightning (son of Murad 1, born in 1389-1402) was the father of 7 sons and 1 daughter.

Bayazid's son Mehmet 1 (1413-21) left behind 5 sons and 2 daughters.

Murad 2 the Great (son of Mehmet 1, pr. 1421-51) - 6 sons and 2 daughters.

The conqueror of Constantinople Fatih Mehmet 2 (r. 1451-1481) was the father of 4 sons and 1 daughter.

Bayazid 2 (son of Mehmet 2, born 1481-1512) - 8 sons and 5 daughters.

The first Caliph from the Ottoman dynasty, Yavuz Sultan Selim-Selim the Terrible (prob. 1512-20) had only one son and 4 daughters.

2.

The famous Suleiman the Magnificent (Legislator), the husband of the no less famous Roxola (Hyurrem Sultan, 4 sons, 1 daughter), was the father of 8 sons and 2 daughters from 4 wives. He reigned so long (1520-1566) that he outlived almost all of his children. The eldest son Mustafa (Makhidervan) and the 4th son Bayazid (Roksolana) were strangled on the orders of Suleiman 1 on charges of plotting against their father.

The third son of Suleiman and the second son of Roksolana Selim 2 (Red Selim or Selim the Drunkard, pr.1566-1574) had 8 sons and 2 daughters from 2 wives. Despite his love for wine, he was able to expand his holdings from 14.892.000 km2 to 15.162.000 km2.

And now let's welcome the record holder - Murad 3 (project 1574-1595). He had one official wife, Safiye Sultan (Sofia Baffo, daughter of the ruler of Corfu, was kidnapped by pirates) and many concubines, from whom 22 sons and 4 daughters survived (they write that at the time of his death, the heir Mehmet 3 ordered to strangle all his pregnant wives). But despite the love for the weaker sex, he was able to expand his possessions to 24.534.242 km2.

Mehmet 3 (pr.1595-1603) was a champion in another part - on the night of his father's death, he ordered all his brothers and sisters to be strangled. In terms of fertility, he was much inferior to his father - only 3 sons from 2 wives

The eldest son of Mehmet 3 Ahmet 1 (pr.1603-1617, died of typhus at the age of 27), having ascended the throne, introduced a new dynastic law, according to which the eldest son of the deceased ruler became the ruler.

Mustafa1, who sat on the throne due to the infancy of his son Akhmet 1 (r. 1617-1623, d. fall into madness, and according to the fatwa of Sheikh-ul-Islam was removed from the throne.

Little-known facts from the life of the sultans ...

When they start talking about the Ottoman rulers, then people automatically have in their heads the image of formidable, cruel conquerors who spent their free time in a harem among half-naked concubines. But everyone forgets that they were mere mortal people with their own shortcomings and hobbies...

OSMAN 1.

It is described that when he stood, his lowered hands reached his knees, based on this, it was believed that he had either very long arms or short legs. Another distinguishing feature of his character was that he never put on outerwear again. that he was a dude, he just liked to give his clothes to commoners. If someone looked at his caftan for a long time, he took it off and gave it to that person. Osman was very fond of listening to music before a meal, was a good wrestler and skillfully wielded weapons. The Turks had a very interesting old custom - once a year, ordinary members of the tribe took everything that they liked in this house from the leader's house. Osman and his wife left the house empty-handed and opened the doors for their relatives.

ORHAN.

Orkhan's reign lasted 36 years. He owned 100 fortresses and spent all his time driving around them. He did not stay in any of them for more than one month. He was a big fan of Mevlana-Jalaleddin Rumi.

MURAD 1.

In European sources, a brilliant ruler, a tireless hunter, a very gallant knight and was a symbol of honesty. He was the first Ottoman ruler to create a private library. He was killed in the Battle of Kosovo.

BAEZIT 1.

For the ability to quickly cover long distances with his army, and to appear in front of the enemy at the most unexpected moment, he received the nickname Lightning. He was very fond of hunting and was an avid hunter, often participated in wrestling competitions. Historians also note his mastery of weapons and horsemanship. He was one of the first rulers to compose poetry. He was the first to besiege Constantinople, and more than once. He died in captivity with Timur.

MEHMET CHELEBI.

It is considered the revival of the Ottoman state as a result of the victory over the Timurils. When he was with him, he was called the wrestler Mhemet. During his reign, he introduced the custom of sending gifts to Mecca and Medina every year, which was not canceled even in the most difficult times until the First World War. Every Friday evening he cooked food with his own money and distributed it to the poor. Like his father, he loved to hunt. While hunting for a boar, he fell off his horse and broke his hip bone, which is why he soon died.

And tell us how it happened that there are portraits, because Islam forbids images of a person.
Did you find Italian infidels to perpetuate yourself, the great ones?

Bayezid 1 Lightning, the 4th ruler ruled from 1389 to 1403. His father was Murat 1, and his mother was Bulgarian Maria, after the adoption of Islam Gulchichek Khatun.

- Mehmet 1 Celebi, 5th Sultan. His mother was also Bulgarian, Olga Khatun.
  1382-1421
  
  Murat 2 (1404-1451) was born from the marriage of Mehmet Celebi and the daughter of the ruler of the beylik Dulkadiroglu Emine Hatun. According to some unconfirmed sources, his mother was Veronica.
  
  Mehmet 2 the Conqueror (1432-1481)
  
  Son of Murat 2 and Hyum Khatun, daughter of a bey from the Jandaroglu clan. It was believed that his mother was Serbian Despina.
  
  Bayezid 2 was no exception either - his mother was also a Christian Cornelia (Albanian, Serbian or French). After the adoption of Islam, her name was Gulbahar Khatun. Father was Fatih Sultan Mehmet 2.
  
  SELIM 1.(1470-1520)
  
  Selim 1 or Yavuz Sultan Selim, the conqueror of Egypt, Baghdad, Damascus and Mecca, the 9th padishah of the Ottoman state and the 74th Caliph was born from Bayezid 2nd and the daughter of an influential bey in western Anatolia from the Dulkadiroglu clan Gulbahar Khatun.
  
  SULEMAN 1 (1495-1566).
  
  Suleiman Kanuni was born on April 27, 1495. He became sultan when he was 25 years old. An uncompromising fighter against bribery, Suleiman won the favor of the people with good deeds, built schools. Suleiman Kanuni patronized poets, artists, architects, wrote poetry himself, and was considered a skilled blacksmith.
  
  Suleiman was not as bloodthirsty as his father, Selim I, but he loved conquest no less than his father. In addition, neither kinship nor merit saved him from his suspicion and cruelty.
  
  Suleiman personally led 13 campaigns. A significant part of the wealth received from military booty, tribute and taxes was spent by Suleiman I on the construction of palaces, mosques, caravanserais, and tombs.
  
  Also under him, laws (qanun-name) were drawn up on the administrative structure and position of individual provinces, on finances and forms of land tenure, the duties of the population and attaching peasants to the land, and on the regulation of the military system.
  
  Suleiman Kanuni died on September 6, 1566 during the next campaign in Hungary - during the siege of the fortress of Szigetvar. He was buried in a mausoleum at the cemetery of the Suleymaniye Mosque along with his beloved wife Roksolana.
  
  Suleman the Magnificent, the 10th Ottoman ruler and the 75th Caliph of Muslims, also known for being the husband of Roksolana, was born from Selim 1 and a Polish Jewess Helga, later Khavza Sultan.
  
  Khavza Sultan.
  
  SELIM 2. (1524-1574)
  
  The son of the famous Roksolana (Hyurrem Sultan) Selim 2 ascended the throne after her death. Her real name was Alexandra Anastasia Lisovska, she was Suleiman's beloved wife.
  
  MURAT 3 (1546-1595).
  
  Born from Selim the 2nd and the Jewess Rachel (Nurbanu Sultan) Murat 3, was their eldest son and heir to the throne.
  
  MEHMET 3 (1566-1603).
  
  He ascended the throne in 1595 and ruled until his death. His mother was no exception either, she was also kidnapped and sold into the harem. She was the daughter of a wealthy Baffo family (Venice). She was taken prisoner while traveling on a ship when she was 12 years old. In the harem, the father of Mehmet III fell in love with Cecilia Baffo and married her, her name became Safie Sultan.
  Palace intrigues of the wives of the padishahs
  
  Khyurem Sultan (Roksolana 1500-1558): thanks to her beauty and intelligence, she not only managed to attract the attention of Suleiman the Magnificent, but also became his beloved woman. Her struggle with Suleiman's first wife, Mahidervan, was the most famous intrigue of that time, such a struggle was not for life, but for death. Roksolana bypassed her in all respects and finally became his official wife. As her influence on the ruler increased, her influence in state affairs also increased. Soon she succeeded in deposing both the viziri-i-azam (prime minister) Ibrahim Pasha, who was married to Suleiman's sister. He was executed for adultery. She married the next vizier and azam Rustem Pasha to her daughter and with the help of which she managed to discredit, by substituting letters, to accuse Suleiman's eldest son Shahzade Mustafa of hostile relations with the main enemies of the Iranians. For his intelligence and great abilities, Mustafa was predicted to be the next padishah, but on the orders of his father, he was strangled during a campaign against Iran.
  
  Over time, during the meetings, being in the secret department of Khyurem Sultan, she listened and shared her opinion with her husband after the advice. From the poems dedicated by Suleiman to Roksolana, it becomes obvious that his love for her was dearer to him than anything in the world.
  
  Nurbanu Sultan (1525-1587):
  
  At the age of 10, she was kidnapped by corsairs and sold at the famous market of Pera in Istanbul to slave traders. Merchants, noting her beauty and intelligence, sent her to the harem, where she managed to attract the attention of Khyurem Sultan, who sent her to Manisa for education. From there she returned a real beauty and managed to win the heart of her son Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska Sultan Selim 2, who soon married her. Poems written by Selim in her honor entered as excellent examples of lyrics. Selim was the youngest son, but as a result of the death of all his brothers, he becomes the sole heir to the throne, to which he ascended. Nurbanu became the only mistress of his heart and, accordingly, the harem. There were other women in Selim's life, but none of them could win his heart like Nurbanu. After the death of Selim (1574), her son Murat 3 became padishah, she became Valide Sultan (royal mother) and for a long time held the threads of government in her hands, despite the fact that this time her rival was Murat 3's wife Safie Sultan.
  
  Safiye Sultan
  
  A life of intrigue became the subject of many novels after her death. Just like Nurbanu Sultan, she was kidnapped by corsairs and sold to a harem, where Nurbanu Sultan bought her for a lot of money for her son Murat 3.
  
  The son's ardent love for her shook the mother's influence over her son. Then Nurbanu Sultan begins to introduce other women into the life of the son, but the love for Safiye Sultan was unshakable. Soon after the death of her mother-in-law, she actually ruled the state.
  
  Kosem Sultan.
  
  Murad's mother 4 (1612-1640) Kosem Sultan became a widow when he was still small. In 1623, at the age of 11, he was enthroned and Kosem Sultan became regent under him. In fact, they ruled the state.
  
  As her son grew older, she faded into the shadows, but continued to influence her son until his death. Her other son, Ibrahim (1615-1648), was elevated to the throne. The beginning of his reign was the beginning of the struggle between Kosem Sultan and his wife Turhan Sultan. Both of these women sought to establish their influence in public affairs, but over time this struggle became so obvious that it served as the formation of opposing factions.
  
  As a result of this long struggle, Kosem Sultan was found strangled in her room, and her supporters were executed.
  
  Turhan Sultan (Hope)
  
  She was kidnapped in the steppes of Ukraine and donated to a harem. Soon she became the wife of Ibrahim, after whose death her young son Menmet 4 was placed on the throne. Although she became regent, her mother-in-law Kosem Sultan was not going to let go of the threads of government from her hands. But soon she was found strangled in her room, and her supporters were executed the next day. The regency of Turhan Sultan lasted 34 years and it was a record in the history of the Ottoman Empire.

Anastasia Gavrilovna Lisovskaya, or Roksolana, or Hurrem (1506-1558) - first was a concubine, and then became the wife of the Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent. Nobody knows why she was called by this name Khurrem, but in Arabic it can mean “cheerful, bright”, but there are serious disputes about Roksolana, the name goes back to the Rusyns, Russians - that was the name of all the inhabitants of Eastern Europe ..

And where she was born, no one knows the exact location. Perhaps the city of Rogatin, Ivano-Frankivsk region or the city of Chemerovtsy, Khmelnytsky region. When she was little, she was kidnapped by Crimean Tatars and sold into a Turkish harem.

Life in the harem was not easy. She could die or fight. She chose to fight and is now known to the whole world. Everyone in the harem was ready for anything, just to get the Sultan's tenderness. Everyone wanted to survive and put their offspring on their feet. The life of Roksolana-Nastya is well known to everyone, but there is little information about other slaves who could also escape from slavery.

Kezem Sultan

The most famous Valide Sultan Közem Sultan (1589-1651), she was the favorite concubine of Sultan Ahmet the First. During her short girlhood, she was the girl Anastasia, the daughter of a priest from the Greek island of Tinos.

She was officially and single-handedly at the head of the Muslim empire for many years. She was a tough woman, but mercy was also present in her - she freed all her slaves after 3 years.

She died a violent death, was strangled on the orders of the future sultan-valid by the chief eunuch of the harem.

Handan Sultan

Valide Sultan was also Handan (Handan) Sultan, wife of Sultan Mehmed III and mother of Sultan Ahmed I (1576-1605). She used to be Helena, the daughter of a priest, also Greek.

She was kidnapped into a harem, and tried by all means to get to power.

Nurbanu Sultan

Nurbanu Sultan (translated as “princess of light”, 1525-1583) was the beloved wife of Sultan Selim II (the Drunkard) and the mother of Sultan Murad III. She was of noble birth. But that didn't stop the slave traders from kidnapping her and taking her to the palace.

When her husband died, she overlaid him with people in order to wait for her son to arrive and ascend the throne.

The body lay like that for 12 days.

Nurbanu was related to the most influential and wealthy people in Europe, such as the senator and poet Giorgio Baffo (1694-1768). In addition, she was a relative of the ruler of the Ottoman Empire - Safie Sultan, who was a Venetian by birth.

At that time, many Greek islands belonged to Venice. They were relatives both “on the Turkish line” and “on the Italian line”.

Nurbanu corresponded with many ruling dynasties, led a pro-Venetian policy, for which the Genoese hated her. (There is also a legend that she was poisoned by a Genoese agent). They built the Attik Valide Mosque in honor of Nurban near the capital.

Safiye Sultan

Safie-Sultan was born in 1550. She was the wife of Murad III and the mother of Mehmed III. In freedom and girlhood, she bore the name Sophia Baffo, was the daughter of the ruler of the Greek island of Corfu and a relative of the Venetian senator and poet Giorgio Baffo.

She was also kidnapped and taken to the harem. She corresponded with European monarchs - even Queen Elizabeth I of Great Britain, who even gave her a real European carriage.

Safie-Sultan made excursions around the city in a donated carriage, her subjects were shocked by such behavior.

She was the ancestor of all subsequent Turkish sultans after her.

There is a mosque in her honor in Cairo. And the mosque Turhan Hatis, which she herself began to build, was completed by another Valide-Sultan Nadia from a small Ukrainian town. She was kidnapped when she was 12 years old.

Sultans due to circumstances

The stories of such girls cannot be called happy. But they did not die, they did not sit in captivity in the farthest rooms of the palace, they were not expelled. They themselves began to rule, it seemed impossible to everyone.

They achieved power in cruel ways, including orders to kill. Türkiye is their second home.

They did not try to commit suicide, but after all, someone had stabbed the many thousands of girls of many nationalities sold to the seraglio. And someone just died. And some decided to rule those who deprived them of their homes, parents and homeland. We will not blame them for anything.

What was the strength of character and will of the girls who found themselves in such situations. They fought for their lives, scheming, killing. But is life in a harem so sweet?

For nearly 400 years, the Ottoman Empire dominated what is now Turkey, southeastern Europe, and the Middle East. Today, interest in the history of this empire is greater than ever, but at the same time, few people know that the stops had many "dark" secrets that they hid from prying eyes.

1. Fratricide

The early Ottoman sultans did not practice primogeniture, in which the eldest son inherits everything. As a result, a number of brothers often claimed the throne. In the first decades, it was not uncommon for some of the potential heirs to take refuge in enemy states and cause a lot of problems for many years.

When Mehmed the Conqueror besieged Constantinople, his own uncle fought against him from the walls of the city. Mehmed handled the problem with his characteristic ruthlessness. When he ascended the throne, he executed most of his male relatives, including even ordered to strangle his baby brother right in the cradle. He later issued his infamous law which read: The one of my sons who should get the Sultanate should kill his brothers"From now on, each new sultan had to take the throne by killing all his male relatives.

Mehmed III tore out his beard in grief when his younger brother begged him for mercy. But at the same time, he "did not answer him a word," and the boy was executed along with 18 other brothers. And Suleiman the Magnificent silently watched from behind a screen as his own son was strangled with a bowstring when he became too popular in the army and became a danger to his power.

2. Cells for shehzade

The policy of fratricide was never popular with the people and the clergy, and when Ahmed I died suddenly in 1617, it was abandoned. Instead of killing all potential heirs to the throne, they began to imprison them in the Topkapı Palace in Istanbul in special rooms known as Kafes ("cages"). An Ottoman prince could spend his entire life imprisoned in Kafes, under constant guards. And although the heirs were kept, as a rule, in luxury, many shehzade (sons of the sultans) went crazy with boredom or became depraved drunkards. And this is understandable, because they understood that at any moment they could be executed.

3. The palace is like a silent hell

Even for a sultan, life in Topkapı Palace could be extremely bleak. At that time, there was an opinion that it was indecent for the Sultan to talk too much, so a special form of sign language was introduced, and the ruler spent most of his time in complete silence.

Mustafa I considered that this was simply unbearable and tried to abolish such a rule, but his viziers refused to approve this ban. As a result, Mustafa soon went mad. He often came to the seashore and threw coins into the water so that "at least the fish would spend them somewhere."

The atmosphere in the palace was literally saturated with intrigue - everyone fought for power: viziers, courtiers and eunuchs. The women of the harem gained great influence and eventually this period of the empire became known as the "sultanate of women". Ahmet III once wrote to his Grand Vizier: " If I move from one room to another, then 40 people line up in the corridor, when I get dressed, then security is watching me ... I can never be alone".

4. Gardener with the duties of an executioner

The rulers of the Ottomans had complete power over the life and death of their subjects, and they used it without hesitation. Topkapi Palace, where petitioners and guests were received, was a terrifying place. It had two columns on which severed heads were placed, as well as a special fountain exclusively for the executioners so that they could wash their hands. During the periodic purges of the palace from objectionable or guilty people, whole mounds were piled in the courtyard from the tongues of the victims.

Curiously, the Ottomans did not bother to create a corps of executioners. These duties, oddly enough, were entrusted to the palace gardeners, who divided their time between killing and growing delicious flowers. Most of the victims were simply beheaded. But it was forbidden to shed the blood of the Sultan's family and high-ranking officials, so they were strangled. It was for this reason that the head gardener was always a huge muscular man, able to quickly strangle anyone.

5. Death Race

For delinquent officials, there was only one way to avoid the wrath of the Sultan. Beginning in the late 18th century, it became customary for a condemned grand vizier to escape his fate by beating the chief gardener in a race through the palace gardens. The vizier was summoned to meet with the head gardener, and after an exchange of greetings, he was presented with a goblet of frozen sherbet. If the sherbet was white, then the sultan granted the vizier a respite, and if it was red, he should have executed the vizier. As soon as the condemned man saw red sherbet, he immediately had to run through the palace gardens between shady cypresses and rows of tulips. The goal was to reach the gate on the other side of the garden that led to the fish market.

There was only one problem: the vizier was pursued by the head gardener (who was always younger and stronger) with a silk cord. However, several viziers managed to do so, including Khachi Salih Pasha, the last vizier who was the last to participate in such a deadly race. As a result, he became a sanjak-bey (governor) of one of the provinces.

6. Scapegoats

Although the grand viziers were theoretically second only to the sultan in power, they were usually executed or thrown into the crowd to be torn apart as a "scapegoat" whenever something went wrong. During the time of Selim the Terrible, so many grand viziers were replaced that they always began to carry their wills with them. One vizier once asked Selim to let him know in advance if he was to be executed soon, to which the sultan replied that a whole line of people had already lined up to replace him. The viziers also had to calm the people of Istanbul, who always, when they didn’t like something, came in a crowd to the palace and demanded execution.

7. Harem

Perhaps the most important attraction of the Topkapi Palace was the Sultan's harem. It consisted of up to 2,000 women, most of whom were bought or kidnapped slaves. These wives and concubines of the Sultan were kept locked up, and any outsider who saw them was executed on the spot.

The harem itself was guarded and ruled by the chief eunuch, who, because of this, had great power. There is little information about living conditions in the harem today. It is known that there were so many concubines that some of them almost never caught the eye of the Sultan. Others managed to get such a huge influence on him that they took part in solving political issues.

So, Suleiman the Magnificent fell madly in love with the Ukrainian beauty Roksolana (1505-1558), married her and made her his chief adviser. Roksolana's influence on the politics of the empire was such that the grand vizier sent the pirate Barbarossa on a desperate mission to kidnap the Italian beauty Giulia Gonzaga (Countess of Fondi and Duchess of Traetto) in the hope that Suleiman would pay attention to her when she was brought to the harem. The plan eventually failed, and Julia could not be kidnapped.

Another lady - Kesem Sultan (1590-1651) - achieved even more influence than Roksolana. She ruled the empire as regent in place of her son and later grandson.

8. Blood Tribute

One of the most famous features of early Ottoman rule was the devshirme ("blood tribute"), a tax imposed on the non-Muslim population of the empire. This tax consisted in the forced recruitment of young boys from Christian families. Most of the boys were enrolled in the corps of the Janissaries - the army of slave soldiers, who were always used in the first line during the Ottoman conquests. This tribute was collected irregularly, usually resorted to devshirma when the sultan and viziers decided that the empire might need additional manpower and warriors. As a rule, boys aged 12-14 were recruited from Greece and the Balkans, and the strongest were taken (on average, 1 boy per 40 families).

The recruited boys were rounded up by Ottoman officials and taken to Istanbul, where they were entered on a register (with a detailed description in case anyone ran away), circumcised, and forcibly converted to Islam. The most beautiful or smartest were sent to the palace, where they were trained. These guys could achieve very high ranks and many of them eventually became pashas or viziers. The rest of the boys were initially sent to work on farms for eight years, where the children simultaneously learned the Turkish language and developed physically.

By the age of twenty, they were officially Janissaries, the elite soldiers of the empire, who were famous for their iron discipline and loyalty. The blood tribute system became obsolete in the early 18th century, when the children of the Janissaries were allowed to join the corps, which thus became self-sustaining.

9. Slavery as a tradition

Although devshirme (slavery) was gradually abandoned during the 17th century, this phenomenon continued to be a key feature of the Ottoman system until the end of the 19th century. Most of the slaves were imported from Africa or the Caucasus (the Adyghes were especially valued), while the Crimean Tatar raids ensured a constant influx of Russians, Ukrainians and Poles.

Initially, it was forbidden to enslave Muslims, but this rule was quietly forgotten when the influx of non-Muslims began to dry up. Islamic slavery largely developed independently of Western slavery and therefore had a number of significant differences. For example, it was somewhat easier for Ottoman slaves to gain freedom or achieve some kind of influence in society. But at the same time, there is no doubt that Ottoman slavery was incredibly cruel.

Millions of people died during slave raids or from exhausting work. And that's not even talking about the castration process that was used to fill the ranks of the eunuchs. What was the mortality rate among the slaves, evidenced by the fact that the Ottomans imported millions of slaves from Africa, while in modern Turkey there are very few people of African descent.

10 Massacres

With all of the above, we can say that the Ottomans were quite a loyal empire. Apart from devshirme, they made no real attempt to convert non-Muslim subjects. They received Jews after they were expelled from Spain. They never discriminated against their subjects, and the empire was often ruled (we are talking about officials) by Albanians and Greeks. But when the Turks felt threatened, they acted very cruelly.

Selim the Terrible, for example, was very alarmed by the Shiites, who denied his authority as a defender of Islam and could be "double agents" of Persia. As a result, he massacred almost the entire east of the empire (at least 40,000 Shiites died and their villages were razed to the ground). When the Greeks first began to seek independence, the Ottomans resorted to the help of Albanian partisans, who carried out a series of terrible pogroms.

As the empire's influence declined, it lost much of its former tolerance for minorities. By the 19th century, massacres had become much more common. This reached its peak in 1915, when the empire, just two years before its collapse, slaughtered 75 percent of the entire Armenian population (about 1.5 million people).

Continuing the Turkish theme, for our readers.

The traditional harem (from the Arabic "haram" - forbidden) is primarily the female half of the Muslim home. Only the head of the family and his sons had access to the harem. For everyone else, this part of the Arab home is a strict taboo. This taboo was observed so strictly and zealously that the Turkish chronicler Dursun Bey wrote: "If the sun were a man, then even he would be forbidden to look into the harem." Harem - the realm of luxury and lost hopes ...

The Sultan's harem was located in the Istanbul Palace Topkapi. The mother (valid-sultan), sisters, daughters and heirs (shahzade) of the sultan, his wife (kadyn-efendi), favorites and concubines (odalisques, slaves - jariye) lived here.

From 700 to 1200 women could live in a harem at the same time. The inhabitants of the harem were served by black eunuchs (karaagalar), commanded by daryussaade agasy. Kapy-agasy, the head of the white eunuchs (akagalar), was responsible for both the harem and the inner chambers of the palace (enderun), where the sultan lived. Until 1587, the kapy-agasy had power inside the palace comparable to the power of the vizier outside it, then the heads of the black eunuchs became more influential.

The harem itself was actually controlled by the Valide Sultan. The next in rank were the unmarried sisters of the Sultan, then his wives.

The income of the women of the Sultan's family was made up of funds called a shoe (for a shoe).

There were few slaves in the Sultan's harem, usually girls who were sold by their parents to the school at the harem and underwent special training became the concubines.

In order to cross the threshold of the seraglio, the slave went through a kind of initiation ceremony. In addition to checking for innocence, the girl had to convert to Islam without fail.

Entering the harem was in many ways reminiscent of being tonsured as a nun, where instead of selfless service to God, no less selfless service to the master was instilled. Candidates for concubines, like God's brides, were forced to break all ties with the outside world, received new names and learned to live in humility.

In later harems, wives were absent as such. The main source of a privileged position was the attention of the Sultan and childbearing. Showing attention to one of the concubines, the owner of the harem elevated her to the rank of a temporary wife. This situation was most often shaky and could change at any moment depending on the mood of the master. The most reliable way to gain a foothold in the status of a wife was the birth of a boy. A concubine who gave her master a son acquired the status of mistress.

The largest in the history of the Muslim world was the Istanbul harem Dar-ul-Seadet, in which all women were foreign slaves, free Turkish women did not get there. The concubines in this harem were called “odalisk”, a little later the Europeans added the letter “c” to the word and it turned out “odalisque”.

And here is the Topkapi Palace, where the Harem lived

From among the odalisques, the Sultan chose up to seven wives. Who was lucky to become a "wife" received the title of "kadyn" - mistress. The main "kadyn" was the one who managed to give birth to her first child. But even the most prolific "kadyn" could not count on the honorary title of "sultana". Only the mother, sisters and daughters of the Sultan could be called sultanas.

Transport of wives, concubines, in short, a harem taxi depot

Just below the "kadyn" on the hierarchical ladder of the harem stood favorites - "ikbal". These women received salaries, their own apartments and personal slaves.

The favorites were not only skilled mistresses, but also, as a rule, subtle and intelligent politicians. In Turkish society, it was through "ikbal" for a certain bribe that one could go directly to the Sultan himself, bypassing the bureaucratic obstacles of the state. Below the "ikbal" were the "concubines". These young ladies were a little less fortunate. The conditions of detention are worse, there are fewer privileges.

It was at the stage of "concubin" that there was the toughest competition, in which a dagger and poison were often used. Theoretically, the "konkubin", like the "ikbal", had a chance to climb the hierarchical ladder by giving birth to a child.

But unlike the favorites close to the Sultan, they had very few chances for this wonderful event. Firstly, if there are up to a thousand concubines in the harem, then it is easier to wait for the weather by the sea than the holy sacrament of mating with the Sultan.

Secondly, even if the Sultan descends, it is not at all a fact that the happy concubine will definitely become pregnant. And even more so, it’s not a fact that she won’t organize a miscarriage.

The old slaves followed the concubines, and any pregnancy noticed was immediately terminated. In principle, it is quite logical - any woman in labor one way or another, became a contender for the role of a legitimate "kadyn", and her baby - a potential contender for the throne.

If, despite all the intrigues and intrigues, the odalisque managed to keep the pregnancy and did not allow the child to be killed during the “unsuccessful birth”, she automatically received her personal staff of slaves, eunuchs and the annual salary “basmalik”.

Girls were bought from their fathers at the age of 5-7 years and raised up to 14-15 years. They were taught music, cooking, sewing, court etiquette, the art of pleasing a man. When selling his daughter to a harem school, the father signed a paper stating that he had no rights to his daughter and agreed not to meet her for the rest of his life. Getting into the harem, the girls received a different name.

Choosing a concubine for the night, the Sultan sent her a gift (often a shawl or a ring). After that, she was sent to the bath, dressed in beautiful clothes and sent to the door of the Sultan's bedroom, where she waited until the Sultan went to bed. Entering the bedroom, she crawled on her knees to the bed, and kissed the carpet. In the morning, the Sultan sent rich gifts to the concubine if he liked the night spent with her.

The Sultan could have a favorite - guzde. Here is one of the most famous, Ukrainian Roxalana

Suleiman the Magnificent

Bani Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska Sultan (Roksolana), wife of Suleiman the Magnificent, built in 1556 next to the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. Architect Mimar Sinan.

Mausoleum of Roxalana

Valide with black eunuch

Reconstruction of one of the rooms of the Valide Sultan apartments in the Topkapi Palace. Melike Safie Sultan (possibly born Sofia Baffo) was the concubine of the Ottoman Sultan Murad III and the mother of Mehmed III. During the reign of Mehmed, she held the title of Valide Sultan (mother of the Sultan) and was one of the most important figures in the Ottoman Empire.

Only the Sultan's mother, Valide, was considered equal to her. Valide Sultan, regardless of her origin, could be very influential (the most famous example is Nurbanu).

Aishe Hafsa Sultan is the wife of Sultan Selim I and the mother of Sultan Suleiman I.

Hospice Ayse-Sultan

Kösem Sultan, also known as Mahpeyker, was the wife of the Ottoman Sultan Ahmed I (she bore the title of Haseki) and the mother of Sultans Murad IV and Ibrahim I. During the reign of her sons, she bore the title of valid Sultan and was one of the most important figures in the Ottoman Empire.

Valide apartments in the palace

Bathroom Valide

Bedroom Valide

After 9 years, the concubine, who had never been elected by the Sultan, had the right to leave the harem. In this case, the Sultan found her a husband and gave her a dowry, she received a document stating that she was a free person.

However, the lowest layer of the harem also had its own hope for happiness. For example, only they had a chance at least for some kind of personal life. After several years of impeccable service and adoration in their eyes, a husband was found, or, having allocated funds for a non-poor life, they were released in all four directions.

Moreover, among the odalisques - outsiders of the harem society - there were also their own aristocrats. A slave could turn into a "gezde" - awarded a look, if the sultan somehow - with a look, gesture or word - singled her out from the general crowd. Thousands of women have lived all their lives in a harem, but neither the fact that the Sultan was seen naked, but they did not even wait for the honor of being "honored with a look"

If the sultan died, all the concubines were sorted by the sex of the children they had given birth to. The mothers of girls could well get married, but the mothers of the “princes” settled in the “Old Palace”, from where they could leave only after the accession of the new sultan. And at this moment the most fun began. The brothers poisoned each other with enviable regularity and perseverance. Their mothers were also active in putting poison into the food of their potential rivals and their sons.

In addition to the old proven slaves, eunuchs followed the concubines. Translated from Greek, "eunuch" means "guardian of the bed." They got into the harem exclusively in the form of guards, so to speak, to maintain order. There were two types of eunuchs. Some were castrated in early childhood and had no secondary sexual characteristics at all - a beard did not grow, there was a high, boyish voice and a complete rejection of a woman as an individual of the opposite sex. Others were castrated at a later age.

Incomplete eunuchs (namely, as they were called castrated not in childhood, but in adolescence), they even looked like men, had the most low male bass, thin facial hair, broad muscular shoulders, and oddly enough, sexual desire.

Of course, the eunuchs could not satisfy their needs in a natural way due to the lack of the necessary device for this. But as you understand, when it comes to sex or drinking, the flight of human imagination is simply limitless. And the odalisques, who for years lived with an obsessive dream of waiting for the sultan's gaze, were not particularly legible. Well, if there are 300-500 concubines in the harem, at least half of them are younger and more beautiful than you, well, what's the point of waiting for the prince? And on bezrybe and the eunuch is a man.

In addition to the fact that the eunuchs watched over the order in the harem and in parallel (secretly from the Sultan, of course) consoled themselves and women yearning for male attention in all possible and impossible ways, their duties also included the functions of executioners. Those guilty of disobedience to the concubines they strangled with a silk cord or drowned the unfortunate woman in the Bosphorus.

The influence of the inhabitants of the harem on the sultans was used by the envoys of foreign states. So, the Russian ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, M. I. Kutuzov, arriving in Istanbul in September 1793, sent gifts to the valid Sultan Mikhrishah, and "the sultan accepted this attention to his mother with sensitivity."

Selim

Kutuzov was honored with reciprocal gifts from the mother of the Sultan and a favorable reception from Selim III himself. The Russian ambassador strengthened Russia's influence in Turkey and persuaded her to enter into an alliance against revolutionary France.

Since the 19th century, after the abolition of slavery in the Ottoman Empire, all concubines began to enter the harem voluntarily and with the consent of their parents, hoping to achieve material well-being and a career. The harem of the Ottoman sultans was liquidated in 1908.

The harem, like the Topkapi Palace itself, is a real labyrinth, rooms, corridors, courtyards are all randomly scattered. This confusion can be divided into three parts: The premises of the black eunuchs The actual harem, where the wives and concubines lived The premises of Valide Sultan and the padishah himself Our tour of the Topkapi Palace Harem was very brief.

The rooms are dark and deserted, there is no furniture, there are bars on the windows. Close and narrow corridors. Here lived the eunuchs, vengeful and vindictive due to psychological and physical injury ... And they lived in the same ugly rooms, tiny, like closets, sometimes without windows at all. The impression is brightened up only by the magical beauty and antiquity of the Iznik tiles, as if emitting a pale glow. We passed the stone courtyard of the concubines, looked at Valide's apartments.

It is also crowded, all the beauty is in green, turquoise, blue faience tiles. She ran her hand over them, touched the flower garlands on them - tulips, carnations, but the peacock's tail ... It was cold, and thoughts were spinning in my head that the rooms were not warmed well and the inhabitants of the harem probably often had tuberculosis.

Moreover, this lack of direct sunlight ... Imagination stubbornly did not want to work. Instead of the splendor of the Seraglio, luxurious fountains, fragrant flowers, I saw closed spaces, cold walls, empty rooms, dark passages, incomprehensible niches in the walls, a strange fantasy world. Lost sense of direction and connection to the outside world. I was stubbornly embraced by an aura of some kind of hopelessness and longing. Even the balconies and terraces in some rooms, overlooking the sea and the fortress walls, did not please.

And finally, the reaction of official Istanbul to the sensational series "Golden Age"

Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan believes that the TV series about the court of Suleiman the Magnificent offends the greatness of the Ottoman Empire. However, historical chronicles confirm that the palace really fell into complete decline.

Rumors often circulate around forbidden places. Moreover, the more secret they are shrouded in, the more fantastic assumptions are put forward by mere mortals about what is happening behind closed doors. This applies equally to the secret archives of the Vatican and the caches of the CIA. The harems of Muslim rulers are no exception.

So there is nothing surprising in the fact that one of them became the scene of the "soap opera" that has become popular in many countries. The Magnificent Century series is set in the 16th century Ottoman Empire, which at that time stretched from Algeria to Sudan and from Belgrade to Iran. At the head was Suleiman the Magnificent, who ruled from 1520-1566, in whose bedroom there was a place for hundreds of barely dressed beauties. Not surprisingly, 150 million television viewers in 22 countries were interested in this story.

Erdogan, in turn, focuses primarily on the glory and power of the Ottoman Empire, which reached its peak during the reign of Suleiman. Invented harem stories from that time, in his opinion, underestimate the greatness of the Sultan and thus the entire Turkish state.

But what does the distortion of history mean in this case? Three Western historians spent a lot of time studying works on the history of the Ottoman Empire. The last of these was the Romanian researcher Nicolae Iorga (1871-1940), whose "History of the Ottoman Empire" also included previously published studies by the Austrian orientalist Joseph von Hammer-Purgstall and the German historian Johann Wilhelm Zinkeisen (Johann Wilhelm Zinkeisen).

Iorga devoted much of his time to studying events in the Ottoman court during the time of Suleiman and his heirs, such as Selim II, who inherited the throne after the death of his father in 1566. “More like a monster than a man,” he spent most of his life in drunkenness, by the way, forbidden by the Koran, and his red face once again confirmed his addiction to alcohol.

The day had barely begun, and he was usually already drunk. He usually preferred entertainment to solving issues of national importance, for which dwarfs, jesters, conjurers or wrestlers were responsible, in which he occasionally shot from a bow. But if the endless feasts of Selim took place, apparently, without the participation of women, then under his heir Murad III, who ruled from 1574 to 1595 and lived for 20 years under Suleiman, everything was already different.

"Women play an important role in this country," wrote a French diplomat who had some experience in this regard at home. “Since Murad spent all his time in the palace, his environment had a great influence on his weak spirit,” Iorga wrote. "With women, the Sultan was always obedient and weak-willed."

Most of all, Murad's mother and first wife used this, who were always accompanied by "many court ladies, intriguers and intermediaries," Iorga wrote. “On the street they were followed by a cavalcade of 20 carts and a crowd of Janissaries. Being a very insightful person, she often influenced appointments at court. Because of her extravagance, Murad tried several times to send her to the old palace, but she remained a real sovereign until her death.

Ottoman princesses lived in "typically oriental luxury". European diplomats tried to win their favor with exquisite gifts, because one note from the hands of one of them was enough to appoint this or that pasha. The careers of the young gentlemen who married them depended entirely on them. And those who dared to reject them lived in danger. Pasha "could easily be strangled if he did not dare to take this dangerous step - to marry an Ottoman princess."

While Murad was having fun in the company of beautiful slaves, “all the other people who were allowed to manage the empire made personal enrichment their goal - it doesn’t matter, honestly or dishonestly,” Iorga wrote. It is no coincidence that one of the chapters of his book is called "The Causes of the Collapse". When you read it, you get the feeling that this is the script of a television series, such as, for example, "Rome" or "Boardwalk Empire".

However, behind the endless orgies and intrigues in the palace and in the harem, important changes were hidden in life at court. Before the accession of Suleiman to the throne, it was accepted that the sons of the Sultan, accompanied by their mother, left for the province and remained aloof from the struggle for power. The prince who succeeded to the throne, then, as a rule, killed all his brothers, which was in some way not bad, because in this way it was possible to avoid a bloody struggle for the succession of the Sultan.

Everything changed under Suleiman. After he not only had children with his concubine Roksolana, but also freed her from slavery and appointed her his main wife, the princes remained in the palace in Istanbul. The first concubine, who managed to rise to the sultan's wife, did not know what shame and conscience were, and she shamelessly promoted her children up the career ladder. Numerous foreign diplomats wrote about intrigues at court. Later, historians relied on their letters in their studies.

It also played a role that the heirs of Suleiman abandoned the tradition of sending wives and princes away to the province. Therefore, the latter constantly interfered in political issues. “In addition to participating in palace intrigues, their connections with the Janissaries stationed in the capital are worthy of mention,” wrote historian Suraiya Faroki from Munich.