Adile Sultan
Encyclopedia
HIH Princess Adile Sultana (1825-1898), daughter of Sultan
Mahmud II
and sister of the Sultans Abdulmecid I
and Abdulaziz, was an Ottoman
princess, a renowned female Diwan poet and a philanthropist
.
She was born as daughter of Ottoman Sultan Mahmud II (1785-1839) and his wife Zernigar Sultana in 1825 in Constantinople
(İstanbul
today). Adile Sultana lost her mother at a very young age, and was raised by Nevfidan Kadın, the chief woman in the palace. She received a high standard of education in the palace. Just as her father, she was much interested in the arts.
Adile Sultana married in 1845 the commander of the fleet Kapudan-i Derya Mehmed Ali Pasha, who afterwards served a short while as Grand Vizier
to Sultan Abdulmecid (1823-1861). The happy couple had to face tragic loses with the deaths of their three children. Then, she lost her husband in 1868, and finally her daughter Hayriye Sultana died young. In deep mourning, she entered the order of Naqshbandi
and devoted herself to charitable activities.
Adile Sultana had a summerhouse in Validebağ and a palace
in Kandilli, both on the Asia
n part of İstanbul. She left her palace in Kandilli following the death of her husband and moved to Coastal Palace in Fındıklı, where she died in 1898. Adile Sultana was interned in the mausoleum of her husband in Eyüp
, İstanbul. She lived 73 years and witnessed the reign of five Ottoman sultans.
Even though she was not much more successful than Leyla Hanım and Fıtnat Hanım, two renowned female poets of her era, Adile Sultana’s literary works are significant, because they shed light on the incidents in the palace and the administration
of the Ottoman Empire. So, she composed a poem about the murder of her younger brother Sultan Abdulaziz (1830-1876), which was announced as suicide
. She also helped the Divan of Suleiman the Magnificent
(1494-1566) to be printed. Her poetry "Adile Sultan’s Divan" was published in 1996.
Sultan
Sultan is a title with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic language abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", and "dictatorship", derived from the masdar سلطة , meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be used as the title of certain rulers who...
Mahmud II
Mahmud II
Mahmud II was the 30th Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1808 until his death in 1839. He was born in the Topkapi Palace, Istanbul, the son of Sultan Abdulhamid I...
and sister of the Sultans Abdulmecid I
Abdülmecid I
Sultan Abdülmecid I, Abdul Mejid I, Abd-ul-Mejid I or Abd Al-Majid I Ghazi was the 31st Sultan of the Ottoman Empire and succeeded his father Mahmud II on July 2, 1839. His reign was notable for the rise of nationalist movements within the empire's territories...
and Abdulaziz, was an Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
princess, a renowned female Diwan poet and a philanthropist
Philanthropist
A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
.
She was born as daughter of Ottoman Sultan Mahmud II (1785-1839) and his wife Zernigar Sultana in 1825 in Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
(İstanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
today). Adile Sultana lost her mother at a very young age, and was raised by Nevfidan Kadın, the chief woman in the palace. She received a high standard of education in the palace. Just as her father, she was much interested in the arts.
Adile Sultana married in 1845 the commander of the fleet Kapudan-i Derya Mehmed Ali Pasha, who afterwards served a short while as Grand Vizier
Grand Vizier
Grand Vizier, in Turkish Vezir-i Azam or Sadr-ı Azam , deriving from the Arabic word vizier , was the greatest minister of the Sultan, with absolute power of attorney and, in principle, dismissable only by the Sultan himself...
to Sultan Abdulmecid (1823-1861). The happy couple had to face tragic loses with the deaths of their three children. Then, she lost her husband in 1868, and finally her daughter Hayriye Sultana died young. In deep mourning, she entered the order of Naqshbandi
Naqshbandi
Naqshbandi is one of the major Sufi spiritual orders of Sufi Islam. It is considered to be a "Potent" order.The Naqshbandi order is over 1,300 years old, and is active today...
and devoted herself to charitable activities.
Adile Sultana had a summerhouse in Validebağ and a palace
Adile Sultan Palace
Adile Sultan Palace is a former royal residence, which was used later as a school building, and is a cultural centre today located in Kandilli neighbourhood of Istanbul, Turkey.- History :...
in Kandilli, both on the Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
n part of İstanbul. She left her palace in Kandilli following the death of her husband and moved to Coastal Palace in Fındıklı, where she died in 1898. Adile Sultana was interned in the mausoleum of her husband in Eyüp
Eyüp
-External links:* * * * *...
, İstanbul. She lived 73 years and witnessed the reign of five Ottoman sultans.
Even though she was not much more successful than Leyla Hanım and Fıtnat Hanım, two renowned female poets of her era, Adile Sultana’s literary works are significant, because they shed light on the incidents in the palace and the administration
Divan
A divan was a high governmental body in a number of Islamic states, or its chief official .-Etymology:...
of the Ottoman Empire. So, she composed a poem about the murder of her younger brother Sultan Abdulaziz (1830-1876), which was announced as suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
. She also helped the Divan of Suleiman the Magnificent
Suleiman the Magnificent
Suleiman I was the tenth and longest-reigning Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, from 1520 to his death in 1566. He is known in the West as Suleiman the Magnificent and in the East, as "The Lawgiver" , for his complete reconstruction of the Ottoman legal system...
(1494-1566) to be printed. Her poetry "Adile Sultan’s Divan" was published in 1996.