Mahidevran
Encyclopedia
Mahidevran Gülbahar Haseki Sultan (ماه دوران) or Gülbahar (گلبهار), (died in 1581), was one of the concubines of Ottoman
sultan Süleyman I the Magnificent. She was Süleyman's first concubine and the mother of his first son Mustafa
.
(prince) and governor of Manisa
sanjak
(then known as Saruhan) when she gave birth to her son in 1515. When Selim I
died in 1520, Süleyman moved to İstanbul
, the capital of the empire, along with his family to ascend the throne.
(future sultan Selim II) in 1524, destroying Mahidevran's status of being the mother of the sultan's only son. The rivalry between the two women was partially suppressed by Hafsa Sultan, the Valide sultan
(Suleyman's mother), but, after 1534, the bitter rivalry was evident. The situation was made worse when a fight between the two women broke out, with Mahidevran beating Hürrem up. This angered Süleyman, who subsequently sent Mahidevran to live with her son.
According to Turkish tradition, all princes were expected to work as provincial governors as a part of their training. Mustafa was sent to Amasya
Sanjak and Mahidevran accompanied him. Towards the end of Süleyman's long reign, the rivalry between his sons became evident. Furthermore, both Hürrem and the grand vizier Rüstem Pasha
turned him against Mustafa and Mustafa was accused of causing unrest. During the campaign against Safavid Persia in 1553, Süleyman ordered the execution of Mustafa.
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...
sultan Süleyman I the Magnificent. She was Süleyman's first concubine and the mother of his first son Mustafa
Sehzade Mustafa
Şehzade Mustafa Muhlisi , the prince of Manisa from 1533 to 1541 and the prince of Amasya from 1541 to 1553, was Suleiman the Magnificent's first born son by Mahidevran . He was the apparent heir to the Turkish throne.- Life :Mustafa experienced problems in his relations with his father...
.
Early life
Her original name was Rosne Pranvere but Süleyman named her Mahidevran Gülbahar, with Gül meaning 'rose' and Bahar meaning 'spring' in Turkish. She was a daughter of a rich Albanian musician, whose name was Abdullah Recai. Mahidevran Sultan also had a brother, Nakkashan Adem. Süleyman was still a shahzadeShahzade
Shahzade may refer to:*Shahzade, a prince of the Iran royal house*The son or male line descendant of an Ottoman Sultan...
(prince) and governor of Manisa
Manisa
Manisa is a large city in Turkey's Aegean Region and the administrative seat of Manisa Province.Modern Manisa is a booming center of industry and services, advantaged by its closeness to the international port city and the regional metropolitan center of İzmir and by its fertile hinterland rich in...
sanjak
Sanjak
Sanjaks were administrative divisions of the Ottoman Empire. Sanjak, and the variant spellings sandjak, sanjaq, and sinjaq, are English transliterations of the Turkish word sancak, meaning district, banner, or flag...
(then known as Saruhan) when she gave birth to her son in 1515. When Selim I
Selim I
Selim I, Yavuz Sultân Selim Khan, Hâdim-ül Haramain-ish Sharifain , nicknamed Yavuz "the Stern" or "the Steadfast", but often rendered in English as "the Grim" , was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1512 to...
died in 1520, Süleyman moved to 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...
, the capital of the empire, along with his family to ascend the throne.
During Süleyman's reign
In the İstanbul harem, she had a very influential rival, Hürrem Sultan, who soon proved to be Süleyman's favorite consort as well as his legal wife. Hürrem Sultan gave birth to her first son Mehmet in 1521 (who died in 1543) and then SelimSelim II
Selim II Sarkhosh Hashoink , also known as "Selim the Sot " or "Selim the Drunkard"; and as "Sarı Selim" or "Selim the Blond", was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1566 until his death in 1574.-Early years:He was born in Constantinople a son of Suleiman the...
(future sultan Selim II) in 1524, destroying Mahidevran's status of being the mother of the sultan's only son. The rivalry between the two women was partially suppressed by Hafsa Sultan, the Valide sultan
Valide Sultan
Valide Sultan was the title held by the mother of a ruling Sultan in the Ottoman Empire. The Turkish pronunciation of the word Valide is . The title is sometimes translated as Queen Mother, although the position of Valide Sultan was quite different.The position was perhaps the most important...
(Suleyman's mother), but, after 1534, the bitter rivalry was evident. The situation was made worse when a fight between the two women broke out, with Mahidevran beating Hürrem up. This angered Süleyman, who subsequently sent Mahidevran to live with her son.
According to Turkish tradition, all princes were expected to work as provincial governors as a part of their training. Mustafa was sent to Amasya
Amasya
- History :Its location in this steep valley makes the city a mountain stronghold, easy to defend, and thus Amasya has had a long and prominent history.-Antiquity:...
Sanjak and Mahidevran accompanied him. Towards the end of Süleyman's long reign, the rivalry between his sons became evident. Furthermore, both Hürrem and the grand vizier Rüstem Pasha
Rüstem Pasha
Rüstem Pasha Opukovic was a Croat who became an Ottoman general and statesman. He served as the Grand Vizier of Suleiman the Magnificent. Rüstem Pasha is also known as Damat Rüstem Pasha and Rüstem Paşa .-Biography:Rüstem Pasha was born in Skradin, Croatia...
turned him against Mustafa and Mustafa was accused of causing unrest. During the campaign against Safavid Persia in 1553, Süleyman ordered the execution of Mustafa.
Later years
For several years after her son's execution, Mahidevran lived a troubled life. She moved to Bursa where her son's tomb lay but had almost no income of her own. Her last years, however, were not in poverty, for Selim II , the new sultan after 1566 as well as her stepson, put her on a salary. She died in 1581.See also
- Ottoman EmpireOttoman EmpireThe Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
- Ottoman family treeOttoman family tree-Bibliography:...
- List of sultans of the Ottoman Empire