Roxelana
Encyclopedia
Haseki Hürrem Sultan (née Roxelana or Alexandra Lisowska) was the wife of Süleyman the Magnificent
of the Ottoman Empire
.
folk traditions first recorded in the 19th century, give it as "Anastasia" (diminutive
: "Nastia"), and Polish
traditions give it as "Aleksandra Lisowska".
She was known mainly as Haseki
Hürrem Sultan or Hürrem "balsaq" Haseki Sultan; in European languages as Roxolena, transliterated
as "Roksolana" Roxolana, Roxelane, Rossa, Ruziac; in Turkish
as Hürrem (from – Khurram, "the cheerful one"); and in Arabic
as Karima . "Roxelana" or "Roksolana" might be not a proper name but a nickname, referring to her Ukrainian heritage (cf. the common contemporary name Ruslana); "Roxolany" or "Roxelany" was one of the names of East Slavs, inhabitants of the present Ukraine
, up to the 15th century. Thus her name would literally mean "The Ruthenian
One".
According to late-16th-century and early-17th-century sources, such as the Polish poet Samuel Twardowski
, who researched the subject in Turkey, Hürrem was seemingly born to a father who was a Ukrainian
("Ruthenian
" in the terminology of the day) Orthodox
priest. She was born in the town of Rohatyn
, 68 km southeast of Lviv
, a major city of Red Ruthenia (Chervona Rus) which was then part of the Kingdom of Poland
, today in western Ukraine
. In the 1520s, she was captured by Crimean Tatars
during one of their frequent raids into this region and taken as a slave, probably first to the Crimea
n city of Kaffa, a major centre of the slave trade, then to Constantinople
, and was selected for Süleyman’s
harem.
She quickly came to the attention of her master, and attracted the jealousy of her rivals. One day Süleyman’s favorite, the concubine Mahidevran
(also called Gülbahar, Gül meaning "Rose" and Bahar meaning "Spring"), got into a fight with Hürrem and beat her badly. Upset by this, Süleyman banished Mahidevran to the provincial capital of Manisa
, together with her son, the heir apparent
, Prince Mustafa. This exile was shown officially as the traditional training of heir apparents, Sancak Beyliği. Thereafter, Hürrem became Süleyman’s unrivalled favorite or haseki
. Many years later, because of a fear of rebellion (a fear probably incepted by Hürrem), the Sultan ordered Mustafa to be strangled. After the death of her son, Gulbahar lost her state in the palace (as being the mother of the heir apparent) and moved to Bursa.
Hürrem’s influence over the Sultan soon became legendary; she was to bear Süleyman five children Princess Mihrimah
, Selim
, Beyazid, Cihangir and, in an astonishing break with tradition, eventually was freed
and became his legal wife, making Süleyman the first Ottoman Emperor to have a wed wife since Orhan Gazi. This strengthened her position in the palace and eventually led to one of her sons, Selim
, inheriting the empire. Hürrem also may have acted as Süleyman’s adviser on matters of state, and seems to have had an influence upon foreign affairs
and international politics. Two of her letters to the Polish King Sigismund II Augustus
have been preserved, and during her lifetime, the Ottoman Empire generally had peaceful relations with the Polish state within a Polish-Ottoman alliance. Some historians also believe that she may have intervened with her husband to control Crimean Tatar slave-raiding in her native land.
Aside from her political concerns, Hürrem engaged in several major works of public buildings, from Mecca
to Jerusalem, perhaps modeling her charitable foundations in part after the caliph Harun al-Rashid
’s consort Zubaida. Among her first foundations were a mosque
, two Koranic schools (madrassa), a fountain, and a women's hospital
near the women's slave market (Avret Pazary) in Constantinople. She also commissioned a bath, the Haseki Hürrem Sultan Hamamı
, to serve the community of worshipers in the nearby Hagia Sophia
. In Jerusalem she established in 1552 the Hasseki Sultan Imaret
, a public soup kitchen to feed the poor and the needy.
As well, some of her embroidery
, or at least that done under her supervision, has survived, examples being given in 1547 to Tahmasp I
, the Shah of Iran
, and in 1549 to King Sigismund Augustus of Poland
.
Esther Handali
acted as her secretary and intermediary on several occasions.
) decorated in exquisite Iznik
tiles depicting the garden of paradise, perhaps in homage to her smiling and joyful nature. Her mausoleum is adjacent to Süleyman’s, a separate and more somber domed structure, at the Süleymaniye Mosque.
’s Symphony No. 63
), an opera by Denys Sichynsky, a ballet, plays, and several novels written mainly in Ukrainian, but also in English, French, and German.
In 2007, Muslims
in Mariupol
, a port city in Ukraine, opened a mosque to honor Roxelana.
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...
of the Ottoman Empire
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...
.
Names
Sixteenth-century sources are silent as to her maiden name, but much later traditions, for example UkrainianUkrainian language
Ukrainian is a language of the East Slavic subgroup of the Slavic languages. It is the official state language of Ukraine. Written Ukrainian uses a variant of the Cyrillic alphabet....
folk traditions first recorded in the 19th century, give it as "Anastasia" (diminutive
Diminutive
In language structure, a diminutive, or diminutive form , is a formation of a word used to convey a slight degree of the root meaning, smallness of the object or quality named, encapsulation, intimacy, or endearment...
: "Nastia"), and Polish
Polish language
Polish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...
traditions give it as "Aleksandra Lisowska".
She was known mainly as Haseki
Haseki
Haseki was the favourite concubine of an Ottoman Emperor in the times of Ottoman Empire. The haseki had an important place in the palace, being the second most powerful woman of the harem after the valide sultan, the mother of the emperor. Hasekis usually had chambers close to the Emperor's chamber...
Hürrem Sultan or Hürrem "balsaq" Haseki Sultan; in European languages as Roxolena, transliterated
Transliteration
Transliteration is a subset of the science of hermeneutics. It is a form of translation, and is the practice of converting a text from one script into another...
as "Roksolana" Roxolana, Roxelane, Rossa, Ruziac; in Turkish
Turkish language
Turkish is a language spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo,...
as Hürrem (from – Khurram, "the cheerful one"); and in Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
as Karima . "Roxelana" or "Roksolana" might be not a proper name but a nickname, referring to her Ukrainian heritage (cf. the common contemporary name Ruslana); "Roxolany" or "Roxelany" was one of the names of East Slavs, inhabitants of the present Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
, up to the 15th century. Thus her name would literally mean "The Ruthenian
Ruthenians
The name Ruthenian |Rus']]) is a culturally loaded term and has different meanings according to the context in which it is used. Initially, it was the ethnonym used for the East Slavic peoples who lived in Rus'. Later it was used predominantly for Ukrainians...
One".
Early life
Samuel Twardowski
Samuel Twardowski was a Polish poet, diarist, and essayist who gained popularity in 17th century Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, called by his contemporaries 'Polish Virgil.'-Life and works:...
, who researched the subject in Turkey, Hürrem was seemingly born to a father who was a Ukrainian
Ukrainians
Ukrainians are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Ukraine, which is the sixth-largest nation in Europe. The Constitution of Ukraine applies the term 'Ukrainians' to all its citizens...
("Ruthenian
Ruthenians
The name Ruthenian |Rus']]) is a culturally loaded term and has different meanings according to the context in which it is used. Initially, it was the ethnonym used for the East Slavic peoples who lived in Rus'. Later it was used predominantly for Ukrainians...
" in the terminology of the day) Orthodox
Orthodox Christianity
The term Orthodox Christianity may refer to:* the Eastern Orthodox Church and its various geographical subdivisions...
priest. She was born in the town of Rohatyn
Rohatyn
Rohatyn is a city located on the Hnyla Lypa River in the Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast, in western Ukraine. It is the administrative center of the Rohatyn Raion .The current estimated population is around 8,800 .-History:...
, 68 km southeast of Lviv
Lviv
Lviv is a city in western Ukraine. The city is regarded as one of the main cultural centres of today's Ukraine and historically has also been a major Polish and Jewish cultural center, as Poles and Jews were the two main ethnicities of the city until the outbreak of World War II and the following...
, a major city of Red Ruthenia (Chervona Rus) which was then part of the Kingdom of Poland
Kingdom of Poland (1385–1569)
The Kingdom of Poland of the Jagiellons was the Polish state created by the accession of Jogaila , Grand Duke of Lithuania, to the Polish throne in 1386. The Union of Krewo or Krėva Act, united Poland and Lithuania under the rule of a single monarch...
, today in western Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
. In the 1520s, she was captured by Crimean Tatars
Crimean Tatars
Crimean Tatars or Crimeans are a Turkic ethnic group that originally resided in Crimea. They speak the Crimean Tatar language...
during one of their frequent raids into this region and taken as a slave, probably first to the Crimea
Crimea
Crimea , or the Autonomous Republic of Crimea , is a sub-national unit, an autonomous republic, of Ukraine. It is located on the northern coast of the Black Sea, occupying a peninsula of the same name...
n city of Kaffa, a major centre of the slave trade, then to 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:...
, and was selected for Süleyman’s
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...
harem.
Life with the sultan
Mahidevran
Mahidevran Gülbahar Haseki Sultan or Gülbahar , , was one of the concubines of Ottoman sultan Süleyman I the Magnificent...
(also called Gülbahar, Gül meaning "Rose" and Bahar meaning "Spring"), got into a fight with Hürrem and beat her badly. Upset by this, Süleyman banished Mahidevran to the provincial capital 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...
, together with her son, the heir apparent
Heir apparent
An heir apparent or heiress apparent is a person who is first in line of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting, except by a change in the rules of succession....
, Prince Mustafa. This exile was shown officially as the traditional training of heir apparents, Sancak Beyliği. Thereafter, Hürrem became Süleyman’s unrivalled favorite or haseki
Haseki
Haseki was the favourite concubine of an Ottoman Emperor in the times of Ottoman Empire. The haseki had an important place in the palace, being the second most powerful woman of the harem after the valide sultan, the mother of the emperor. Hasekis usually had chambers close to the Emperor's chamber...
. Many years later, because of a fear of rebellion (a fear probably incepted by Hürrem), the Sultan ordered Mustafa to be strangled. After the death of her son, Gulbahar lost her state in the palace (as being the mother of the heir apparent) and moved to Bursa.
Hürrem’s influence over the Sultan soon became legendary; she was to bear Süleyman five children Princess Mihrimah
Mihrimah Sultan
Princess Mihrimah Sultan was the daughter of the Ottoman Sultan Suleiman I and his Ruthenian wife, Hürrem Sultan. Princess Mihrimah's name is also spelled Mirhumah, Mihr-î-Mâh, Mihrî-a-Mâh or Mehr-î-Mâh. She was born in İstanbul. Mehr-î-Mâh means "Sun Princess Mihrimah Sultan (born 21 March 1522...
, Selim
Selim 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...
, Beyazid, Cihangir and, in an astonishing break with tradition, eventually was freed
Manumission
Manumission is the act of a slave owner freeing his or her slaves. In the United States before the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which abolished most slavery, this often happened upon the death of the owner, under conditions in his will.-Motivations:The...
and became his legal wife, making Süleyman the first Ottoman Emperor to have a wed wife since Orhan Gazi. This strengthened her position in the palace and eventually led to one of her sons, Selim
Selim 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...
, inheriting the empire. Hürrem also may have acted as Süleyman’s adviser on matters of state, and seems to have had an influence upon foreign affairs
Foreign Affairs
Foreign Affairs is an American magazine and website on international relations and U.S. foreign policy published since 1922 by the Council on Foreign Relations six times annually...
and international politics. Two of her letters to the Polish King Sigismund II Augustus
Sigismund II Augustus
Sigismund II Augustus I was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, the only son of Sigismund I the Old, whom Sigismund II succeeded in 1548...
have been preserved, and during her lifetime, the Ottoman Empire generally had peaceful relations with the Polish state within a Polish-Ottoman alliance. Some historians also believe that she may have intervened with her husband to control Crimean Tatar slave-raiding in her native land.
Charities
Mecca
Mecca is a city in the Hijaz and the capital of Makkah province in Saudi Arabia. The city is located inland from Jeddah in a narrow valley at a height of above sea level...
to Jerusalem, perhaps modeling her charitable foundations in part after the caliph Harun al-Rashid
Harun al-Rashid
Hārūn al-Rashīd was the fifth Arab Abbasid Caliph in Iraq. He was born in Rey, Iran, close to modern Tehran. His birth date remains a point of discussion, though, as various sources give the dates from 763 to 766)....
’s consort Zubaida. Among her first foundations were a mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
, two Koranic schools (madrassa), a fountain, and a women's hospital
Bimaristan
Bimaristan is a Persian word meaning hospital, with Bimar- from Middle Persian of vīmār or vemār, meaning "sick" plus -stan as location and place suffix...
near the women's slave market (Avret Pazary) in Constantinople. She also commissioned a bath, the Haseki Hürrem Sultan Hamamı
Haseki Hürrem Sultan Hamami
The Haseki Hürrem Sultan Hamamı is a Turkish hamam that was commissioned by Sultan Suleiman I's consort Roxelana and constructed by Mimar Sinan during the 16th century in Istanbul...
, to serve the community of worshipers in the nearby Hagia Sophia
Hagia Sophia
Hagia Sophia is a former Orthodox patriarchal basilica, later a mosque, and now a museum in Istanbul, Turkey...
. In Jerusalem she established in 1552 the Hasseki Sultan Imaret
Hasseki Sultan Imaret
Hasseki Sultan Imaret was an Ottoman public soup kitchen established in Jerusalem to feed the poor during the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent...
, a public soup kitchen to feed the poor and the needy.
As well, some of her embroidery
Embroidery
Embroidery is the art or handicraft of decorating fabric or other materials with needle and thread or yarn. Embroidery may also incorporate other materials such as metal strips, pearls, beads, quills, and sequins....
, or at least that done under her supervision, has survived, examples being given in 1547 to Tahmasp I
Tahmasp I
Tahmasp or Tahmasb I was an influential Shah of Iran, who enjoyed the longest reign of any member of the Safavid dynasty...
, the Shah of Iran
Safavid dynasty
The Safavid dynasty was one of the most significant ruling dynasties of Iran. They ruled one of the greatest Persian empires since the Muslim conquest of Persia and established the Twelver school of Shi'a Islam as the official religion of their empire, marking one of the most important turning...
, and in 1549 to King Sigismund Augustus of Poland
Sigismund II Augustus
Sigismund II Augustus I was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, the only son of Sigismund I the Old, whom Sigismund II succeeded in 1548...
.
Esther Handali
Esther Handali
Ester Handali , was an Ottoman Jeweler and the kira of the Valide Sultan Nur Banu.Handali originally acted as the intermediary of her spouse, Eliya Handali. His business was to provide jewelry, expensive clothing, and cosmetics to the harem of the Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent...
acted as her secretary and intermediary on several occasions.
Death
Hürrem died on April 18, 1558. She is buried in a domed mausoleum (türbeTurbe
Türbe is the Turkish word for "tomb", and for the characteristic mausoleums, often relatively small, of Ottoman royalty and notables. It is related to the Arabic turba, which can also mean a mausoleum, but more often a funerary complex, or a plot in a cemetery.-Characteristics:A typical türbe...
) decorated in exquisite Iznik
Iznik
İznik is a city in Turkey which is primarily known as the site of the First and Second Councils of Nicaea, the first and seventh Ecumenical councils in the early history of the Church, the Nicene Creed, and as the capital city of the Empire of Nicaea...
tiles depicting the garden of paradise, perhaps in homage to her smiling and joyful nature. Her mausoleum is adjacent to Süleyman’s, a separate and more somber domed structure, at the Süleymaniye Mosque.
Legacy
Hürrem Haseki Sultan, or Roxelana, as she is better known in Europe, is well-known both in modern Turkey and in the West, and is the subject of many artistic works. She has inspired paintings, musical works (including Joseph HaydnJoseph Haydn
Franz Joseph Haydn , known as Joseph Haydn , was an Austrian composer, one of the most prolific and prominent composers of the Classical period. He is often called the "Father of the Symphony" and "Father of the String Quartet" because of his important contributions to these forms...
’s Symphony No. 63
Symphony No. 63 (Haydn)
The Symphony No. 63 in C major, Hoboken I/63, is a symphony by Joseph Haydn written sometime between 1779 and 1781. It is often known by the title of the second movement, La Roxelane, named for Roxelana, the influential wife of Suleiman the Magnificent of the Ottoman Empire...
), an opera by Denys Sichynsky, a ballet, plays, and several novels written mainly in Ukrainian, but also in English, French, and German.
In 2007, Muslims
Islam in Ukraine
The majority of Muslims in Ukraine are ethnic Crimean Tatars and live in the Crimean peninsula. According to a Pew Forum study, the Muslim population in Ukraine is 393,000, while according to the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Ukraine there are 2 million Muslims in Ukraine.- History of...
in Mariupol
Mariupol
Mariupol , formerly known as Zhdanov , is a port city in southeastern Ukraine. It is located on the coast of the Azov Sea, at the mouth of the Kalmius River. Mariupol is the largest city in Priazovye - a geographical region around Azov Sea, divided by Russia and Ukraine - and is also a popular sea...
, a port city in Ukraine, opened a mosque to honor Roxelana.
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 DynastyOttoman DynastyThe Ottoman Dynasty ruled the Ottoman Empire from 1299 to 1922, beginning with Osman I , though the dynasty was not proclaimed until Orhan Bey declared himself sultan...
- List of sultans of the Ottoman Empire
- Ottoman family treeOttoman family tree-Bibliography:...
(more detailed)
Further reading
- Thomas M. Prymak, "Roxolana: Wife of Suleiman the Magnificent," Nashe zhyttia/Our Life, LII, 10 (New York, 1995), 15–20. A nicely illustrated popular-style article in English with a bibliography.
- Zygmunt Abrahamowicz, "Roksolana," Polski Slownik Biograficzny, vo. XXXI (Wroclaw-etc., 1988–89), 543–5. A well-informed article in Polish by a distinguished Polish Turkologist.
- Galina Yermolenko, "Roxolana: The Greatest Empresse of the East," The Muslim World, 95, 2 (2005), 231–48. Makes good use of European, especially Italian, sources and is familiar with the literature in Ukrainian and Polish.
- There are many historical novelHistorical novelAccording to Encyclopædia Britannica, a historical novel is-Development:An early example of historical prose fiction is Luó Guànzhōng's 14th century Romance of the Three Kingdoms, which covers one of the most important periods of Chinese history and left a lasting impact on Chinese culture.The...
s in English about Roxelana: Barbara Chase Riboud's Valide (1986); Alum Bati's Harem Secrets (2008); Colin Falconer, Aileen Crawley (1981–83), and Louis GardelLouis GardelLouis Gardel is a notable French novelist, screenwriter, and publisher, born in Algiers in 1939. He is also publishing director of Éditions du Seuil and a permanent member of the Prix Renaudot jury.- Bibliography :* L'Été fracassé...
(2003); Pawn in Frankincense, the fourth book of the Lymond ChroniclesLymond ChroniclesThe Lymond Chronicles is a series of six novels, written by Dorothy Dunnett, which were first published between 1961 and 1975. The series is set in mid-sixteenth century Europe and the Mediterranean and tells the story of a young Scottish nobleman, Francis Crawford of Lymond, from 1547 through...
by Dorothy DunnettDorothy DunnettDorothy Dunnett OBE was a Scottish historical novelist. She is best known for her six-part series about Francis Crawford of Lymond, The Lymond Chronicles, which she followed with the eight-part prequel The House of Niccolò...
; and pulp fictionPulp magazinePulp magazines , also collectively known as pulp fiction, refers to inexpensive fiction magazines published from 1896 through the 1950s. The typical pulp magazine was seven inches wide by ten inches high, half an inch thick, and 128 pages long...
author Robert E. HowardRobert E. HowardRobert Ervin Howard was an American author who wrote pulp fiction in a diverse range of genres. Best known for his character Conan the Barbarian, he is regarded as the father of the sword and sorcery subgenre....
in The Shadow of the VultureThe Shadow of the Vulture"The Shadow of the Vulture" is a short story by Robert E. Howard, first published in The Magic Carpet Magazine, January 1934. The story introduces the character of Red Sonya of Rogatino, who later became the inspiration for the popular character Red Sonja, archetype of the chainmail-bikini clad...
imagined Roxelana to be sister to its fiery-tempered female protagonist, Red Sonya. - For Ukrainian language novels, see Osyp Nazaruk (1930), Mykola Lazorsky (1965), Serhii Plachynda (1968), and Pavlo ZahrebelnyiPavlo ZahrebelnyiPavlo Arhypovych Zahrebelnyi or Zagrebelnyi was a Ukrainian novelist....
(1980). (All reprinted recently.) - There have been novels written in other languages: in French, a fictionalized biography by Willy Sperco (1972); in German, a novel by Johannes Tralow (1944, reprinted many times); a very detailed novel in Serbian by Radovan Samardzic (1987); one in Turkish by Ulku Cahit (2001).