Sultanate of Women
Encyclopedia
The Sultanate of Women was the near 130-year period during the 16th and 17th centuries when the women of the Imperial Harem
of the Ottoman Empire
exerted extraordinary political influence. Many of the Sultan
s during this time were minor
s and it was their mothers, leaders of the Harem, who effectively ruled the Empire. Many Sultanate women were born Christian and are among the most famous European
and Greek Muslims
. The main cause of frequent marriages with women of foreign backgrounds was rather for preserving the fidelity of non-Muslim provinces and preventing discrimination of minorities in the late Ottoman period. Importance of this policy was better understood by the split of 39 provinces after the collapse of Ottoman Empire, which weren't considered solely Turkish communities.
Imperial Harem
The Imperial Harem of the Ottoman Empire was one of the most important elements of the Ottoman court. It was known in the West as "the Seraglio", an Italian term.- Harem quarters:...
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...
exerted extraordinary political influence. Many of the Sultan
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...
s during this time were minor
Minor (law)
In law, a minor is a person under a certain age — the age of majority — which legally demarcates childhood from adulthood; the age depends upon jurisdiction and application, but is typically 18...
s and it was their mothers, leaders of the Harem, who effectively ruled the Empire. Many Sultanate women were born Christian and are among the most famous European
Islam in Europe
This article deals with the history and evolution of the presence of Islam in Europe. According to the German , the total number of Muslims in Europe in 2007 was about 53 million , excluding Turkey. The total number of Muslims in the European Union in 2007 was about 16 million .-Early history:Islam...
and Greek Muslims
Greek Muslims
Greek Muslims, also known as Greek-speaking Muslims, are Muslims of Greek ethnic origin, nowadays found mainly in Turkey, although migrations to Lebanon and Syria have been reported. Historically, Greek Orthodoxy has been associated with being Romios, i.e...
. The main cause of frequent marriages with women of foreign backgrounds was rather for preserving the fidelity of non-Muslim provinces and preventing discrimination of minorities in the late Ottoman period. Importance of this policy was better understood by the split of 39 provinces after the collapse of Ottoman Empire, which weren't considered solely Turkish communities.
See also
- Valide SultanValide SultanValide 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...
- Hürrem SultanRoxelanaHaseki Hürrem Sultan was the wife of Süleyman the Magnificent of the Ottoman Empire.-Names:Sixteenth-century sources are silent as to her maiden name, but much later traditions, for example Ukrainian folk traditions first recorded in the 19th century, give it as "Anastasia" , and Polish...
- Mihrimah Sultana
- Turhan HaticeTurhan HaticeTurhan Hatice Valide Sultan, Devletlu İsmetlu Turhan Hadice Valide Sultan Aliyyetü'ş-şân Hazretleri , was one of the hasekis of the Ottoman sultan Ibrahim I and the mother of his successor, Mehmed IV .Turhan Hatice is prominent for the regency of her young son and her building patronage.-From...
- Nurbanu Sultan
- Safiye SultanSafiye SultanSafiyā Valida Sultânā, , née Sofia Baffo, , was the consort of Ottoman Sultan Murad III, the Valida Sultânā and de facto co-regent to her son, Ottoman Sultan Mehmed III.- Biography :She was of Venetian descent...
- Kösem Sultan
- Princess HaticePrincess HaticeHIH Princess Hatice Sultan was an Ottoman princess , daughter of Ahmed III and consort to Grand Vizier Nevşehirli Damat İbrahim Pasha...
Literature
- İlhan Akşit. The Mystery of the Ottoman Harem. Akşit Kültür Turizm Yayınları. ISBN 975-7039-26-8
- Leslie P. Peirce. The Imperial Harem: Women and Sovereignty in the Ottoman Empire. Oxford University Press (1993). ISBN 978-0195086775