History 19/01/20 How much the Turkish Sultan paid their wives
the word “harem” inner eye draws beauties, nezha in anticipation of the visit of the Sultan. But if the imagination is violent – and sexual scenes of varying degrees of licentiousness. In reality, it was easier, harder, more efficient.
Institute of the harem of the Ottoman Turks adopted from the Arabs, approximately in the XIV century, the word comes from the Arabic “Haram” – a ban, so how to get outsiders, especially men, in the rooms of the Sultan’s concubines were prohibited. However, the life of the harem was provided by men, precisely – the former men, eunuchs. Moreover, they were both white and black and between chapters was a struggle for influence, but now not about it.
the Device of the harem
Turkish sultans harem called harem-and Humayun. He had a clear hierarchical structure. At the bottom of the social pyramid were carie – odalisques, followed by the favourites of the Sultan (gozde), then his wife (kadyn). He commanded a harem of the Emperor’s mother, Valide-Sultan. Daughters, sisters and heirs (shahzada), not referring to the structure of the harem, lived on its territory, representing dozens of rooms, facilities and gardens. In the classical Ottoman Empire the Imperial harem located in Topkapi Palace, Istanbul.
On the number of odalisques legends, but granary books Topkapi Palace allow to establish the exact number: Suleiman the Magnificent in 1552 had 167 women, Selim II — 73, Murad III was about 150. As noted by Ph. D. Alexandr Shutko, who wrote several studies and one novel about the Sultan’s harem, directly to the family of the Sultan was not more than 4% of all women of harem and Humayun. It was those women. with whom he had an intimate relationship.
Not all the inmates of the harem were slaves, the true source of replenishment – fathers selling their daughters aged 5-7 years in school in the harem, they were trained to dabout 14-15 years. Selected new concubines, Ajemi, for a harem, personally, Valide-Sultan. The newcomers occupied the lower tier of the hierarchy. Have given birth to the ruler of the heir were transferred to separate chambers, they were supposed to own servants and some income, called “the shoes”. In addition, they have passed into the category of wives, but the marriage ceremony was performed optional. The real revolution has made roxelana, known as Hürrem Sultan, which had had Suleiman the Magnificent not only the status of a free man, but marrying him myself. Moreover, the Sultan was faithful to her, a lot scandalicious thereby subjects; according to Sharia you can have 4 wives. At the same time, he established a tradition followed for several centuries.
For the status of heir did not influence who was his mother was free or slave. Who became the Emperor had to perform an unpleasant duty to execute the brothers to avoid conspiracies, this custom was in force until the seventeenth century. Daughter the Sultan married a high-ranking Ottomans could divorce her husband. The record belongs to Fatma, daughter of Ahmet I – 12 times. Someone executed the Sultan who died in battle or due to disease.
Policy in the East – a delicate matter
Dignitaries and courtiers wanted to marry the odalisque of the Sultan’s harem: it was a beautiful, educated, wealthy women, but still it would mean a special favor of the Sultan. This could happen only, so to speak, with retired odalisque. If the Sultan is 9 years, never touched her, she was released from the harem to the status of a free man, provided a good home and income from the Treasury.
But there were those who continued to work, state so in the administration of the Palace. They were called the mouth masters. He held the positions of housekeeper, seremoniamestari, nannies, nurses, etc, with respect and considerable revenue.
Each concubine in the Sultan’s harem were getting paid. Agamem relied less total – 6 silver akche per day ($518). Treasurer, haznedar – mouth received, depending on experience, 140 – 250 academic hourse ($750).
Mistress-the mother of the children of the Emperor, bathed in money. Hürrem Sultan (Roxolana), who gave birth to five sons and one daughter, each day got acce 2000 ($6000). Modern money is more than $2 million a year. Valide Sultan had ordered that the sum of twice wife of the Sultan. The wife of the Sultan was actively involved in the life of the Empire, in particular accompanying the Lord into military campaigns, visiting shahzada-governors in the provinces (the regions), informally giving advice to the sovereign. Officially it was done by the Vizir, but his appointment could influence mother, concubines and wives of the Sultan. Mother shahzada, of course, tried to influence the decision of the Sultan, whom to appoint a successor, says Iskander Mamedov in the book “the rise and collapse of the Ottoman Empire. Women in power.” To promote the son of the mother to cobble together a support group of dignitaries and, most importantly, the commanders of the Janissaries. In particular, in 1512 the Janissaries were on the side of younger shahzada Selim, preferring his less warlike older brother Ahmed, despite the fact that he Bayezid II openly supported it.
Wives and concubines influenced personnel decisions of the Sultan patronized the different suppliers of the Sultan’s court, intervened in the issues of war and peace. In addition, they influenced the intellectual elite of his time, in particular, who is the author of nasihat-nama – instruction of the young Sultan.
Through the wives and mistresses could attract the attention and mercy of the Sultan. However, the correct approach was through the Valide-Sultan. In particular, it did Kutuzov in September 1793. Being a Russian Ambassador in the Ottoman Empire, he gave Valide Sultan Mihrisah received return gifts and an audience with Sultan Selim III. The result has been to strengthen Russia’s influence in Turkey and to persuade the latter to join in an Alliance against revolutionary France. The influence of the Valide-Sultan rises from the XVII century due to the fact that the throne was rising young sultans, and they needed care. Ahmed I and Murad IV became Sultan at the age of 14 years, Osman II – 13, Mehmed IV – 7 years. Valide Sultan in connection with the importance of their functions sought to obtain the relevant state training.
With the death of the Sultan’s harem did not disperse, and were transferred to the Old Palace, where they continued to live on the full support of the Treasury. The servants were executed any whim of the ex – harem. In the Old Palace and lived the mother of the deceased ruler.
Konstantin Baranovsky
Source:
© Russian Seven
see also: editor’s choice, “Russian Seven”thieves in law on the eve of the Olympics-80 struggled with prestupnostiu was the biggest surprise of the Germans in the USSR after the beginning of valupedia Black devil in Khakassia: the most mysterious place in Sibiryak to understand in the organism the deficit Belorechenskoye article also Listen to the podcast “the Russian Seven”. Share: Comments Comments on the article “How the Turkish Sultan paid their wives” Please log in to leave a comment! br>
Share on Tumblr
