Kösem Sultan
HIH The Emperor mother Kösem Sultan (ca. 1589 – 3 September 1651) — also known as Mehpeyker Sultan[1] — was the most powerful woman in Ottoman history [1][2][3][4]. Consort and favourite concubine of Ottoman Sultan Ahmed I (r. 1603-1617). She became Valide Sultan (Queen Mother) from 1623 to 1651[1], when her sons Murad IV and Ibrahim I and her grandson Mehmed IV (1648-1687) reigned as Ottoman sultans. She was a prominent figure during the sultanate of the women.
Biography
Early life
Kösem was of Greek ethnic origin[1][5][6][7], and the daughter of a priest from the island of Tinos. Her maiden name was Anastasia. She was transferred to the old palace on the death of Sultan Ahmed in 1617, but returned as Valide Sultan, when Murad IV was installed in 1623.
First reign
She was appointed not only Valide Sultan but also, as her son was a minor, as official regent during his minority; between 1623 and 1632 she became one of the women in history who ruled a Muslim empire officially and alone. During most of the reign of Murad IV she effectively ran the empire, attending meetings of the Divan (cabinet) from behind a curtain, even after she was not longer official regent.
Second reign
When Ibrahim succeeded his brother, he proved too mentally unstable to rule. This enabled Kösem to continue in power. Eventually Ibrahim was deposed and Kösem presented her seven year old grandson Mehmed IV to the divan with the words "Here he is!, see what you can do with him!" Thus, she declared herself official queen regnant for the second time, and ruled openly again between 1648 and 1651.
Death
It was Mehmed's mother Turhan Hatice who proved to be Kösem's nemesis. Turhan ordered Kösem's assassination when she heard that Kösem was said to be plotting Mehmed's removal and replacement by another grandson with a more pliant mother. Kösem was strangled with a curtain by the Chief Black Eunuch of the Harem, Tall Süleyman.
Kösem was renowned for her charity work and for freeing her slaves after 3 years of service. When she died the people of Istanbul observed three days of mourning.
See also
References
- Mansel, Philip (1995), Constantinople: City of the World's Desire, 1453-1924; New York: St. Martin's Press.
- Freely, John (1999), Inside the Seraglio: Private Lives of the Sultans in Istanbul
Notes
- ^ a b c d Douglas Arthur Howard, The History of Turkey, Greenwood Press, isbn= 0313307083, p 195
- ^ Bator, Robert, - Rothero, Chris (2000). Daily Life in Ancient and Modern Istanbul. Twenty-First Century Books. p. 42. ISBN 0822532174.
When such a son became sultan, his slave mother would become the most powerful woman in the Ottoman Empire. The Greek slave Kosem earned this distinction
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Akbar, M. J. (2002). The Shade of Swords: Jihad and the Conflict Between Islam and Christianity. Routledge. p. 89. ISBN 0415284708.
His mother, Valide Kosem, said to be the most powerful woman in the history of the dynasty, ruled in his name.
- ^ Westheimer, Ruth Karola, - Kaplan, Steven (2001). Power. University of Virginia: Madison Books. p. 19. ISBN 1568332300.
Maypeyker Sultan, better known as Kosem Sultan, is remembered by the Turks as the most powerful woman of her time
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ [1]
- ^ E. van Donzel, Islamic Desk Reference: Compiled from the Encyclopaedia of Islam, Brill Academic Publishers, p 219
- ^ Robert Bator, Daily Life in Ancient and Modern Istanbul, Runestone Press, p 42
[External links:]
Site with multimedia and text about Buyuk Valide Han (urban caravan sarai), a 17th Century Ottoman monument in Turkey built by Buyuk Kosem Sultan in 1651.