Dec 22 2008
Roxelana - the first Sultana
Yesterday I told you about Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent. He was the first sultan of the Ottoman Empire who officially married. So far the sultans had up to 4 chief concubines. Their sons were heirs to the throne. Roxelana managed to change all that and became the epitome of a successful and extremely powerful woman in the Turkish world of the 16th century.
Born in Ukrainia, some say as the daughter of a priest, she was sold as a young girl in the slave markey of Istanbul to Suleiman’s harem. Not only was Roxelana (also known as Hurrem) very beautiful and charming, she was also highly intelligent and ruthless. Starting out as a slave/servant girl of the lowest rang, she quickly worked her way up. She was known as “the laughing one” because she was always cheerful and pleasant.
When presented to the sultan, she knew to seize her chance and managed to entice him to such extent, that she soon became one of the four concubines. Suleiman’s first concubine Gulfem, who had born him a son, Mustafa, who was heir to the throne did not take kindly to Roxelana’s ascent.
Roxelana managed to have her and her son banned to a far away province of the vast empire. She then had a son with Suleiman and subsequently achieved her main goal - to convince Suleiman to actually marry her. By doing so, Roxelana was elevated to the rang of Sultana. The sultan’s actions caused quite a stir, no only in his empire but throughout Europe.
However, Roxelana wasn’t home free yet. Her greatest enemy was the Grand Vizir Ibrahim, who greatly resented Roxelana’s influence over Suleiman who consulted her on each and every affair of politics. Ibrahim considered that his role in the empire. Roxelana convinced Suleiman that Ibrahim was a traitor who wielded far too much power and was a threat to him. As a result of her intrigues, Ibrahim was executed and the way was free for the first sultana and her son. Suleiman remained faithful to his Roxelana to whom he dedicated many moving love songs and poems and was heartbroken when she died 8 years prior to him. Her son Selim became the successor of Sultan Suleiman and the 11th sultan of the Ottoman Empire.
