Ikbal ( ota, اقبال) was the title given to the imperial consort of the
sultan
Sultan (; ar, سلطان ', ) is a position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun ', meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it ...
of the
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
, who came below the rank of
''kadın''.
Etymology
The word () is an Arabic word, which means good fortune, or lucky. Historians have translated it either 'fortunate one' or 'favorite'.
Ranks and titles
An was a titled consort, and recognised as such by the sultan. The number of s varied. They were ranked as ('senior , senior favourite, senior fortunate one'), ('second , second favourite, second fortunate one'), ('third , third favourite, third fortunate one'), ('fourth , fourth favourite, fourth fortunate one'), and so on, according to the order in which they had caught the sultan's eye, and elevated to that position.
The s usually held the prefix titles of
('honest, virtuous'), and
('the virtuous'), and the suffix titles of ,
, and .
Status
Eighteenth century
The rank first appeared toward the end of the seventeenth century, during the reign of Sultan
Mustafa II
Mustafa II (; ota, مصطفى ثانى ''Muṣṭafā-yi sānī''; 6 February 1664 – 29 December 1703) was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1695 to 1703.
Early life
He was born at Edirne Palace on 6 February 1664. He was the son of Sult ...
(reigned 1695 — 1703). Two eighteenth century sultans
Mahmud I
Mahmud I ( ota, محمود اول, tr, I. Mahmud, 2 August 1696 13 December 1754), known as Mahmud the Hunchback, was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1730 to 1754. He took over the throne after the Patrona Halil rebellion and he kept goo ...
(reigned 1730 — 1754), and
Mustafa III
Mustafa III (; ''Muṣṭafā-yi sālis''; 28 January 1717 – 21 January 1774) was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1757 to 1774. He was a son of Sultan Ahmed III (1703–30), and his consort Mihrişah Kadın. He was succeeded by his ...
(reigned 1757 — 1773), also had s.
However, in the eighteenth century, the s held the title ''
kalfa
Kalfa ( Turkish for 'apprentice, assistant master') was a general term in the Ottoman Empire for the women attendants and supervisors in service in the imperial palace.
Novice girls had to await promotion to the rank of . It was a rank below th ...
'' which means 'assistant master, mistress'. This suggests that at that time they were eligible for both kinds of high level harem career. They also appeared in the list of ''
cariyes'', which did not include the sultan's , or the , or , emphasizes their identity as part of the household rather than family in the eighteenth century. In the nineteenth century the term appears to have been used exclusively for members of the household staff.
In the eighteenth century, the s had personal servants, and were paid 250 every three months.
Nineteenth century
This tradition of taking s continued until the nineteenth century. The s were chosen from among the ''s''. Each had her "night turn" (). Their stipend was 20,000 . They had personal servants. As clothing reflected a woman's positions in the harem hierarchy, the s wore rich fabrics and in winter they wore stuffed dresses, which was indicative of their high status.
Each resided in her own apartment, or sometimes isolated kiosks. In the nineteenth century, they had two rooms on the second floor of the palace, one facing the
Bosphorus Strait
The Bosporus Strait (; grc, Βόσπορος ; tr, İstanbul Boğazı 'Istanbul strait', colloquially ''Boğaz'') or Bosphorus Strait is a natural strait and an internationally significant waterway located in Istanbul in northwestern T ...
and serving as a saloon, and the other facing the palace gardens and serving as a bedroom. The sultans came to visit an namely if she was sick or if she had children.
Although previously it was thought that after an became pregnant she was promoted to the rank of , this was not the case. She could only take the position of the s if one of the s had died
or was divorced.
If a vacancy arose among the s, the senior was moved up to status. Upon the death of a sultan, any of his s who had either not borne a child or who had borne a child who had then died, was married to a statesman. The others retired to the Old Palace.
The s were subjected to the same law of inheritance as the other women in the harem. However, they were usually buried in places of honour.
Honorific
Imperial consorts who were traditionally addressed as include:
*
Nükhetsezâ Hanım
ota, نکت سزا خانم
, birth_name = Hatice Hanim Hatug
, birth_date =
, birth_place = Abkhazia
, death_date =
, death_place = Constantinople, Ottoman Empire (present day Istanbul, Turkey)
, burial_place = Imperial ladies M ...
(1827–1850), wife of sultan
Abdulmejid I
Abdulmejid I ( ota, عبد المجيد اول, ʿAbdü'l-Mecîd-i evvel, tr, I. Abdülmecid; 25 April 182325 June 1861) was the 31st Sultan of the Ottoman Empire and succeeded his father Mahmud II on 2 July 1839. His reign was notable for the ...
*
Navekmisal Hanım (1827–1854), wife of sultan Abdulmejid I
*
Şayeste Hanım
ota, شائسته خانم
, birth_date = 1838
, birth_place =
, death_date =
, death_place = Çengelköy Palace, Constantinople (now Istanbul), Ottoman Empire
, burial_place = Şehzade Ahmed Kemaleddin Mausoleum, Yahya Efendi Cemet ...
(1836–1912), wife of sultan Abdulmejid I
*
Serfiraz Hanım
ota, سرفراز خانم
, birth_name = Ayşe Lah
, birth_date = 1837
, birth_place = Tokat, Turkey, Ottoman Empire (ex)
, death_date =
, death_place = Bebek Palace, Bebek, Beşiktaş, Istanbul, Ottoman Empire
, burial_place = ...
(1837–1905), wife of sultan Abdulmejid I
*
Müşfika Kadın (1867–1961), wife of sultan
Abdul Hamid II
Abdülhamid or Abdul Hamid II ( ota, عبد الحميد ثانی, Abd ül-Hamid-i Sani; tr, II. Abdülhamid; 21 September 1842 10 February 1918) was the sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 31 August 1876 to 27 April 1909, and the last sultan to ...
*
Peyveste Hanım
ota, پیوسته خانم
, house = Emuhvari (by birth) Ottoman (by marriage)
, father = Osman Emkhaa
, mother = Hesna Çaabalurhva
, birth_name = Rabia Emuhvari
, birth_date = 10 May 1873
, birth_place = Pitsunda, ...
(1873–1943), wife of sultan Abdul Hamid II
*
Fatma Pesend Hanım
ota, فاطمہ پسند خانم
, house = Achba (by birth) Ottoman (by marriage)
, father = Ahmed Sami Bey Achba
, mother = Fatıma Ismailevna Mamleeva
, birth_name = Fatma Kadriye Hanim Achba
, birth_date = 13 Febr ...
(1876–1928), wife of sultan Abdul Hamid II
*
Behice Hanım
ota, بھیجہ خانم
, house = Maan (by birth) Ottoman (by marriage)
, father = Albus Bey Maan
, mother = Nazli Hanım Kucba
, birth_date = Behiye Maan
, birth_place = Adapazarı, Sakarya Province, Ottoman Empire ( ...
(1882–1969), wife of sultan Abdul Hamid II
*
Nevvare Hanım
ota, نوارہ خانم
, house = Çıhçı (by birth) Ottoman (by marriage)
, father = Mustafa Çıhcı
, mother = Hafize Kap-Ipha
, birth_name = Ayşe Çıhçı
, birth_date = 4 May 1901
, birth_place = Derbent, O ...
(1901–1992), wife of sultan Mehmed VI
*
Nevzad Hanım
ota, نمت نوزاد خانم
, house = Bargu (by birth) Ottoman (by marriage)
, father = Şaban Efendi
, mother = Hatice Hanım
, birth_name = Nimet Bargu
, birth_date = 2 March 1902
, birth_place = Hüseyin Bey M ...
(1902–1992), wife of sultan Mehmed VI
See also
*
List of Ottoman titles and appellations
This is a list of titles and appellations used in the Ottoman Empire. In place of surnames, Muslims in the Empire carried titles such as "Sultan", "Pasha", "Hoca", "Bey", " Hanım", "Efendi", etc. These titles either defined their formal professio ...
*
Hatun
Hatun or Khatun ( otk, 𐰴𐰍𐰣, Katun, ota, خاتون, Hatun or قادین ''Kadın'', uz, xotin, fa, خاتون ''khātūn''; Mongolian: , ''khatun'', хатан ''khatan''; ur, خاتون, hi, ख़ातून '; bn, খাত ...
*
Haseki Sultan
*
Kadın (title)
Kadın ( ota, قادین) was the title given to the imperial consort of the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire towards the beginning of the seventeenth century. The title came into official usage at the end of the century, and remained in usage until th ...
*
Valide Sultan #REDIRECT Valide sultan #REDIRECT Valide sultan
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