The Order of Charity ( ota, نشانِ شفقت), sometimes referred to as the Order of the Chefakat, was an order 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) ...

founded in 1878 by

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 ...

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 ...

. It was bestowed on selected women for distinguished humanitarian or charitable works, or as a token of the Sultan's esteem. Recipients included non-Ottoman citizens, including the English painter Margaret Murray Cookesley for her portrait of the Sultan's son, Hariot Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood (1883), wife of the Earl of Dufferin who was British ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, and to American social reformer Ellen Martin Henrotin (1893).The Semi-centennial Alumni Record of the University of Illinois, page 976. University of Illinois, 1918
/ref> The badge consists of a five pointed star in gold and crimson enamel, with a central gold medallion bearing the Sultan's cypher, surrounded by a green enamelled band with the words "Humanity, Assistance, Patriotism" in Turkish. The star rests upon a circular wreath enamelled green with crimson berries, the whole mounted on another star with radiant points. The decoration is hung from a star and crescent suspension, enamelled red. The order had three classes, with the highest class mounted with diamonds and other precious stones.

Recipients

Princess Ingeborg of Denmark Princess Ingeborg of Denmark (Ingeborg Charlotte Caroline Frederikke Louise; 2 August 1878 – 12 March 1958), was a Princess of Sweden by marriage to Prince Carl, Duke of Västergötland. She was the daughter of Frederick VIII of Denmark, and ...

Alexandra of Denmark Alexandra of Denmark (Alexandra Caroline Marie Charlotte Louise Julia; 1 December 1844 – 20 November 1925) was Queen of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Empress of India, from 22 January 1901 to 6 May 1910 as the wife of King ...

* Alexandra Feodorovna * Margaret Murray Cookesley *

Princess Elisabeth Sybille of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach Princess Elisabeth Sybille of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach (28 February 1854 – 10 July 1908) was the first wife of Duke Johann Albrecht of Mecklenburg, Regent of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and of the Duchy of Brunswick. Early life She was the youngest d ...

Helen Morgenthau Fox Helen Morgenthau Fox (May 27, 1884 – January 13, 1974) was an American botanist and author of popular gardening books.Benbow-Pfalzgraf, Taryn (2000). ''American Women Writers: A Critical Reference Guide, Volume 2.'' St. James Press, Biograp ...

Hariot Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, Marchioness of Dufferin and Ava Hariot Georgina Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, Marchioness of Dufferin and Ava (5 February 1843 – 25 October 1936) was a British peeress, known for her success in the role of "diplomatic wife," and for leading an initiative to improve medical ca ...

* Ellen Martin Henrotin *

Maria Christina of Austria Maria Christina Henriette Desideria Felicitas Raineria of Austria ( es, María Cristina de Habsburgo-Lorena; 21 July 1858 – 6 February 1929) was the second queen consort of Alfonso XII of Spain. She was queen regent during the vacancy of the ...

* Archduchess Maria Theresa of Austria *

Princess Victoria Louise of Prussia german: Viktoria Luise Adelheid Mathilde Charlotte , house = Hohenzollern , father = Wilhelm II, German Emperor , mother = Augusta Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein , birth_name = Princess Victoria Louise of Prussia , ...

Wilhelmina of the Netherlands Wilhelmina (; Wilhelmina Helena Pauline Maria; 31 August 1880 – 28 November 1962) was Queen of the Netherlands from 1890 until her abdication in 1948. She reigned for nearly 58 years, longer than any other Dutch monarch. Her reign saw World War ...

Zita of Bourbon-Parma Zita of Bourbon-Parma (''Zita Maria delle Grazie Adelgonda Micaela Raffaela Gabriella Giuseppina Antonia Luisa Agnese''; 9 May 1892 – 14 March 1989) was the wife of Charles I of Austria, Charles, the last monarch of Austria-Hungary. As such, sh ...

Milena of Montenegro Milena Petrović-Njegoš ('' née'' Vukotić, sr-Cyrl, Милена Петровић-Његош; 4 May 1847 – 16 March 1923) was the only Queen consort of Montenegro as the wife of Nicholas I (28 August 1910 – 26 November 1918). She was re ...

References

External link

{{Commons category, Şefkat Order
The Order of Chefakat, presented to the Countess of Jersey
(

National Trust The National Trust, formally the National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, is a charity and membership organisation for heritage conservation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In Scotland, there is a separate and ...

)

Charity Charity may refer to: Giving * Charitable organization or charity, a non-profit organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being of persons * Charity (practice), the practice of being benevolent, giving and sharing * Ch ...

1878 establishments in the Ottoman Empire Orders of chivalry awarded to heads of state, consorts and sovereign family members