Ayşe Hafsa Sultan (; 1478/1479 - 19 March 1534), was a concubine of

Selim I Selim I (; ; 10 October 1470 – 22 September 1520), known as Selim the Grim or Selim the Resolute (), was the List of sultans of the Ottoman Empire, sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1512 to 1520. Despite lasting only eight years, his reign is ...

and the mother of

Suleiman the Magnificent Suleiman I (; , ; 6 November 14946 September 1566), commonly known as Suleiman the Magnificent in the Western world and as Suleiman the Lawgiver () in his own realm, was the List of sultans of the Ottoman Empire, Ottoman sultan between 1520 a ...

. She was the first

Valide Sultan Valide Sultan (, lit. "Sultana mother") was the title held by the mother of a ruling sultan of the Ottoman Empire. The Ottomans first formally used the title in the 16th century as an epithet of Hafsa Sultan (died 1534), mother of Sultan Suleima ...

of the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

and, during the period between her son's enthronement in 1520 until her death in 1534, she was one of the most influential women in the Ottoman Empire.

Origins

The traditional view holding that Hafsa Sultan was the daughter of

Meñli I Giray Meñli I GirayCrimean Tatar language, Crimean Tatar, Ottoman Turkish and (1445–1515) was thrice the List of Crimean khans, khan of the Crimean Khanate (1466, 1469–1475, 1478–1515) and the sixth son of Hacı I Giray. Biography Stru ...

(1445–1515), the khan of the

Crimean Tatars Crimean Tatars (), or simply Crimeans (), are an Eastern European Turkic peoples, Turkic ethnic group and nation indigenous to Crimea. Their ethnogenesis lasted thousands of years in Crimea and the northern regions along the coast of the Blac ...

for much of the period between 1466 and 1515, resting on seventeenth century western authors accounts, has been challenged in favor of a Christian slave origin based on Ottoman documentary evidence. Few historians still follow the traditional view, one being

Brian Glyn Williams Brian Glyn Williams is a professor of Islamic History at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth who worked for the CIA. As an undergraduate, he attended Stetson University, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in 1988. He received his PhD in Mid ...

. Reşat Kasaba mentions the marriage between Selim I and Hafsa Sultan as the "last marriage between an Ottoman sultan and a member of a neighboring Muslim royal family". Esin Atıl, however, states that whilst some historians state that she was the daughter of Giray, others have mentioned that the Crimean princess named " Ayse" was another one of Selim I's wives and that "Hafsa" may have been of slave origin. Ilya Zaytsev claims that "Ayşe (daughter of Mengli-Giray I)" first married Şehzade Mehmed, the governor of Kefe, and that she later married his brother Selim I; consequently, her marriage into the Ottoman dynasty was one of two noted instances of wedlock between the Girays and the Ottomans (the other being the marriage of Selim I's daughter, maybe Gevherhan Sultan, to Saadet-Giray, but also this marriage'' is not proved). The Ottomanist Alan Fisher,

Leslie Peirce Leslie P. Peirce is an American professor in history. Her research interests include early modern history of the Ottoman Empire, gender, law, and society. She became one of the many

concubines Concubinage is an interpersonal and sexual relationship between two people in which the couple does not want to, or cannot, enter into a full marriage. Concubinage and marriage are often regarded as similar, but mutually exclusive. During the e ...

of Selim, when he was a prince and the governor of Trabzon from 1487. With him, she had at least three daughters, Hatice Sultan, Fatma Sultan, Beyhan Sultan and finally her only son, Suleiman I. According to Turkish tradition, all princes were expected to work as provincial governors as a part of their training. Hafsa joined Suleiman during his early princely assignments, initially in Kefe in 1509, and later in Manisa in 1513. She was supervisor and manager of the inner household and of Suleiman's personal life. Within his court in Kefe, she was granted a monthly stipend of 1,000 aspers, compared to Suleiman's 600 aspers. In 1513, as the mother of the heir apparent , Hafsa received a stipend of 150 aspers a day. In Manisa, where she became the eldest member of the household, she received a further raise, being granted a monthly stipend of 200 aspers a day. This stipend totalling 6,000 aspers a month surpassed that of anyone else on the princely payroll and was triple that of the prince himself. In his provinces, Hafsa was Suleiman's closest companion and kept him constant company. According to

Guillaume Postel Guillaume Postel (25 March 1510 – 6 September 1581) was a French linguist, Orientalist, astronomer, Christian Kabbalist, diplomat, polyglot, professor, religious universalist, and writer. Born in the village of Barenton in Normandy, Post ...

, she, purportedly saved Suleiman from potential execution by his father. She allegedly instructed him to disavow any interest in succeeding his father as the sultan. Several years before Selim's death, he is said to have tested his sons' loyalty by expressing a desire to retire from the sultanate and asking which of them sought to rule the empire. Postel conveyed that those who responded with boldness met a fatal fate. Suleiman, guided by his mother's understanding of Selim, declined the opportunity, asserting that he was his father's slave, not his son. He expressed that even after Selim's death, assuming such responsibility would cause him great distress.

Valide Sultan

After Suleiman's accession to the throne in 1520, Hafsa came to reside in the Old Palace in Istanbul. Following his ascent, and likely with his approval, Hafsa, began signing her letters as "the sultan's mother" (''valide-i sultan''). Although not an official title, it became widely recognized. Hafsa, possibly the first sultanic mother to consistently use this appellation, served as a crucial source of support for various individuals during these years, particularly women associated with the dynasty. Examples include aiding the daughters of Prince Âlemşah after their mother's death and assisting a female member of Khayr Beg's harem. In her letters to Suleiman, Hafsa demonstrated both business-like and affectionate tones, addressing him as "the light of my eye, the joy of my heart." During the early years of Suleiman's reign, Hafsa emerged as a dominant female influence in his life, as evidenced by her son's granting of the title "''

''" (Mother Sultan) to her, making her the first person in Ottoman history to bear the title of '' sultana'' despite not having royal blood. Although her letters carried formal chancery formulas, they revealed an intimate undertone. Expressing a deep yearning for her son's company and showcasing concern for his safety during campaigns, Hafsa's letters unveiled the profound bond between mother and son. In a rare handwritten letter, she shared a light-hearted anecdote about a household servant and lamented a missed opportunity to see Suleiman. Ending the letter with a gift of black-eyed peas, she conveyed her love, stating that even a treasure wouldn't be enough of a gift for him. She also attempted to prevent the execution of Ferhad Pasha, who was married to her daughter Beyhan. Suleiman had a deep affection for his mother, which is highlighted in Bragadin's 1526 report, describing her as a "a very beautiful woman of 48, for whom he sultanbears great reverence and love." Following the Ottoman triumph at the

battle of Mohács The Battle of Mohács (; , ) took place on 29 August 1526 near Mohács, in the Kingdom of Hungary. It was fought between the forces of Hungary, led by King Louis II of Hungary, Louis II, and the invading Ottoman Empire, commanded by Suleima ...

in 1526, Suleiman took special care to personally inform his mother of the victory through a letter, emphasizing the close bond and reverence he had for her. Shortly after Suleiman's ascension to the throne, Hafsa initiated the construction of an extensive mosque complex in Manisa, surpassing any built by previous concubines. Its construction probably started during Suleiman's governorship in Manisa, and was completed in 1522–23. This complex included a mosque, a religious college, a dervish hostel, a primary school, and a soup kitchen, employing a staff of 117. Suleiman later expanded it to include a hospital and a bath in his mother's name. Known as "Sultaniye," this imperial mosque featured two minarets, an honor typically reserved for the sultan. Financed through properties acquired with support from Suleiman's father, Selim, and later Suleiman himself, the mosque complex was endowed with income generated from these assets. Hafsa's groundwork for the project included a significant collective purchase in 1518, involving 56 ordinary shops, 11 shops with roofed fronts, and 111 booths in the Urla market near Izmir. This acquisition, totaling 116 transactions and valued at 66,690 aspers, laid the foundation for the mosque complex's financial support. Beyond construction, Hafsa actively promoted settlement in the mosque's vicinity, offering lots for rent or sale. Those constructing residences on these lots received tax exemptions from the sultan as an encouragement. She had a ''kira'' named

Strongilah Strongilah (died 1548) was a Jews in the Ottoman Empire, Jewish Ottoman businesswoman. She was the influential favorite and ''Kira (title), Kira'' of Hafsa Sultan,Minna Rozen: A History of the Jewish Community in Istanbul, The Formative Years, 14 ...

. She provided assistance to the women in the harem and developed a strong bond with Hafsa.

Death

Hafsa died on 19 March 1534, and was buried in the vicinity of her husband’s tomb in Yavuz Selim Mosque, Constantinople. Construction of a separate mausoleum for her was ordered, and readers were hired to recite the Quran continuously at her grave. Her funeral was marked by significant public demonstrations of mourning. In the depiction of her funeral, royal chancellor and historian Celâlzâde Mustafa Çelebi paid tribute to her with an extensive series of commendations, likening her to revered Muslim women. He compared her to

Khadija Khadija, Khadeeja or Khadijah () is an Arabic feminine given name, the name of Khadija bint Khuwaylid, first wife of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. In 1995, it was one of the three most popular Arabic feminine names in the Muslim world, along wi ...

, the first wife of

Muhammad Muhammad (8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious and political leader and the founder of Islam. Muhammad in Islam, According to Islam, he was a prophet who was divinely inspired to preach and confirm the tawhid, monotheistic teachings of A ...

, as well as to

Fatima Fatima bint Muhammad (; 605/15–632 CE), commonly known as Fatima al-Zahra' (), was the daughter of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and his wife Khadija. Fatima's husband was Ali, the fourth of the Rashidun caliphs and the first Shia imam. ...

and

Aisha Aisha bint Abi Bakr () was a seventh century Arab commander, politician, Muhaddith, muhadditha and the third and youngest wife of the Prophets and messengers in Islam, Islamic prophet Muhammad. Aisha had an important role in early Islamic h ...

, highlighting her asceticism, righteous thoughts, and her active involvement in charitable foundations and virtuous deeds.

Issue

Together with Selim, Hafsa had at least one daughter before having her only son: * Beyhan Sultan (1493 - 1559). Married to Ferhad Pasha by her brother, she had at least two children. * Suleiman I (6 November 1494 - 6 September 1566). 10th Sultan of the Ottoman Empire. Earlier, it was popularly believed that Selim's daughter, Hatice Sultan was married to the Grand Vizier,

Pargalı Ibrahim Pasha Pargalı Ibrahim Pasha ( 149515 March 1536), was the first Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire appointed by Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent. Ibrahim, born as Orthodox Christian, was enslaved during his youth. He and Suleiman became close frie ...

, however Ebru Turan's essay, "The Marriage of Ibrahim Pasha", debunked this long-held tradition and besides, revealed other crucial and relevant facts:

"The registers detailing the disbursements made from the imperial treasury name Mihrişah and Hafsa as Iskender Pasha’s daughters, and Fatma as his granddaughter...As Mihrişah Hatun was married to Yakup Aga, Iskender Pasha’s other daughter, Hafsa — Ibrahim’s mother-in-law, to whom he never failed to send greetings in his letters — was married to the governor of Nigbolu (Nikopol), Mustafa Bey...Lastly, Zen’s letter states that Ibrahim Pasha’s sister-in-law, Fatma, whose name is mentioned in Ibrahim’s letters in abbreviated form, Fati, was married to a Çavuş Başi at the court."

In Peirce's book, "The Imperial Harem" which was published in 1993, she had upheld the later debunked tradition of Ibrahim Pasha's marriage to Hatice Sultan and therefore, in the available letters associated with Ibrahim Pasha, the mention of 'Hafsa' was interpreted as Hafsa Sultan, Suleiman's mother and that of 'Fatma' as Fatma Sultan, daughter of Selim I. Consequently, it was derived that Fatma Sultan and Hatice Sultan were full-sisters and thus siblings of Suleiman, however, the above-mentioned quote discredited the maternity of Hatice Sultan and Fatma Sultan being ascribed to Hafsa Sultan. Furthermore, no evidence exists that even references, let alone attributes the motherhood of Hafize Hafsa Sultan or any other daughters of Selim I to Hafsa Sultan, Suleiman's mother. Thus, apart from Beyhan Sultan, in the absence of any chronicles, harem records, documents or endowment deeds, maternity of any other daughter of Selim I can't be authentically ascribed to Hafsa Sultan, one of the consorts of Selim I, who had many concubines. Even Beyhan's maternity can only be reliably assumed because of the chronicled interaction by an ambassador according to which Hafsa had interceded on Beyhan's behalf for saving her husband from her son's ire (a role which she could undertake nonetheless as the custodian of the harem being the Sultan's mother), the ambassador had also reported Hafsa's grief upon the execution of Beyhan's husband and then Beyhan's chiding of the Sultan, presumably her full-brother who was then younger than her and the former's alleged estrangement from the Sultan in the aftermath of her husband's execution.

In popular culture

* In the 2003 TV miniseries ''Hürrem Sultan'', Hafsa Sultan is portrayed by Turkish actress Deniz Türkali. * In the 2011 TV series ''

Muhteşem Yüzyıl ''Muhteşem Yüzyıl'' (, ) is a Turkish historical drama series. Written by Meral Okay and Yılmaz Şahin, it is based on the life of Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, the longest-reigning Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, and his wife Hür ...

'', Hafsa Sultan is played by Turkish actress Nebahat Çehre.

References

Sources

* *

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hafsa Sultan 1534 deaths Valide sultan 15th-century consorts of Ottoman sultans 16th-century consorts of Ottoman sultans 15th-century women from the Ottoman Empire 16th-century women from the Ottoman Empire Suleiman the Magnificent 15th-century slaves in the Ottoman Empire 16th-century slaves in the Ottoman Empire Concubines of Ottoman sultans