Who was Hurrem Sultan, and how did she become empress?

Imagine this: A Slavic woman was abducted from her home and sent to the Ottoman Empire as a new concubine for the sultan. Enchanted by her beauty and personality, the sultan at the time fell in love and married her. This woman used her wit and charm to become one of the most influential female figures of the early modern period.

You don’t have to imagine for much longer because today, I am excited to tell you about the life and legacy of Hurrem Sultan, wife of Sultan Suleiman of the Ottoman Empire from 1533 to 1558 CE.

Early Life

Hurrem Sultan was born Aleksandra Lisovska in 1505 CE. Another name she went by was Roxelana. She grew up in Rohatyn, Poland, now modern-day Ukraine. Historians know little of her early life due to the little recordkeeping of the peasantry. We know that her written history started when she was a young girl, perhaps around 15 years old.

To context the time when Roxelana was born, I shall briefly explain life in Europe at the beginning of the 16th century. It was a period of steady population increase due to the carnage from the bubonic plague. This plague also resulted in an overall boom in the economy, culture, and technology of Europe.

Current monarchs of the time included Queen Elizabeth I of England, Mary Queen of Scots, King Henry Valois II of France, and Charles V of Spain.

Captured by Crimean raiders from her hometown, Roxelana was taken to Constantinople (now modern-day Istanbul) to be sold in the slave trade. The identity of her master is unknown, but those who have studied her life believe that it was the mother of Suleyman the Magnificent, the current sultan of the Ottoman Empire.

Harem Life

This connection secured Hurrem a one-way ticket to the royal harem, a group of ladies who were sexually bound to the sultan. These women live their lives on the harem compound, waiting to be called on to the sultan’s chambers.

Other influential women who stay in the harem are those of the sultan’s royal family, including his mother. Harem women did not possess much agency, so they had to rely on their looks and charms to woo the sultan and hopefully provide him with a son and heir.

New girls brought in from the slave markets were called odalisques and were taught etiquette, dance, writing, and erotic arts, among other things. Those who thrived in these subjects had the potential to become the sultan’s favorite and move up the ranks of the harem. Those who failed became ordinary servants.

The ranks of the harem are as follows:

The Valide Sultana

This woman was usually the current sultan’s mother and held the highest position in the harem. She was also in charge of training others in the harem and securing favorites for the sultan.

The Kadins

These were considered the sultan’s favorites and had the most privilege in the harem. They had separate areas of residence where they hosted guests and, more commonly, the sultan.

The Ikbals

Those who had this designation were the women who have bared the sultan a son. They were also considered favorites of the sultan due to this status.

The Concubines

A vast majority of the women in the harem had this title. They were presented to the sultan at least once and spent their time waiting for the sultan to call on them again.

The Odalisques

The lowest class of the harem were new, virgin girls who were bought via the slave market. These girls were trained in various skills, and the most beautiful of them were presented to the sultan as concubines. If this did not happen, they either became ordinary servants or left the harem to marry another.

The Path to Power

Roxelana became a concubine and slowly gathered the adoration and affection of Suleiman, the current sultan. Known for her enchanting singing voice and magnetic personality, she earned the nickname “Hurrem,” which means ‘Joyful’ or ‘laughing one.’

Her rank soon surpassed even the most prestigious of Ikbals and soon bore her son from the sultan, named Mehmed. Hurrem broke tradition and gave the sultan five more children: one girl and four boys. This was incredibly unusual because each concubine was only allowed to birth one son.

Historians still speculate how Hurrem could propel herself to the top of the harem and into the sultan’s heart, but one thing was sure; her charm, intellect, and unusually red hair made her stand out from the crowd. Additionally, she wanted to involve herself in politics and rule the empire, which differed from the traditional roles of Ottoman women.

Soon Hurrem became Suleiman’s most trusted confidant, the closest person in his life, much more than his favorite concubine and mothering six of his kids. He wrote poetry to her expressing his love and affection, quoting:

My very own queen, my everything,

my beloved, my bright moon;

My intimate companion, my one and all,

soverign of all beauties, my sultan.

Suleiman married Hurrem, making her a sultana and therefore releasing her from slavery. Over the following years, Hurrem had too much political power, being the right hand of the sultan, plotting the deposition of his enemies and the positions of her children.

The Ottoman people were concerned with this change, claiming that the sultan’s affections should not revolve around one woman, thus giving this woman all the power. Because of this, many others accused Hurrem of bewitching Suleimann into giving her dominion over the empire and a say in all political manners.

If a woman was intelligent and beautiful, people thought her a seductress.

If a woman was intelligent and ugly, people thought her a witch.

After the execution of Suleimann’s oldest son in 1553 from one of his concubines, Hurrem was rumored to have plotted this to boost the rank of her sons. Her essential and scandal-filled life ended when she died in 1558.

She was survived by Suleiman, who died in 1566, and her last living son, Selim, became sultan.

Her Impact

Hurrem symbolized feminine power and prestige in a time when power and prestige were restricted to men. Along with Queen Elizabeth I of England, Hurrem Sultan further embodied the agency and independence of women who were otherwise trapped in their lives.

References

Roxelana | Biography & Facts. (n.d.). Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Roxelana

History of Europe — The emergence of modern Europe, 1500–1648 | Britannica. (2019). In Encyclopædia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/history-of-Europe/The-emergence-of-modern-Europe-1500-1648

Bot, H. (n.d.). The Ottoman Harem — Concubines, Odalisques, and Eunuchs | World History. Retrieved March 27, 2022, from https://worldhistory.us/middle-eastern-history/the-ottoman-harem-concubines-odalisques-and-eunuchs.php

Yermolenko, G. I. (2010). Roxolana in European literature, history and culture. Ashgate.