Mad Monarchs: Sultan Mustafa I of the Ottoman Empire

By Lisa J. Yarde

Representation of Mustafa I, painted in 1815

The Ottoman Empire produced some of the brilliant rulers of Turkey. Their names have come down through the centuries; Orhan, Mehmed the Conqueror, Suleiman the Magnificent.  But several of the nation's rulers began precarious lives as young princes, trapped behind the harem's walls, never knowing how fate might alter from one day to the next and if they might survive the turmoil that often followed the death of the reigning monarch. Sultan Mustafa I is a prime example of an Ottoman ruler who likely lived a tortured existence from boyhood.

He was a great-great-grandson of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, born in 1591 to Alime Sultan (Ottoman royal women were designated in this way, rather than Sultana) at the palace in Manisa, western Turkey. For almost two centuries before Mustafa's birth, Manisa had been the place where future crown princes and Sultans of Turkey learned about administration and government, rather than in the capital of their fathers, Istanbul. Mustafa was the second son of Sultan Mehmed III, who upon ascension followed an Ottoman tradition established in the time of Mustafa's grandfather Murad III; the deaths by strangulation of all close male relatives. In this way, the Ottomans eliminated rival claimants to the throne.

The kafes

As a younger brother to the presumed crown prince Ahmed born a year before, Mustafa must have been aware daily of the fate surely awaiting him at the death of their father. After all, Mehmed III had ended the lives of nineteen brothers when he claimed the throne. Why should Ahmed have done any differently when he became the Ottoman Sultan at the age of 13 in 1603? However, a swift end to Mustafa's life did not occur. Defying precedent, Ahmed I did not send the executioner with a bowstring. Instead, Mustafa became a resident of the kafes, or "the cage" -  a section of the imperial harem within the Topkapi palace complex, where the Sultan and his household resided. Why did Ahmed allow this, rather than killing Mustafa? Perhaps because he remained the only viable heir, especially if Ahmed died without producing any sons to inherit.

Another image of Mustafa I

With servants and concubines for company, Mustafa filled his days and nights with alcohol and opium, while Ahmed enjoyed the attentions of his favorite Greek concubine and later wife, Kosem, who was the same age as Ahmed. During his fourteen-year reign, she gave him three sons, except his eldest son Osman, who was born from another earlier union. Again breaking with tradition, Ahmed kept Mustafa alive although there were now at least four legitimate heirs to the Ottoman throne. One wonders at the motivation. Was it genuine brotherly love or pity ensuring Mustafa remained among the living? 

A crisis occurred when Ahmed died at the age of twenty-seven.  As all of his sons were minors, Mustafa became Sultan. Despite the established tradition of murdering potential rivals, Ahmed's sons went to the kafes, like their uncle had done. Even before Mustafa's reign began, his courtiers and servants might have witnessed his strange behavior in the kafes. He had the habit of "scattering the gold and silver coins... to the birds and the fish in the sea...." If anyone acknowledged him as an imbecile openly, perhaps they also hoped that after his long confinement, the reintroduction to court and the world outside the kafes would improve Mustafa's mind.

It did not. As Mustafa I continued to knock the turbans off of his viziers' heads during meetings with his council, they must have realized their folly in having placed him on the throne. In February 1618, they locked Mustafa  back up in the kafes and selected his fourteen-year-old nephew to reign as Osman II. The fickle nature of political life at the Imperial palace did not assure Osman's future; he made the mistake of tangling with the Janissaries, the elite infantry historically comprised of non-Muslim boys enslaved as household troops and bodyguards for the monarchs. Osman ordered severe punishments, including five hundred lashes for any Janissary found in a tavern. Four years after he came to power, they had him strangled and gave their oath of allegiance to Mustafa, who became little more than their puppet.

The throne room at Topkapi palace

His second reign lasted from May 1622 to September 1623, during which Mustafa again displayed the signs of madness. He ran through the palace at all hours of the day and night, crying out for Osman, whom he believed was still alive, to rescue him from the burden of power.  In exasperation, the high judges and ministers sent word to his mother. They intended to test his intelligence, requiring him to answer just two questions; "whose son are you?" and "what is the day of the week?" Perhaps knowing her son's mental state could not encompass a response to even these inquiries, Alime Sultan agreed Mustafa could not remain on the throne and pleaded for his life.

Murad IV became Sultan at the age of eleven. He was the eldest son of Ahmed I and Kosem. He too spared Mustafa a quick death. The mad former ruler returned to the kafes, trapped as much behind its walls as surely as by the ravages of his mind. He died in 1639 at the age of 48. His body is entombed in Istanbul's Hagia Sophia courtyard.

Sources: Harem: The World Behind the Veil by Alev Lytle Croutier and The Ottoman Empire, 1300-1650: The Structure of Power by Colin Imber. Images are public domain, royalty-free from Wiki Commons. 

Lisa J. Yarde writes fiction inspired by the Middle Ages in Europe. She is the author of two historical novels set in medieval England and Normandy, The Burning Candle, based on the life of one of the first countesses of Leicester and Surrey, Isabel de Vermandois, and On Falcon's Wings, chronicling the star-crossed romance between Norman and Saxon lovers before the Battle of Hastings. Lisa has also written four novels in a six-part series set in Moorish Spain, Sultana, Sultana’s Legacy, Sultana: Two Sisters, and Sultana: The Bride Price where rivalries and ambitions threaten the fragile bonds between members of a powerful family. Her short story, The Legend Rises, which chronicles the Welsh princess Gwenllian of Gwynedd’s valiant fight against English invaders, is also available.

Guest Blog: Colin Falconer

This week, we're welcoming renowned historical fiction author Colin Falconer. His best-selling novel, HAREM, is set in the Ottoman Empire during the reign of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, who is left spellbound by his newest slave girl, Hurrem.  Colin is here to talk about this fascinating book and give away a copy. Want to win it? Please leave your comment for Colin. Here's the blurb: 


He had everything a man might dream of; wealth, power and the choice of hundreds of the most beautiful women in his Empire. Why then did he forsake his harem for the love of just one woman, and marry her in defiance of the centuries-old code of the Osmanlis? 


This is the astonishing story of Suleiman, the one they called the Magnificent, and the woman he loved. 


Suleiman controlled an empire of thirty million people, encompassing twenty different languages. As a man, he was an enigma; he conquered all who stood against him with one of the world's first full time professional armies - yet he liked to write poetry; he ravaged half of Europe but he rebuilt Istanbul in marble; he had teams of torturers and assassins ready to unleash at a whim - yet history remembers him as a great lawmaker.

''Harem' literally means 'Forbidden': Forbidden to men. Once the Sultan was the only man - the only complete man - who could pass through its iron-studded doors. But what was that world really like?

For a woman living in the Harem the only way out was to somehow find her way into the Sultan's bed and bear him a son. But the young Sultan was often away at war and when he did return he neglected his harem for just one favourite wife. But one young Russian concubine inside his seraglio was not content to allow fate decide the course of her life. She was clever and she was ruthless. And she had a plan.

Into this world are drawn two unforgettable characters; a beautiful young Italian noblewoman, captured by corsairs and brought to the Harem as a concubine; and the eunuch who loved her once, long ago, in Venice.

Loved her? He never stopped loving her.

From medieval Venice to the slave markets of Algiers, from the mountains of Persia to the forbidden seraglio of the Ottoman's greatest sultan, this is a tale of passion and intrigue in a world where nothing is really as it seems. 

Q&A with Colin Falconer

How did the story of Harem come about?
Back in another incarnation, when I was working as a magazine freelancer, I got a commission from Playboy magazine to write about harems. You know, the racy stuff. But as I did my research I discovered that harems weren't anything like the male fantasy most Playboy readers would have liked. So I held back a lot of the research when I finally came to write the piece.

In particular, I discovered the story of Hurrem Haseki, the slave girl that Suleiman the Magnificent married and eventually made his queen. He even resigned his entire harem for her! There were so many intriguing gaps in the story. Was it a love story - or was it something else?

How much research was involved?

My initial research came from my local library. The head librarian would order in the books from all over the country and I would go in and collect them. But she never mentioned this to her staff. The girl behind the desk would go pale when I walked in and announced that I was there to pick up 'Unusual Sexual Practices in Ottoman Turkey' in three volumes or 'The Handy Guide to Castration.'

After I had the groundwork down, I spent a month in Turkey. My girls were only little then and I didn't want to be away from them that long so the whole family came! The best part for me was seeing the tombs of Suleiman and Hurrem side by side in the garden of the Suleimaniye mosque. Considering their history, it's very poignant and quite ironic. It felt like visiting the grave of someone I knew. The guide tried to tell me their history and it was completely wrong. Well either that or every book in the British Library was way off the mark. I'm betting it was him.

How did you come up with the story?
Historians know what happened but they can't rationally explain it. Why did Suleiman retire his harem? Why did he then later murder his son and his best friend? Scholars can't say because it would be pure conjecture: what happened in the harem stayed in the harem. No records were kept. So it all came down to reading between the lines - and that's what novelists are born to do.

People do not act rationally, no matter how important or royal or powerful they are, they're still human beings. The English royal family are a classic case. I had my own theories of why Suleiman and Hurrem did what they did, and I tested them out against what we know. It fitted perfectly, without changing a single historical fact. I don't know if I'm right - no one will ever know what really happened behind those walls - but if I am then she was one of the most extraordinary women in European history. Ruthless, intelligent, charming and brilliant. Love her or hate her, she was the most powerful woman you never heard of.

What was the most surprising thing to you?

I read some accounts written by actual eunuchs from the last century. The sad thing is, they never lost their psychological desire for women. They may have the lost the physical imperative but they said they still longed. I can't imagine how hellish that must have been. I also read accounts of former concubines who likened it to imprisonment - that was less surprising. The harem, as depicted in gauzy Victorian art and imagined in male fantasy, may seem like heaven - but it was actually hell.

Why did you republish?

I was so unhappy about the way the book was traditionally published here in the US in the first place. It was a massive best seller in Europe, translated into over a dozen languages - the only place it didn't do well was in the US. I just didn't think I was that bad a writer. I felt the publishers let me down badly. It was a boring cover, they changed the title and they gave it no marketing support. Hey, you must have heard this story a hundred times! So I re-jacketed and re-edited. I guess I'm out to prove a point. I think it's a great book. I think it deserved more. Much, much more. 

Thank you, Colin, and best of luck with HAREM. Visitors, please leave your comment to win a copy of this story.

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Excerpt Thursday: Harem by Colin Falconer

This week on Excerpt Thursday, we're welcoming renowned historical fiction author Colin Falconer. His best-selling novel, HAREM, is set in the Ottoman Empire during the reign of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, who is left spellbound by his newest slave girl, Hurrem.  Join us Sunday, when Colin will be here to talk about this fascinating book and give away a copy. Here's the blurb:


He had everything a man might dream of; wealth, power and the choice of hundreds of the most beautiful women in his Empire. Why then did he forsake his harem for the love of just one woman, and marry her in defiance of the centuries-old code of the Osmanlis? 

This is the astonishing story of Suleiman, the one they called the Magnificent, and the woman he loved. 

Suleiman controlled an empire of thirty million people, encompassing twenty different languages. As a man, he was an enigma; he conquered all who stood against him with one of the world's first full time professional armies - yet he liked to write poetry; he ravaged half of Europe but he rebuilt Istanbul in marble; he had teams of torturers and assassins ready to unleash at a whim - yet history remembers him as a great lawmaker.

''Harem' literally means 'Forbidden': Forbidden to men. Once the Sultan was the only man - the only complete man - who could pass through its iron-studded doors. But what was that world really like?

For a woman living in the Harem the only way out was to somehow find her way into the Sultan's bed and bear him a son. But the young Sultan was often away at war and when he did return he neglected his harem for just one favourite wife. But one young Russian concubine inside his seraglio was not content to allow fate decide the course of her life. She was clever and she was ruthless. And she had a plan.

Into this world are drawn two unforgettable characters; a beautiful young Italian noblewoman, captured by corsairs and brought to the Harem as a concubine; and the eunuch who loved her once, long ago, in Venice.

Loved her? He never stopped loving her.

From medieval Venice to the slave markets of Algiers, from the mountains of Persia to the forbidden seraglio of the Ottoman's greatest sultan, this is a tale of passion and intrigue in a world where nothing is really as it seems. 

An Excerpt from HAREM

The courtyard was paved with almond-shaped cobblestones and dominated by an ornate marble fountain. Windows looked down from all sides. Hürrem felt as if the whole Harem was watching her.

This was the courtyard of the Sultan Valide! These were her apartments.

The guards hurried her to the centre of the court and there released her. 'The Kapi Aga says you are to wait. And be sure to sing.'

'Sing, why? What is happening?'

But the men had done as they had been ordered and they wheeled away without another word, the sickle-bladed yataghans at their waists rattling in their scabbards. Hürrem stared after them.

She waited there for an eternity but no one came. Water murmured in the marble fountain. Perhaps the Kapi Aga had arranged an interview with Hafise Sultan? she thought. But then why had they insisted she bring her needlework? What else was it they had said? 'The Kapi Aga says you are to wait. And be sure to sing.'

The Kapi Aga wanted her to break the sacred silence of the Harem?

She grew tired of waiting, found a cool spot in the shade of the fountain and sat down, crossing her legs beneath her, Osmanli style. She spread the handkerchief on her lap, took out her needle and went back to her embroidery. She chose to hum a love song her mother had taught her, about a boy whose horse had fallen in the snow, trapping him; as he died by inches on the winter steppe he told the wind how much he loved a certain girl and how he had never had the courage to tell her. He asked the wind to carry his words across the plain so that she would remember him. It was a stupid, sentimental song, Hürrem thought, but she had always liked the tune and after a while the words came back to her as well.

She soon forgot her initial anxiety and did not even notice the tall, slender figure in the white turban until his shadow fell across her lap.

'The first law of the Harem is silence.'

She looked up, startled. The man was standing with the sun behind his back and she had to shield her eyes against the glare. He did not speak like a eunuch and he was not black like a Nubian. There was only one other man who might walk freely here.

'Perhaps we should cut out the tongues of all the nightingales then. And the bees. We should do something about them also. All this incessant buzzing. Don't they know the rules?' There. It was out of her mouth before she could stop herself.

For a moment he just stared at her. Hürrem remembered that her first action before speaking should have been to lower her forehead to the ground and make her obeisance. She put down her embroidery and went to her knees. She touched her forehead to the hot stones, a futile gesture, it was already too late. She should beg his forgiveness for breaking the silence. Well, there was no point now, he had spoken and she had answered him.

She was suddenly aware that the old Kislar Aghasi - the Chief Black Eunuch - was standing behind Suleiman, his face beaded with perspiration, fanning himself with a silk handkerchief. He looked as if he were about to faint.

'Do you know who I am?' Suleiman asked her.

'You are the Lord of Life.'

'What were you singing?'

'It was a song I learned from my mother, my Lord. A love song. About a stupid boy who let his horse fall on top of him.'

'He was singing to the horse?'

She giggled, then stifled it. 'I think not. I dare to say the horse had lost much of its charm by then.'

She heard him laugh. 'What is your name?'

'They call me Hürrem, my lord.'

'Hürrem? Laughing one. Who gave you that name?'

'The men who brought me here. They could not pronounce my name. Though I suspect they were not intelligent enough to pronounce their own names either.'

He laughed again. 'Where are you from, Hürrem?'

She squinted up at him. This was the moment for which she had gambled so much and all she could think about was the pain in her knees. How long would he make her squat here on these cobblestones? 'I am a Tatar,' she said. 'A Krim.'

'Do all you Tatars have hair of such amazing colour?'

'No, my Lord. I was the only one in my clan so burdened.'

'Burdened? I think not. It is quite beautiful.' He stroked her hair and held a lock of it in his fingers, as if he were examining a piece of material in the bazaar for quality and strength. 'It is like burnished gold. Is it not, Ali?'

The Kislar Aghasi murmured his agreement. Liar! Hürrem thought. You have only spoken to me once, and on that occasion you called me an undernourished carrot.

'Stand up, Hürrem.'

At last! She did as she was told. She knew she should lower her eyes, as she had been trained to do, but curiosity got the better of her. So this was the Lord of Life, the Possessor of Men's Necks, the Lord of the Seven Worlds! He was handsome, she supposed, but not especially so. There was the shadow of a beard on his face, which lent a certain majesty to his beaked nose. He had grey eyes.

He examined her head to toe, as the spahis had done the day her father had traded her. He did not seem especially displeased with what he saw yet when he had done he gave a long sigh. 'What is that you are embroidering?' he asked her.

'A handkerchief, my lord.'

'Let me see it.' She handed it to him. 'A fine piece of work. You have great skill. May I have it?'

'I have not finished …'

'Have it ready for me tonight,' he said and placed it carefully over her left shoulder. The Kislar Aghasi's eyes widened in shock. Placing a handkerchief on a girl's shoulder signified that she was now gözde, and that the Sultan wished to sleep with her. No girl had been so favoured since he had assumed the throne.

Suleiman walked away without another word. The Kislar Aghasi looked as if he would burst; then he remembered himself and hurried after him.

Hürrem stood there, frozen to the spot, long after they were gone. Her body trembled with triumph and excitement.

Gözde!I am in the eye! Now I just have to stay there.

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Guest Author: Beth Elliott

This week on Unusual Historicals, we're welcoming Robert Hale author Beth Elliott, whose latest Regency romance, APRIL AND MAY, is set in Constantinople. Here's the blurb:

In Constantinople, 1804 Rose Charteris comes face to face with Tom Hawkesleigh, who broke her heart four years earlier. And now she is forced to work with him on a secret mission for the Ottoman Sultan.

The tension rises further when Kerim Pasha, the Sultan's chief and very handsome minister, falls for Rose's English beauty. A spirited heroine, two handsome suitors, danger everywhere...

***

'Plenty of wit, gusto, flair, charm and warmth! An unmissable treat for Regency fans everywhere!' ~ Single Titles

'An enjoyable read.' ~ The Historical Novels Review

' A sparkling romance.... Dive in and enjoy.' ~ Myshelf

***

A "yali", a waterside mansion where wealthy Turks spent the summer months.
Can you explain what the title APRIL AND MAY refers to?

Rose, the heroine, has her early romance cut off short, so her April comes to a frosty end. Later, she gets a second chance to blossom and we leave her as she reaches her May.

Tell us why you set this story in Constantinople.

Constantinople is a fascinating city, a blend of Eastern and Western elements. It has many exotic buildings and a long and rich history so it makes a wonderful setting for a story in any period. I also love the fact that the city is divided into three parts by the sea. Each part has a very distinct character yet they are tightly interlinked.

When I researched the history of the late Eighteenth Century I found that both the British and the French were desperate to have the Ottoman Sultan as their ally. Selim III, the Sultan at that time, knew that to save his empire from being swallowed up by the Russians, he had to modernise his army, even though his generals wanted to carry on in the traditional way. He was very pro-European and was seeking help either from Napoleon's French officers or from the British. That gave me a suitable reason for Tom to be in Constantinople in 1804. He is the secret agent advising on modern methods.

On a personal level, having a Turkish husband, I experienced much Turkish hospitality and came to understand their way of life. It is incredible how honoured a Turkish family is to receive a guest. I wanted to convey that in the story. My husband had worked as a tourist guide in his student days so he loved taking me to visit important historical sites. And when he showed me round these famous places, including the Harem in Topkapi Palace, he was always full of anecdotes to make the visit even more colourful.

The newly restored Fruit Room in the Harem.
So is this story based on your own life?

Only in showing Turkish customs from an outsider's point of view. Rose, the heroine, is interested in the Ottoman way of life, but not even the powerful and handsome Kerim Pasha, the Sultan's chief minister, can tempt her to stay in Constantinople. I like my heroines to have a choice of men but the truth is that Rose and Tom have never resolved the issues from their earlier romance. Until she can do that, she is not interested in any relationship.

I also turn the idea of being an outsider on its head, when Kerim Pasha comes to London and we see him observing the English way of life with eager curiosity. Rose and Tom have to unite their efforts to look after him, which draws them together again.

Are you planning any more stories with exotic settings?

THE RAKE'S CHALLENGE, which comes out in July, is set in Brighton. The Royal Pavilion there is about as exotic as you can get! And the hero is fascinating…

And I'm currently working on another Regency-set novel which opens the door onto the Eastern side of life in Constantinople. There are feasts in exotic palaces and festivals of Ottoman style events--and a drop-dead gorgeous oriental hero.

***

Thanks for stopping by today, Beth! Readers, Beth is giving away signed books to two winners. Just tell us which qualities you like to see in a hero. I'll draw the winner next Sunday. Void where prohibited. Best of luck!

Excerpt Thursday: Beth Elliott

This week on Excerpt Thursday, we're welcoming Robert Hale author Beth Elliott, whose latest Regency romance, APRIL AND MAY, is set in Constantinople. Join us Sunday when Beth will be here to talk about this fascinating setting, and give away a copy. Join us then! Here's the blurb:

In Constantinople, 1804 Rose Charteris comes face to face with Tom Hawkesleigh, who broke her heart four years earlier. And now she is forced to work with him on a secret mission for the Ottoman Sultan.

The tension rises further when Kerim Pasha, the Sultan's chief and very handsome minister, falls for Rose's English beauty. A spirited heroine, two handsome suitors, danger everywhere...

***

Rose draped the white silk shawl over her shoulders to cover the low neckline of her flimsy tunic. She grimaced as she ran a hand over her hair, pulled back in a long, thick plait. But no, she was not going to cover her head. That would give the messenger the wrong impression and cause alarm at the embassy. Feeling weary and cross, she followed Fatma down two floors to the reception room. She padded silently over the soft rugs that were spread everywhere. The elderly maidservant led her across a wide central hallway and pushed open the double doors at the far side.

'Salon,' she said, giving Rose's bare head a disapproving look as she stood aside for her to go in first.

A tall figure Rose recognised at once was pacing back and forth in the opulent room. His hands were clasped behind his back. His face seen in profile was rigid. Sudden alarm made Rose forgot all the awkwardness of confronting Tom again.

'H-have you had bad news from Cairo?'

At the sound of her voice he whirled round and stood as if turned to stone. For a long moment he simply stared. At least it gave her time to find her composure. Her unruly heart was beating at a terrible rate. It must be due to her bitter anger at having to see him.

There were subtle changes in him from the eager young man he had been. This was a man who had faced danger many times and triumphed, a man who carved his own path through life's hazards. And the years had made him even more handsome, his face so chiseled, his hair bleached blonder by the hot Mediterranean sun. His dark eyes, always expressive, were scorching her as he looked her up and down and down and up. His face darkened.

'So they have put you in the harem!' he growled at last.

She raised her brows. 'If you are referring to my garments, our kind hostess has given us fresh clothes while our own are laundered.'

'Yes but...' he opened his hands in an impatient gesture. He glanced around and seemed to listen. His gaze came back to her. Rose understood. Of course, someone was listening to their conversation.

Women Did It Better: The Reign of Women

By Lisa Yarde

In Ottoman Turkey of the 16th and 17th centuries, when religious and cultural mores kept most females secluded behind harem walls, five generations of women fulfilled their quest for influence. Each entered the Ottoman world as a slave, where the love of a powerful man meant access to power. They dominated the lives of their husbands and sons so that each became the power behind the throne, and influenced policy through their men. This period became known as the Reign of Women (Turkish: Kadinlar Saltanati)

Hurrem Sultan (appx. 1500-April 1558): Her name meant 'the laughing one' in Persian. While historians are not entirely sure of her origins in either the Ukraine or Poland, it is clear that when Hurrem entered the harem of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, the teenage beauty captivated him. Soon, he put aside his then favorite, Gulbehar, and the heir apparent, their son Mustafa, and devoted himself to Hurrem.

She bore him at least five surviving children: four sons named Mehmed (born 1521), Selim (born 1524), Bajezit (born 1525) and Jihangir (born 1531), and a daughter, Mihrimah (born 1522). Eventually Suleiman married Hurrem and recognized her as his only legal wife, which his subjects viewed with horror, as the Ottoman rulers for almost a century before had taken only concubines.

In 1541, when the palace reserved for royal women burned to the ground, she moved into Suleiman's residence. It would not be the last time Hurrem shocked the court. She influenced Suleiman in the murder of his childhood best friend and grand vizier, Ibrahim Pasha, because he supported Mustafa's claim to the throne. Her son in-law Rustem became Suleiman's advisor, and with her support, swayed Suleiman to murder his eldest son. In this way, Hurrem ensured the ascension of her second surviving son as Selim II. She exchanged diplomatic letters with the Polish king Sigismund II Augustus, ensuring peaceful relations between the two states. Long after her death, her influence remained the political actions of her daughter Mihrimah, who also advised Suleiman.

Nurbanu Sultan (1520s-December 1583): When Cecilia Venier-Baffo, niece of Sebastiano Venier, the Doge of Venice, entered the harem of the future Selim II in 1537, her status quickly went from noblewoman to slave. She must have quickly deduced by the experience of her master's mother, Hurrem Sultan, that a woman could wield influence in the Ottoman court.

Interior of Atik Valide (Mother of the Old Sultan) Mosque, commissioned in Nurbanu's name.
She gave Selim three daughters before their son and heir, Murad, was born in 1546. She also became his legal wife. When Selim II succeeded his father in 1566, Murad remained his principle heir despite the births of five other sons with different women. At Selim's death, as the Valide Sultan (queen mother), Nurbanu hid his passing until her son could arrive from his post as a governor of an Ottoman province.

She immediately began her influence in the court of Murad III, so much so that the Venetian ambassador to the Ottoman court once remarked, "all good and bad come from the queen mother." She corresponded personally with Queen Catherine de Medici of France, and ensured her son's government adopted a pro-Venetian policy. When Murad's grand vizier Sinan Pasha commented that the counsel of women should not affect the empire, she had him dismissed in the year before her sudden death.

Safiye Sultan (1550–early 1600s): Nurbanu Sultan did not have any notable rival for her husband's affections, but the arrival of a new slave in Murad's harem, Safiye, tested the Valide's power over her son, Murad. Safiye entered the prince's household in the 1560s as a teenager. Her origins were likely Venetian, given her pro-Venetian interests. Born Sofia Baffo, she might have been a relative of Nurbanu.

She became Murad's favorite and he remained so devoted to her and to their children that his mother begged him to take other concubines instead of relying solely on his son, Mehmed by Safiye, as the potential heir. He must have followed Nurbanu's advice resolutely, eventually fathering twenty sons and twenty-seven daughters with his concubines. History does not record how Safiye must have felt about this interference. When Nurbanu died in 1583, Safiye became free to exercise sole influence over Murad. He died in 1595 and their son, Mehmed III, succeeded him. While Mehmed remained in power until 1603, Safiye managed affairs for him during the Austro-Ottoman war in Hungary.

Kosem Sultan (1590–September 1651): Mehmed III fathered a son, Ahmet I, who became ruler of the Ottoman Empire in 1603, at the age of thirteen. Before that he had spent several years in isolation in the Golden Cage, an apartment built on the orders of Selim II and reserved for princes younger than the reigning sovereign. Two years later, a fifteen year-old Greek girl entered his harem, re-named Kosem. She gave him at least three surviving sons, Murad, Bajezit and Ibrahim.

Unfortunately for Kosem, Ahmet died in 1617 and his brother, Mustafa I, succeeded him. All that time in the Golden Cage in his youth made Mustafa crazy. Courtiers deposed him twice before Kosem's son, Murad IV, came to the throne in 1623 at the age of eleven. His youth required the appointment of the Valide Sultan Kosem as his official regent. She presided over meetings of the Divan, her son's cabinet, from behind a curtain where she remained secluded from view. It was the first time in Ottoman history where a woman played such a prominent, official role.

Murad proved to be a cruel ruler in his majority, prohibiting drinking and smoking, while he abused both habits. His younger brother Ibrahim soon showed signs of by the same madness that affected Mustafa I. Kosem's hope that her remaining son Bajezit might succeed his incompetent brother ended when Murad ordered Bajezit's death after losing a contest to him. When Murad died in 1640 at the age of 27 because of his drinking, Kosem had to coax a fearful Ibrahim out of the Golden Cage. His ineptitude allowed her to oversee the empire again.

Turhan Sultan (late 1620s-mid 1680s): One night, in a fit of madness, Ibrahim I ordered 280 of his concubines drowned in the Bosporus Sea. One of the women who apparently survived this purge was Turhan, the Ukrainian-born mother of Ibrahim's heir, Mehmed. Turhan had arrived in the empire at the age of twelve, a gift from the Valide Sultan Kosem to her deranged son.

In August 1648, when courtiers murdered Ibrahim, Turhan should have inherited the position of Valide Sultan, by Ottoman tradition. Instead Ibrahim's mother Kosem re-asserted her power and took control of her seven-year old grandson, Mehmed. Both women divided the court into separate factions supporting their quest for power. Perhaps Kosem believed she could eliminate Turhan's power if she removed Mehmed.

In September 1651, she arranged for his assassination, but met her own death at the hands of Turhan's supporters. Kosem hid in a cabinet, but the conspirators discovered her and strangled the sixty-one year old with a curtain. Turhan reigned supreme as Valide Sultan, also serving as official regent for her son during his minority. When she died, the Reign of Women ended.

Guest Author: Michelle Willingham

This week on Unusual Historicals we're welcoming back Michelle Willingham, whose Harlequin Historicals Undone short story, "Innocent in the Harem," is set in 1565 in the Ottoman Empire. Michelle is a RITA® Award Finalist of over a dozen books and novellas. Today she joins us to talk about this short story and her her other fantastic Harlequin projects!

Prince Khadin knows his days are numbered. His death could come at any moment, but even he cannot help but be distracted by the Bedouin princess he sees making a daring bid for freedom from the slave market. Even in captivity, her courage and purity attract Khadin to her as much as her beauty. Unable to resist the temptation, he takes the maiden back to the palace harem—to be brought to him at night...

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Tell us about "INNOCENT IN THE HAREM" and the background history of the story.

"INNOCENT IN THE HAREM" follows the journey of Laila Binte Nur Hamidah, a Bedouin horse whisperer, after she escapes slavery and is brought to Prince Khadin, the (fictional) son of Suleiman the Magnificent (also spelled Süleyman, 1494-1566). They share sensual nights together, even knowing that each night may be their last. And though Laila longs for her freedom, the longer she remains with her prince, the more she longs for both of them to escape the dangers of the palace.

In real life, Suleiman had eight sons, whom he sent off to various provinces within his kingdom, in order to avoid rivalry between the heirs. If one of his sons posed a threat to the throne, the sultan could have him killed. Nearly a hundred years later, princes might be isolated in The Cage, which was almost a form of house arrest. Some of them went mad from the confinement, while others were poorly prepared to rule, having been kept apart from palace life.

Murder, plots of intrigue, and danger were all a part of palace life. Even the concubines were fiercely competitive. One tried to kill another woman's son by throwing him into the baths, because sometimes the sultan would often make the mother of his child into one of his wives. I used this as a plot element for my hero, along with another true story where a woman traded her turn on the sultan's couch and was executed for it. Real life was definitely filled with danger!

What made you decide to write about the Ottoman Empire as a setting?

This was a personal challenge for me. I've been writing both Irish medievals and also in the Victorian time period, but I knew absolutely nothing about the 16th century Ottoman Empire. The exotic setting of a harem was fascinating to research, not to mention that the clothing was completely different from kirtles and petticoats. I'd always wanted to do a setting that was very unusual, and it was such fun to learn about the customs and the area of the Topkapi Palace. For me, it was like doing an Arabian Nights setting.

What was the most interesting bit of research you came across?

There were two things, that stood out to me. I never realized that the sultan's mother, the valide sultana, was involved in choosing which women the sultan slept with.

Second, it was surprising to find out that the blood of princes could not be spilled, so poisoning and strangling were the preferred methods of execution.

What's next for you after this?

My next short story for Undone will be released August 1st and is titled "PLEASURED BY THE VIKING." It leads into my next book, SURRENDER TO AN IRISH WARRIOR, which is the last in my Irish medieval MacEgan Brothers series. It's available August 1st from eHarlequin.com and September 1st in retail stores.

I'm offering up three prizes today for three lucky commenters. First, a free download code for "INNOCENT IN THE HAREM." Second, a code for "PLEASURED BY THE VIKING." And third, a signed advance copy of SURRENDER TO AN IRISH WARRIOR. All you have to do is tell me which would be your favorite hero: a Turkish prince, a Viking, or a medieval Irish warrior? Good luck!

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Thanks for stopping by, Michelle! Visit Michelle's website for a list of current releases, excerpts, and more information.

Readers, what a great bunch of prizes. To make it clear, I'll be drawing three winners next Sunday. Let me know which hero you prefer, or if all three make your mouth water. Void where prohibited. Best of luck!

Excerpt Thursday: Michelle Willingham

This week on Unusual Historicals we're welcoming back Michelle Willingham, whose Harlequin Historicals Undone short story, "Innocent in the Harem," is set in 1565 in the Ottoman Empire. Join us Sunday when Michelle will be here to talk about this short story and her her other fantastic Harlequin projects!

Prince Khadin knows his days are numbered. His death could come at any moment, but even he cannot help but be distracted by the Bedouin princess he sees making a daring bid for freedom from the slave market. Even in captivity, her courage and purity attract Khadin to her as much as her beauty. Unable to resist the temptation, he takes the maiden back to the palace harem—to be brought to him at night...

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Ottoman Empire, 1565

Laila binte Nur Hamidah's heartbeat shuddered within her chest as she stood beside the other women in the slave market. The heat of the sun sent a bead of perspiration sliding beneath the ferace that covered her body. Fear paralyzed her, but she held her posture straight. All she could do was watch the other women and await her turn upon the auction block.

The air was a stifling blend of tobacco, spices and coffee, foreign odors that made her all-too-aware that she didn't belong here. When the next young maiden was stripped and inspected, strangers touched the slave's breasts and bottom, testing her skin for firmness. They examined her like a prized mare, fit for breeding. A hard lump formed in Laila's throat. Was this to be her fate? Fondled and pinched by strangers, humiliated before everyone?

Her vision swam, and she took a deep breath, trying to center herself. She tried to envision her father and brothers...the familiar black tents of the Bedouin camp. The lilting voice of her mother as she told stories that had been passed down for generations.

No more. They were gone, killed in battle when a neighboring tribe had attacked. Laila had tried to flee, only to be captured by the enemy. And now, here she stood. Her appearance and her virginity had kept her value high, which was why her enslaver had left her untouched.

With a light shove, she was forced to step upon the block of wood, a whip resting at her shoulder. "Do exactly as I tell you," the slave merchant ordered. "If you are fortunate, you may be taken into a man's harem to become a concubine. If you resist, you will feel the lash against your tender skin." Callused hands tore the ferace away, exposing her to the crowd.

Laila stared straight ahead, her teeth clenched. Ropes bound her wrists, and the crowd of men watched from below. She refused to cower before them, defeated . Regardless of this shame, she would survive it. The cold fear metamorphosed into a purpose--before she was handed over to a master, she might find a chance to escape.

Her gaze fastened upon the Arabian mares tethered nearby. Their necks craned with unrest, their hooves pawing at the ground. These animals were not meant to be crowded, nor did they like it.

If she could get close enough, she might be able to steal one of the horses and escape. There had to be a way to leave the marketplace. If she could only find it . . .

A man, wearing black robes and a white turban around his head, rode forward, blocking off the mares. His wealth was evident from the stallion he rode and the rubies set within the horse's bridle. Behind him, she spied a dozen guards, and she wondered who he was. A pasha or a lord, perhaps. She wondered what had caused him to stop. Noblemen rarely ventured within the marketplace.

She met his gaze without shame, not bothering to feign a demure presence before him. Though she was completely unclothed, she refused to surrender her pride. By the grace of Allah, she intended to free herself from this nightmare or die trying.

She ignored the hands reaching toward her and the lustful stares. Instead she remained focused upon the horses, determining which mare would obey her command. It would not be easy. Most Arabian horses were loyal to their masters; intelligent creatures who would balk at being taken. She had to find the right one.

As the men continued to bid, the pasha rode closer, his gaze fixed upon her. Laila stared back, surprised to see such blue eyes shaded by his turban. His face was darkened by the sun, his jaw firm. His features held an exotic cast, like a man whose mother was a great beauty, perhaps a woman from Al Andalus or farther north. He rested his hands upon his saddle, absorbing the atmosphere and ignoring the merchants who dared to approach him, asking if he cared to bid for her.

Laila met his curious expression, and then turned her attention back to the horses. The desperate need to escape consumed her. She would not be distracted by any man, not even a handsome one.

The pasha stared at her a moment longer, but at last, turned away. The merchants followed behind him, trying to cajole him into making a purchase. Raucous voices sounded in the marketplace. "My lord! For you, only one thousand kurush!" When he continued on his path, the merchant offered, "Nine hundred!"

The slight distraction was the opportunity Laila had been waiting for. She wrenched her ropes free of her captor, leaping off the block toward the horses. Running swiftly, she heard the crack of the whip. The tip of the lash missed her but caught the delicate skin of the mare, ripping through the horse's flanks. Furious, the mare reared up in pain, her hooves striking out.

Once again, the slave trader cracked his whip, and the other horses began to strain against their tethers, baring their teeth. Laila knew better than to step in front of enraged animals, but she had only precious seconds before the men might seize her again.

This was her last and only chance.

Expansion & Invasion: Peter I & the Ottomans

By Christine Koehler

Peter I of Russia is more known for bringing his empire into the modern world. For the creation of a great navy and reorganizing his army along European lines; for learning Western ways, and for building St. Petersburg.

More importantly to him, he sought a sea outlet. At the time of his reign (1682-1725) Russia had only one port, Arkhangelsk's access to the White Sea. The Baltic Sea was controlled by Sweden, the Black Sea by the Ottoman Empire. Peter chose the Black Sea, though he didn't believe he could face the Ottomans alone.

Though he went on a Grand Embassy designed to ally the European monarch with him in his campaign, none accepted. Advantageous to his failed Grand Embassy were two things: he learned more of Western society and studied shipbuilding in Holland to the extent of building ships for the Dutch east India Company.

In the 1695, he organized the Azov campaigns. The 1st Azov campaign began in the spring of 1695. Peter ordered his army of 31,000 men (including Don Cossacks)and 170 guns to advance towards Azov. Meanwhile, a second Russian army of 120,000 men, (including Streltsy and Ukrainian Cossacks) marched toward the lower reaches of the Dnieper with the goal of diverting the Crimean Khanate's attention.

The siege failed. Peter returned to Moscow by spring 1696 built the Azov Flotilla consisting of about 30 ships. Calvary (70,000 men) marched for lower reaches of the Dnieper. On April 23-26, 75,000 men advanced towards Azov by land and by the rivers of Voronezh and Don. Peter and his galley fleet left for Azov on May 3. On May 27, the Russian fleet (two battleships, four fire ships, 23 galleys, and smaller support ships) reached the sea and blocked Azov. On June 14, the Turkish fleet (23 ships with 4,000 men) appeared at the mouth of the Don.

A short battle later, where the Turks lost two ships, they left. Peter besieged Azov from land and sea, and by July 17 the Ukrainian and Don Cossaks seized of the external rampart of the fortress. The Azov garrison surrendered on July 19.

These campaigns demonstrated the importance of having a navy, and marked Russia's turn into a maritime power. Russia's success at Azov strengthened its positions during the Karlowitz Congress (1698-1699), which concluding the Austro-Ottoman War of 1683–1697 where the Ottomans were defeated at the Battle of Zenta, and favored the signing of the Treaty of Constantinople (1700), ending the Russo-Turkish War of 1686-1700. This treaty allowed Peter to declare war against Sweden for possession of the Baltic Sea.

Azov wasn't convenient for the military fleet, so Peter chose a more appropriate site on July 27, 1696 at Taganrog.

Sources:
History.Com
Wikipedia
NMM.UK
History Learning Site