Nurbanu Sultan
Nurbanu Sultan (Ottoman Turkish: نور بانو سلطان; meaning "queen of light"; c. 1525/1527[1] - 7 December 1583) was the Haseki Sultan and the legal wife of Ottoman Sultan Selim II, She was the Valide Sultan as the mother of Ottoman Sultan Murad III. She was one of the most powerful person during the time of Sultanate of Women. She is Venetian or Jewish[2] or Greek[3] origin. Her birth name is various: Cecilia ,[4] or Kalē kartanou[3] or Rachel.[5]
| Nurbanu Sultan | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Nurbanu Sultan's burial procession (Ottoman miniature) | |||||
| Valide Sultan of the Ottoman Empire | |||||
| Tenure | 15 December 1574 – 7 December 1583 | ||||
| Predecessor | Ayşe Hafsa Sultan | ||||
| Successor | Safiye Sultan | ||||
| Haseki Sultan of the Ottoman Empire (Imperial Consort) | |||||
| Reign | 7 September 1566 – 15 December 1574 | ||||
| Predecessor | Hürrem Sultan | ||||
| Successor | Safiye Sultan | ||||
| Born | Cecilia Venier-Baffo or Rachel or Kalē Kartanou c. 1525–1527 Paros, Cyclades Islands, or Corfu, Republic of Venice? | ||||
| Died | 7 December 1583 (aged 56–58) Topkapı Palace, Istanbul, Ottoman Empire | ||||
| Burial | Hagia Sophia Mosque, Istanbul | ||||
| Spouse | |||||
| Issue | Şah Sultan Gevherhan Sultan Murad III Ismihan Sultan Fatma Sultan | ||||
| |||||
| Religion | Sunni Islam, previously Roman Catholic or Jewish or Greek Orthodox | ||||
Origin
changeThere are many facts about the origin of Nurbanu.[6] However, it is not known exactly which one is correct. But the fact she was Venetian is better known among historians. [3]
Names
changeCecilia Venier-Baffo
changeAccording to Emilio Spagni in 1900, that she was a Venetian person. She was the illegitimate daughter of Nicolò Venier and Violante Baffo. She was captured by Ottoman Admiral Hayreddin Barbarossa on Paros in the Third Ottoman-Venetian War. Sultana often said that she was of Venetian origin but she never mentioned her family name.[3]
Kalē kartanou
changeAccording to Benjamin Arbel in 1992, that she was Greek origin and she was from Corfu Island. Her birth name was Kalē kartanou. Her father was Nikolas kartanos. She was captured from Corfu Island.[7][8][3]
Jewish origin
changeAccording to Ahmed Refik, that she was jewish origin and her birth name was Rachel.[9]
Early life
changeNurbanu was prominent for her beauty and intelligence. She sent to the harem of Şehzade Selim in Manisa. She gave birth her first son, Murad (future Ottoman Sultan) and four daughters.[6]
As Haseki Sultan
change
Nurbanu was the favourite consort of Şehzade Selim (future Ottoman Sultan Selim II) and the mother of Şehzade Murad (future Ottoman Sultan). He was born in 1546. When Selim was still a Şehzade, Nurbanu was the head of her princely harem in Manisa. When Selim became sultan he allowed Nurbanu to live in Topkapi Palace. As did his predecessor Sultan Suleiman.[10]
When Selim started taking concubines, Nurbanu was still his favorite because of her beauty and intelligence. She was her husband's advisor and on various matters of subjects her husband took advise for her because for her good judgement. The venetian ambassador Jacopo Soranzor reported that:
The Haseki was greatly loved and respected by his Majesty for her beauty and her intelligence.[11]
At this time Nurbanu became a very influential person. She maintained the government alongside Grand vizier Sokollu Mehmed Pasha. Selim transferred almost all his powers to Sokollu, who actually ruled the empire in Selim stead. Nurbanu did not directly involved in politics, but there is no doubt that she regularly counselled with Sokollu Mehmed Pasha.[12]
Sultan Selim II legally married Nurbanu in 1571 and paid her 110,000 ducats as a dowry.[13]
After the end of Sultan Selim II reign in 1574, Haseki Nurbanu Sultan received 1,400 aspers per a day. But the other concubines of Sultan received 40 aspers per a day.[12]
As Valide Sultan
changeŞehzade Murad was sent to Manisa to served as the Governor of Manisa on the Aegean coast. Sultan Selim died in 1574. Nurbanu first knew the news and forbids everyone to speak.[14] She did not say this to anyone expect Sokollu Mehmed Pasha. Her intention was to order his son Murad to arrived Istanbul secretly and that no one should take advantage on this situation.
It is a power possession was the only opportune time because the sultan was dead and Şehzade Murad was away from capital. But Nurbanu realize this. So Nurbanu took action quickly. Security in the harem became extremely strict and no one knew when Sultan Selim II was died. Without telling everyone, Nurbanu hid her husband's dead body in an icebox and told Murad to leave Manisa and come to Constantinople.
No one had the intelligence to understand that Sultan Selim II was dead. Her husband's dead body did not become public until Murad arrived 12 days later, then his son became Sultan and she became Valide Sultan.[6]
Death
changeNurbanu died in Istanbul 7 December 1583.[15]She buried in Hagia Sophia Mosque in Istanbul.[16]
References
change- ↑ de Groot, s.v. in Encyclopaedia of Islam vol.8 p.124
- ↑ Stanford J. Shaw, History of the Ottoman Empire and modern Turkey, Volume 1, p. 178, at Google Books
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Arbel, Benjamin, Nur Banu (c. 1530-1583): A Venetian Sultana?, Turcica, 24 (1992), pp. 241-259.
- ↑ Godfrey Goodwin, The Private World of Ottoman Women, Saqi Book, ISBN 0-86356-745-2, ISBN 3-631-36808-9, 2001. page 128,
- ↑ Valeria Heuberger, Geneviève Humbert, Geneviève Humbert-Knitel, Elisabeth Vyslonzil, Cultures in Colors, page 68. ISBN 3-631-36808-9, 2001
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 "NURBÂNÛ SULTAN". TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi (in Turkish). Retrieved 2024-08-27.
- ↑ Thys-Senocak, Lucienne (2017). Ottoman Women Builders: The Architectural Patronage of Hadice Turhan Sultan. Routledge. p. 58. ISBN 978-1-351-91315-7.
- ↑ Rossi, Irena Radić; Nicolardi, Mariangela; Bondioli, Mauro; Batur, Katarina (2021). The Shipwreck at Gnalić: A Mirror to the Renaissance World. Archaeopress Publishing Ltd. p. 139. ISBN 978-1-80327-151-4.
- ↑ Çağatay Uluçay, Padişahların Kadınları ve Kızları p.68, citing Kadınlar Saltanatı I p.95
- ↑ Peirce 1993, p. 121.
- ↑ Peirce 1993, p. 228.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Peirce 1993, pp. 108, 129.
- ↑ Peirce 1993, pp. 93–94, 129, 238, 309.
- ↑ Peirce 1993, p. 92.
- ↑ "Death in the Topkapı Harem - TASTE OF THE PAST". Hürriyet Daily News | LEADING NEWS SOURCE FOR TURKEY AND THE REGION. Retrieved 21 October 2017.
- ↑ Peirce 1993, p. 189.