The Witch of the Ottoman Empire

I've done with this program. We've talked about the book Frankenstein, I've done one on the novel Rebecca, and this one I'm so thrilled to say we're talking about one of my all time favorite novels, The Remains of the Day. If you haven't read it, absolutely read it. And if you're free next July and want to talk about the book and go on incredibly gorgeous walks around the Cotswalds, you should absolutely sign up. Now. It's a website reading and Walking with dot com. The program is common Ground.

There are still a few spots remaining. I think actually maybe one spot, but there's always a wait list, so sign up quickly. If this is something that interests you. It's so much fun. I absolutely love it. I hope to see there if you would indulge me, listener, I would like to begin today's episode by reading you part of a poem. My intimate companion, my one and all, Sovereign of all beauties, my Sultan, my life, the gift I own, my be all, the elixir of paradise, my eden,

my spring, my joy, my glittering day. We've done a number of episodes that have cameos from Lord Byron, but this isn't his work, nor is it a poem by Shelley or Keats, or Naruda or Dickinson. Instead, these are the words of Suliman the Magnificent, the longest reigning sultan of the Ottoman Empire. It was under his rule that the Ottoman Golden Age of art and culture was ushered in.

He himself was both a poet and a goldsmith. And if you've listened to countless other episodes of this show, you'll know that most royal marriages don't reflect the poetic kind of connection above. While there are some exceptions, most sovereigns end up in practical, if not completely loveless arrangements Suliman is a particular exception to this rule, because not only was his marriage a love match, it was unprecedented politically.

While not technically queen, he granted his wife a brand new title, Haseki Sultan, to indicate her new dynastic position and importance. What was even more unusual about their marriage was that his wife was not a noble. She wasn't even native to the Empire. Instead, she was originally the Emperor's favorite concubine, a former slave taken from her home

in Ruthenia, located in modern day Ukraine. As a young captive in a foreign land, she was given the name Krem, the Persian word for joyful or laughing, but today she's better known by the name that Europeans gave her, Roxillana,

meaning the maiden from Ruthenia. Suleiman's love for rock Salana not only provided her with comfort, safety, and luxury, but in a great shock to the Ottoman's real political influence, she was an advisor and a diplomat as well as a patron that helped her husband bring about the Empire's golden age. If you were to believe the content of her surviving love letters, her devotion to her husband was

equal to that of the one he poeticized. However, it is important to remember that even though she was granted her freedom before their marriage, it was at Suliman's behest, and becoming the Sultan's lover in the first place was not rock Salana's choice to make. The only first hand insight we have into Roxalana's thoughts and feelings comes from those few surviving letters, which simply doesn't provide us enough

context to know her entire headspace. Naturally, Roxalana's rise from slave to adviser aroused plenty of anger and suspicion, with accusations of witchcraft being particularly popular. Rumors would only intensify after a series of tragedies towards the end of Suleiman's reign, but his beloved never fell from his grace. While a number of European plays and stories would go on to portray Roxalanna as a scheming sorceress, there's really no evidence

of ill intentions. She might not have been really a witch, but whether or not a literal spell was cast, Roxalanna's journey from enslaved girl to the Ottoman Empire's most powerful woman can sound like something straight out of a fantasy novel.

I'm Danish Schwartz and this is noble blood. There's a degree of mystery surrounding Roxalanna's origins, but today it's widely accepted that the future Hesseki Sultan was born in Ruthenia, an area that now encompasses western Ukraine, but during Roxalana's time it was under the rule of the Polish king. Today, Ukrainian legend says her birth name was either Anastasia or Alexandra Lisowska, but there's no definitive evidence of that. She

was born during a dark period for her homeland. Around fourteen seventy five, the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror defeated Venice and Genoa for control of the Black Sea slave trade. Following that victory, he made a vassal of the Khan of the Crimean Tatars, whose economy would be sustained through slave trade with Istanbul. A significant portion of the people

they enslaved were taken from Ruthenia. Roxalana was likely captured in fifteen sixteen during a Tatar raid in which the region lost between an estimated anywhere from five thousand to forty thousand men, women and children. She would have only been around thirteen at the time. Captives were marched in chain all the way to Kafa, a settlement on the coast of the Black Sea, also located in modern day Ukraine.

From there, most were loaded on two vessels that would take them to Istanbul, the largest market in the region of the slave market, an Ottoman courtier wrote, quote, a man who has not seen this market has seen nothing in this world. There a mother is severed from her son and daughter, a son from his father and brother, and they are sold among lamentations, cries of help, weeping and sorrow. It was amidst this horror that Roxalana was sold,

But to whom specifically we don't know. She could have been purchased by someone directly in the palace, but the story circulating at the time claimed that she was a gift to Suliman upon his ascension as ruler in fifteen twenty. In that case, she could have been bought by a wealthy or prominent household with ties to court, hoping to earn favor if their gift became the Sultan's new favorite.

One rumor alleged that it was one of Suliman's sisters who found Roxalana from him, while other sources say she came from his trusted friend and adviser Ibrahim. The reason there are many probablys and most Likeli's in Roxalana's origin story is by design. The concubines in the Sultan's imperial Harem were chiefly enslaved women, and the majority of them

were originally Christian from varying regions and ethnic backgrounds. As you can imagine, the specific origins of the concubines were not documented, erased in service of loyalty and dependence on the Sultan, it was a new start from a young age. Enslaved girls chosen for the harem lived at the Old Palace, which was the home of the court's women, while the men lived in the New Palace. At the Old Palace,

the girls were educated by palace staff and teachers. They were converted to Islam, taught the principles of the religion and Turkish language, the expectations of Ottoman women, and proper palace etiquette. The sharpest students could one day be eligible for the role of concubine and potential mother of any future ruler, So no matter how oh exactly Roxalana arrived at the palace. It's clear that once she did, she

stood out exceptionally. It also seemed to be that it was less so her looks, but rather her personality and charm that caught the new twenty six year old ruler's attention. The Venetian ambassador during the early years of Suleiman's reign reported that the Sultan's budding favorite was quote young but not beautiful, although graceful and petite. If we recall her Ottoman name Harem, meaning joyful, we can understand her favorable qualities.

The Venetian ambassadors at the Sultan's court are often our best source for details about life inside the palace, as there's a lack of Ottoman writing about the women of the Harem. From that same ambassador's writings, we learn quote the Grand Turk chooses whoever pleases him the most, and keeps her separate for two months and amuses himself with her as he pleases. If she becomes pregnant, he takes her as his consort. Rock Sillana evidently pleased Suliman greatly

after she was presented to him in fifteen twenty. It wouldn't be long before their intimate relationship began. Before she was even brought to the Old Palace to begin her training, it would have been confirmed that rock Salana was a virgin. In addition to her training in etiquette, religion, language, and art, she would have been prepared for the moment the Sultan may invite her to his chambers. There were protocols for approaching and addressing him. She would be escorted to his

room by eunuchs, her eyes downcast. The knight would either end with a polite dismissal from Suliman or a repeat invitation. If she became pregnant that night or any night following, her position with the Ottoman Empire, and her safety would be secured. We can speak of the material weight of these outcomes, but we just don't know anything about the emotional weight of that first night. Was she afraid, determined, pleased, disgusted, numb,

a mix of all of it. We can be assured that the Suleiman at least had a very good night and the relationship continued. Roxalana gave birth to their first son, Mehmed, in fifteen twenty one, when she was likely around seventeen years old. The phrase first son was until that point unprecedented, as it implied a concubine would bear the sultan more than one possible heir. Ottoman policy declared one mother, one son.

There was no limit to how many daughters a concubine could have with a sultan, but once she gave birth to a son, this sexual relationship ended. The idea was that each potential heir to the throne would have the undivided attention of his mother to best prepare him for his future. Ottoman succession differed from most major monarchies in that the first born son did not automatically inherit the throne. All living sons had a shot in a game of

survival of the fittest. Mehmed was the first child born during Suliman's reign as sultan, but he was Suliman's fifth child overall. However, while rox Salana was pregnant or shortly after she gave birth, tragedy struck. Suleiman lost his eldest son, his second eldest son, and his daughter in rapid succession, likely to a plague. His only surviving child until Mehmed was another son, Mustapha, the son of the favorite before

Roxalana's arrival, a woman named Mahadevron. The timing of these events meant that Roxalana's status shifted dramatically in a short amount of time. First the status boost that came with carrying the Sultan's child, then the additional boost that came with the child being a boy, and finally an even greater boost when her infant son became one of only two remaining living heirs. Mehmid's birth also changed his mother's legal status. She was now um al awad, or mother

of a child. While this did not grant her her freedom, it meant that she could not be sold or given away, and she would automatically gain her freedom upon the death of her master. As noted by the Venetian ambassador, when a woman gave birth to the Sultan's child, quote, her salary is increased, or rather, she is now given a spending stipend quote, and she is honored and elevated above the others and is served as a lady. The ambassador also explained the role of the royal concubine in her

child's life. Quote. If she gives birth to a son, the boy is raised by his mother until the age of ten or eleven. Then the Grand Turk gives him a province and sends his mother with him. As we know, however, things would play out differently for Rock Salana, who would remain by her husband's or future husband's side. Breaking protocol. Suleiman invited Rock Salana back to his chambers after she gave birth to a son, and she was pregnant once again by early fifteen twenty two. We don't know. We're

sure what prompted the rekindling of their relationship. Did they feel a mutual connection from the start, or was Rock Salana manipulating Suliman reluctant to share the power that she had gained through Mehmet's birth. We can't answer those questions, but we know their daughter, Mirima, was born in the fall of that year, followed over the next few years by the birth of their son Salim Abdullah and Bazid,

and later an additional son. Suliman was often away on military campaigns during the pregnancies, but it was always Rock Solana whom he returned home to. It was clear to those inside and outside the palace that not only did the Sultan have a new favorite, he was downright monogamous. We don't have records of Suliman and Roxalana's correspondence from these early years. Those will come later, so we have to rely on outside sources and conjecture to understand what

their relationship might have been like at this time. Thankfully, the Venetians in court loved to gossip. In fifteen twenty two we see claims that the Sultan was very lustful, but by fifteen twenty four those shift, arguing that the signor is not lustful, rather devoted to a single woman. In fifteen twenty six, the ambassador notes that the Sultan no longer paid attention to the mother of his eldest son, the former favorite, but gave all his affection to quote

another woman of the Russian nation, namely rock Sollana. Among the public, it's possible that this is the time during which the rumors of Roxalanna's sorcery begin to germinate, as there had never been a sultan committed to monogamy before. Yes, even in the fifteen twenties, people were doing a polyamory discourse. Subjects feared the sultan's devotion to his favorite concubine would be a distraction from his duty, which they saw as

defending the borders from enemy threats. Additionally, they supported the system of succession as it functioned, and believed in the tradition that each prince should have one devoted mother as his personal adviser. Suleiman's mother, Hafsa, remained a trusted adviser even after her son's ascension, and she was responsible for spearheading the construction of a massive public mosque complex, alongside staying up to date with political affairs and maintaining her

own network of informants. Roxalana would later follow in her mother in law's footsteps. A story emerged around this time that shines some light on rock Salana's feelings and or tactics for ensuring her own continued survival and comfort in the palace. As reported by the ambassador, quote, the Sultan was given two beautiful Russian maidens by a provincial governor,

one for his mother and one for him. When they arrived in the palace, his second wife, wife meaning favorite here whom he esteems at present, became extremely unhappy and flung herself to the ground weeping. The ambassador then noted the reaction of Hafsa and the Sultan himself as they

attempted to ease rock Salana's sadness. Quote. The mother who had given her maiden to the Sultan was sorry about what she had done, took her back and sent her to one of the governors as wife, and the Sultan agreed to send his to another governor because his wife would have perished from sorrow if these maidens, or even one of them, had remained in the palace. Whether Roxalana gave an Academy award winning performance or if she truly was so attached to Suliman, she certainly was not the

first concubine to experience jealousy. The uniqueness here is how both Hafsa, the head of the house, and Suliman himself not only acquiesced to Roxalana's emotional needs but felt remorse. These are the two most powerful people in the empire, and Roxalana's feelings were clearly important to both of them. Our first surviving letters from the couple come from fifteen twenty six. My Sultan, there is no limit to the

burning anguish of separation. Roxalana's earliest surviving letter concludes, now spare this miserable one and do not withhold your noble letters, let my soul gain at least some comfort. The poetry of her letters also takes inspiration from Islamic tradition. Quote oh you with the face of Yusef and words sweet as candy she writes to her lover. Based on the penmanship these letters were written by a Harem scribe, and Roxalana's Turkish was not at the level of composing stanzas,

but it's probable she dictated what sentiments to include. The comparison of her lover to Yusef, the counterpart of Joseph, for those more familiar with the Hebrew or Christian Bible, takes on a level of irony when considering the story of Zuleka, or Potiphar's wife in the Hebrew tradition of the story. While Potiphar's wife is known traditionally as a seductress and a villainous, a number of great Muslim poets Roxalana would have been familiar with saw Zuleika's lust for

Joseph as the soul's lust for God. After fifteen twenty six, there's a lull in information regarding rock Salana, but she becomes a subject of great interest again in fifteen thirty four, as the result of a shocking revelation. A journal entry from the Genoese Bank of Saint George in Istambul reads quote, this week, there has occurred in this city a most extraordinary event, one absolutely unprecedented in the history of the sultans.

The Grand Signor Suliman has taken to himself as his empress, a slave woman from Russia called rock Salana, and the festivities have been beyond all record. At night, the principal streets were gaily illuminated, and there is much music and feasting. The houses are festooned with garlands, and there are everywhere swings in which the people swing by the hour with great enjoyment. There is great talk about the marriage, and none can say what it means. It was an accurate statement.

Who could say what it meant for a sultan to marry his concubine. Roxalana, by this point was technically no longer his concubine either. He had granted her her freedom before they married, not to mention the fact that a sultan had not been married at all in over one hundred years. Political marriages used to be common, but ceased by the fifteenth century. The marriage broke a collection of

traditions all at once. Timing wise, we know the marriage of Roxalana and Suliman likely followed the passing of Suliman's mother, Hafsa, who herself did not gain her freedom until the death of her master, Suliman's father. It would have been disrespectful to Hafsa, the highest ranking woman of the empire, for Suliman to elevate ro Sollana's position while the queen mother lived. Elevating Roxalana through marriage also served a political purpose for Suliman.

He was about to embark on a long military campaign in Iran, and he needed trustworthy eyes and ears in Istanbul now that his mother was gone. So there were the political reasons, and then there were the personal. Suliman was devoted to Roxalana and was legitimizing her position as the mother of his children and a woman of exceptional status. Upon the marriage, she relocated to the new palace, becoming

the first woman to do so. She would move with her entourage and the now thirteen year old Memate, and Suliman surely wanted both of them to be closer to the political heart of the empire. From a Venetian observer. We learned that Ra Roxallana's quarters were splendid with chapels, baths, gardens, and other amenities, not only for herself but for her damsels as well, of which she keeps as many as

one hundred. Over time, Roxalana's quarters would grow into an entire wing of the palace that housed the imperial Harem. It was under her guidance that the gender politics of the empire began to shift and women became more involved in the political sphere. Roxalanna kept Suleiman informed during his time away by maintaining an information network, just as her late mother in law had done before her. The stewards and eunuchs in her service would pick up gossip from

both inside and outside the palace walls. She began to work with Hofsa's former go between and even her own son, Mehmed, who could provide access to men mens spaces that Roxalana was barred from. The network wasn't the only thing Roxalana was building. In fifteen thirty eight, construction began on a

new mosque in Istanbul, outside the city's imperial core. It would soon expand to include two schools, primary and a secondary A soup kitchen was built, including a fountain in its courtyard which could provide fresh water to the neighborhood. A couple of years in, the complex even gained a hospital, a rare amenity for the time. Charitable giving was a requirement for all Muslims with disposable income, and the imperial

household was no exception. Philanthropy, however, was traditionally the queen mother's job. While breaking yet another norm, Roxalana's ambitious project, upon her elevation, would have attempted to legitimize her in the eyes of the people who still called her ziyati in their whispers, or which The mosque complex also served a larger purpose as an instrumental piece of Suliman's agenda, which sought to consolidate a stronger Sunni Muslim identity, achieved

in part through philanthropy. Roxalana's project was additionally historic for women. It was the first foundation in Istanbul donated by and named after a woman. The neighborhood selected for its location was associated with women, home to the weekly Avrat Pazar or women's market. We also know that Roxalana specifically requested a female scribe to work on the project in an administrative position, a rarity for the time, which gives credence to the idea that her project was designed to uplift

women's circumstances. The project was a resounding success. A few decades later, an Ottoman historian remarked that the exalted Mosque and the various other quote good works of the Hesseki Sultan were known to all human kind. In addition to her philanthropic efforts, Roxalana established new diplomatic relations for the empire. When the Polish king died in fifteen forty eight, Roxalana established diplomatic correspondence with the Polish monarchy, congratulating the king's

son on his ascension. She would continue to cultivate more contacts in Europe and maintain correspondence with Safavid royal women, pioneering a new role for the women that would follow her. The Ottomans had had female diplomat in the past, but as elite women became more secluded, women were no longer

employed for negotiations ords, peace treaties. Roxalana established letter writing as a method of diplomacy for women, and by the end of the century, the mother of her grandson was corresponding with Catherine de Medici, while the next Queen Mother exchanged gifts with Elizabeth the First. As we students of history know, these relationships between important women are incredibly important

in establishing good relations between nations. Roxalana was now also in charge of the major affairs of the Old Palace. While day to day management was the job of the internal staff, Roxalana was in charge of major decisions and resolving problems. She became involved in matchmaking the girls of the Imperial Harem, which likely served several purposes. The first and most cynical is that it kept them away from

her husband. Scond reason is that it's not hard to imagine the empathy she felt for those in the place she once was, but now she could help in securing them better futures and eventually freedom. In fifteen forty three, the family was faced with great tragedy the death of Mehmed. He had contracted an illness, likely smallpox, during the celebration for his father's recent military victory, mirroring the loss of Suliman's first three children upon his triumphant return to Istanbul.

Around the time of Mehmed's birth, My Sultan Mehmed distinguished among princes. The distraught father wrote of his late son, we know that Suleiman dressed in black and attended prayers for the dead for forty days instead of the customary three. Rak Salana's grief, however, was not chronicled. Women did not attend funeral prayers, and she was rarely seen in public. As it was, she likely threw herself into caring for Mehmed's infant daughter, whose arrival was imminent at the time

of his death. The loss of Mehmed also meant the loss of a candidate for sultan. By fifteen forty six, Suliman was fifty three by the Islamic calendar, two years older than his father had been at the time of his death. The most experienced candidate for sultan at this point was Mustafa, who, if you remember, was Suliman's only other surviving son at the time of Mehmed's birth, a

son that was not born to Roxalana. Roxalana's own surviving sons had a more powerful mother, naturally, but Mustafa had a mother solely dedicated to his success, and again he was older and more experienced. Tension was inevitable. In fifteen fifty two, the tension came to a deadly point. The Empire was at war with Persia, but Suleiman himself was

not leading the charge. Rumors began to circulate that the soldiers were losing faith in their sultan, and there were backers seeking to put Mustapha, now forty, on the throne. Suliman's first reaction was apparently to blame those trying to sow discord, but he did decide to join the campaign to show his competency. Nonetheless, it's unclear how exactly we get from point A to point B here, but we

know this. Mustafa was called for a meeting with his father, and Mustafa's advisers, including his mother, the former favorite, begged him not to attend. They were right to fear. When Mustapha and his men went to the meeting, they were executed upon their arrival. We don't know what drove Suleiman to go so far as to kill his son, but history would put the blame on rock Sollana, earning her the reputation as villainous. It was not the first time

she was painted as scheming and jealous. Of course, she was already sometimes blamed for Mustapha and his mother both being sent to a governorship post outside of Istanbul, the traditional practice at the time. The blame for Mustapha's death, however, was a reputation that she would gain over time. Ottoman historians over the following century did not associate Roxalana with the execution, but by the twentieth century historians were sharing

it as fact. The flaw in asserting Roxalana's guilt, as described by biographer Leslie Pearce, quote, the Ottoman habit of blaming subordinates so as to avoid holding the powerful accout countable for unsavory acts. The most likely explanation for Mustafa's execution was the threat that his success and his followers posed to his father, not to Braxillana or her sons. The loss of Mustafa devastated many in the empire, but the following year Roxalana would face a more devastating loss.

An anxious note from her to Suliman reads quote, the city is clamoring that a messenger is coming, and everyone is getting ready to deck the city out. They are saying the messenger will arrive in two or three days, and so they are standing ready to decorate the city. Now, my Sultan, it is a very odd thing that a good news messenger should come when you yourself are wintering in Aleppo. The messenger was likely carrying the news that her youngest son had died of sickness after struggling with

de disabilities his entire life. He was only around twenty one. Again, we can only imagine Roxalana's devastation and the added sadness that came with having to mourn while her husband was still away. Still life carried on for her, and she continued to work on her latest project, construction on a large and well funded complex in Jerusalem. It would be her crowning achievement, a soup kitchen that could feed four hundred people twice a day, and housing was provided for

those visiting the Holy City. She was the third woman to build a public project in Jerusalem. But as the project progressed, Roxalana's health declined. She died in the spring of fifteen fifty eight, one year after the complex formally opened. Roxalana's letters always stressed her pain at being away from her husband, and it's believed he was by her side

when she did die. Quote they say, the day before she died Suleiman promised her and swore by the soul of his father Selim that he would never approach another woman. That's from the French ambassador at the time, who also noted that Roxalana was mourned by all those who owed their status to her, as the majority of those who governed the empire at this time were of her making. That's the story of Roxalana, who went from slave to

the most powerful woman in an empire. But keep listening after a brief sponsor break to hear a little bit more about her legacy and why it's so specifically interesting. Roxalana was a subject of European fascination even during her lifetime, but after her death her legend continue to grow in stories, plays, operas, and today in film and TV shows. Many of these interpretations portray her as a witch and a villainous, but

in Ukraine she's often considered a national hero. The scholar Galina Yermalenko argues that as the country gained its independence from Russia, rox Selena became an important figure in the construction of Ukraine's national identity. Rox Selena Is Coming Back Home is a bronze monument in Ukraine, believed to be her birthplace. The statue stands four meters tall on a six meter column, and she's dressed in a traditional Ukrainian costume.

The names rock Soalana and Rosoliana are popular among Ukrainian girls and women, and you can find rock Salana's name and imagery on postage stamps, in the windows of beauty salons and boutiques, and even on vodka bottles. So next time you take a shot of vodka, make sure to toast to the Maiden from Ruthenia. Noble Blood is a production of iHeart Radio and Grimm and Mild from Aaron Manky.

Nobel Blood is hosted by me Danish Forts, with additional writing and researching by Hannah Johnston, Hannah Zewick, Courtney Sender, Julia Milani, and Arman Cassam. The show is edited and produced by Noemy Griffin and rima Ill Kali, with supervising producer Josh Thain and executive producers Aaron Manky, Alex Williams and Matt Frederick. Four more podcasts from iHeartRadio visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.