Favorite Concubines: Nurbanu

Favorite Concubines: Safiye

Favorite Concubines: Kösem

Functions of a Mother-1 With the princes loss of statue came the anonymity of their mothers. They no longer engaged in visible public activity. The most important function of the prince’s mother was to keep him alive. The story of Mahmud, the son of Mehmed III: He and his mother were executed after the queen mother intercepted a message sent into the palace to Mahmud’s mother.

Functions of a Mother-2 In the seventeenth century, there were few opportunities for a prince to receive on-the-job training from his father. A prince might never know his father or might know him only as a child. A prince’s mother would assume much of the burden of his political education. Far from being isolated from public events, high-ranking women of the harem lived at the very heart of political life.

The Queen Mother: Mentor and Guardian The queen mother continued to provide protection to her son, particularly during his absences from Istanbul. During a military campaign in 1596, Mehmed III gave his mother Safiye Sultan virtual executive power. In 1634, Kösem Sultan moved to protect Murad IV from a threat of sedition during his absence on a royal progress in the area around Bursa.

The Queen Mother as Regent Of the six sultans to come to the throne in the first half of the 17th century, four were fourteen years old or younger, and two were deemed incapable of ruling by themselves. The first two, Ahmed I. and Osman II., ruled actively from their time of accession, but the mothers of others took leading roles in their sons’ governments. The first sultan who required someone to act in his stead was Mustafa. Her role in Mustafa’s second enthronement was very important.

The Queen Mother as Regent Kösem Sultan was politically active as regent during the early reigns of his two sons (Murad IV and İbrahim) and his grandson (Mehmed IV). After her death, Turhan Sultan acted as regent for his son Mehmed IV. When the young sultan attended important meetings of the state, his mother was at his side to help him play his role.

Networks and Competition The queen mothers built up extensive networks of influence. For instance, her daughters were married to leading statesmen. The queen mothers’ cultivation of networks placed her in competition with other intimate counselors of the sultan. This rivalry sometimes led to violent conflicts. In 1600, the imperial cavalry troops in the capital organized a rebellion and mainly targeted a Jewish woman who acted as an agent for the queen mother, Safiye Sultan.

Sultan Challenging the Queen Mother Ahmed I allowed his mother little scope for influencing political affairs. Only fourteen when he inherited the sultanate, Ahmed asserted his control from the very beginning. The execution story of Vizier Mehmed Pasha in 1603. While Kösem Sultan had the longest career as the queen mother, both Murad IV. and İbrahim became impatient with her control as regent.