Roksolana as a historical character of the Ottoman Empire. Life of Hurrem Sultan: real biography and legend. From Anastasia to Khyurrem
It is not known for certain where Roksolana comes from. There are several versions of its origin. Information about Hurrem’s life before she ended up in the harem has not survived to this day. There are no documentary sources or any true written evidence. But there are many legends, tales and literary notes, mainly by Western authors, which describe in detail the origin of Khyurrem. Modern sources only indicate that Roxalana was Ukrainian by origin and nothing is mentioned about the childhood and youth of the famous beauty. For example, Mikhalon Litvin, ambassador of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania to the Crimean Khanate in the 16th century, in his work “On the Morals of the Tatars, Lithuanians, Muscovites” 1548-1551. wrote that “the most beloved wife of the now reigning emperor of the Turkish Empire, who bore him an heir, was kidnapped by the Tatars from our land.”Poet Samuil Tvardovsky, which in 1621-1622. was a member of the embassy from the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth to the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, he also wrote that he had repeatedly heard from the Turks the story of Roksolana, who was born into the family of a priest in the town of Rohatyn (in the territory of modern Ivano-Franksovsk region, in Ukraine). Researcher Galina Ermolenko found confirmation of Tvardovsky’s words in an old folk song, where they sing about a beautiful young girl Nastusenka from Rohatyn, who was kidnapped by the Tatars and sold to the Sultan’s harem.
There are references to the origin of Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska in literary sources of the 19th century. So, for example, in Polish literature Hurrem is told as about Alexandra, the daughter of the priest Gavrila Lisovsky from Rohatyn. In the literary works of Ukrainian authors of the 19th century, Khyurrem is called Anastasia. In the historical story of 1882 “Roksolana or Anastasia Lisovskaya”, written by Mikhail Orlovsky, she was born not in Rohatyn, but in Chemerovets (Ukraine, Khmelnitsky region).
European authors call Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska Roksolana. I came up with this name Hamburg Ambassador Ogier Ghiselin de Busbecq, which for a long time served in the Ottoman Empire. In 1589 he published in Paris on Latin his "Turkish Notes". In them, Ogier Ghiselin de Busbeck, based on the fact that the Sultan’s wife was from the lands of modern Western Ukraine, gave her the name Roksolana, since at the end of the 16th century in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth it was customary to call these lands Roksolania (after the Roksolan tribe from the Northern Black Sea region, which was described by Strabo).
Khurem Sultan
Roksolana in the harem. Notes of Anton Hackel, 1780
The Tatars captured a girl in one of their raids, resold her several times, and eventually she ended up in Suleiman’s harem. In those days, Suleiman was a prince and served on public service in Manisa. He already had a harem with many concubines. At that time, Suleiman was 25 years old. Most likely, Roksolana was presented to him as a gift at a holiday in honor of the announcement of Suleiman as the main ruler of the empire. In Suleiman’s harem, Roksolana was given a different name - Khyurrem (from Persian “cheerful”). According to historian Galina Ermolenko, 15-year-old Roksolana-Hurrem appeared in the harem in the time interval from 1517 until Suleiman took the throne in 1520.
Very quickly the Sultan became interested in the new concubine. The Sultan's favorite Makhidevran, who gave birth to his heir Mustafa, was a Circassian or Albanian slave, did not want to put up with the fact that the Sultan was showing increased interest in Hurrem. She created a scandal in the harem, which she even described in one of her reports Ambassador from Venice Bernardo Navaghero in 1533: " ...the proud Circassian woman attacked Hurrem, began to insult her, even scratched her face, tore her dress and began to tear out her hair. After a while, Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska was called into the Sultan’s bedroom. The concubine refused to go to the padishah, saying that in this form she could not appear before the ruler. However, the Sultan ordered her to come and tell him personally what happened. After this, Makhidevran was invited to the Sultan’s bedchamber. She had to give her explanation for what happened. Makhidevran stated that everyone in the harem must obey her and that Khyurrem got off lightly. Mahidevran's words angered the Sultan. The proud Mahidevran fell out of favor, and after this incident Hurrem became her favorite concubine».
Suleiman’s two sons out of three died in 1521. Mustafa remained the only contender for the throne. At that time, he was only six years old, and since infant mortality in those days was quite high, in fact the Sultan could have been left without an heir at all. Young, healthy Hurrem could give birth to the Sultan many children. Everyone at court understood this, so the new beloved concubine immediately acquired several influential supporters. Mahidevran tried to resist the growing influence of Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska at court. Her hostility towards the new favorite grew every day, but she did not dare to speak out in open confrontation, since the mother of Sultan Valide Hafsa Hatun was monitoring the calm in the harem.
In 1521, Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska gave birth to the Sultan's son, Mehmet. In 1522 she gave birth to Suleiman Mihrimah. She is the only daughter of the great sultan who did not die in infancy. Then, Hurrem gave birth to Abdallah, who died three years later. In 1524, Hurrem gave birth to a boy again, he was named Selim. On next year Bayezid was born. The last child, Cihangir, was born to Hurrem in 1531.
In 1533, the Sultan sent Khyurrem’s main rival, Mahidevran, to Manisa along with her adult son. In 1534, Suleiman's mother Hafsa Khatun, who always supported the Grand Vizier Ibrahim Pasha, died. Having lost this support, the Grand Vizier could not hold on to his position for long; in the early spring of 1536, all his property was confiscated. As a result, only Hurrem remained next to the Sultan, which she did not fail to take advantage of to strengthen her influence on the padishah.
After the death of Hafsa, Hurrem's influence on the Sultan became limitless. She achieved everything that no one had even dared to think about before. Hurrem became the official wife of the Sultan. The Sultan was not legally prohibited from marrying former concubines, but traditionally this was not welcomed. In the Ottoman Empire, the words “tradition” and “law” were synonymous and were often replaced by the same word “eve”. The wedding of Hurrem and the Sultan was celebrated very magnificently and on a grand scale, although this event is not mentioned in the historical documents of the Ottoman Empire. The fact that Hurrem was in a special position was clear even from her title - Haseki, which Sultan Suleiman introduced exclusively for her.
Suleiman often went on campaigns and spent a lot of time away from the palace, so he knew about the situation at court only from the words of Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska. Hurrem's letters to the Sultan have survived to this day. They testify to the great love and longing of the Sultan’s separation for his beloved wife. He consulted with her in everything, even in business big politics. True, initially Suleiman listened more to the opinion of his mother, as evidenced by the correspondence that has survived to this day. This is explained by the fact that Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska did not know the language well at that time. Hurrem's early correspondence with the Sultan was written in official language. This confirms, as stated, that at first Hurrem used the services of a court clerk to write letters to the Sultan.
Hurrem's power over the Sultan knew no bounds. This is confirmed by the described Ambassador Pietro Bragadin from Venice episode: " One day, Sanjak Bey sent two very beautiful Russian slaves as gifts to the Sultan’s mother and himself. The Sultan's mother gave her slave to her son. The ambassador, who was in the palace at that time, saw that Hurrem was very upset by this. As a result, the Sultan’s mother took her slave back and also apologized to Hurrem. And the Sultan’s slave went to another sanjak bey, because if there was at least one concubine in the palace, Haseki would feel unhappy."
Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska did not become a recluse of the harem. Thanks to her intelligence, she was considered a very educated woman for her time. She was allowed to receive foreign ambassadors and correspond with rulers foreign countries, receive artists and high-ranking nobles. Hurrem initiated the construction of several mosques, madrassas and baths in Istanbul.
Children
Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska gave birth to six children: five sons and one daughter- eldest son (1521-1543), died of smallpox;
- the second - Abdullah (1523-1526), died in infancy;
- middle - (May 28, 1524 - December 12, 1574), who took the throne after the Sultan;
- (1525 - November 28, 1563), executed for treason;
- (1531-1553)
- the only daughter of the Sultan (1522-1578) who did not die in childhood.
The thirst for power took possession of Bayezid. He tried to attack and kill his older brother Selim. However, the attempt was unsuccessful, and he was forced to flee to Persia with 12 thousand of his supporters. The Ottoman Empire was at war with Persia at that time, so Bayezid became a traitor after his act. Some time later, Suleiman signed an agreement with Persia and the Persian Shah Tahmasp I handed over Bayezid and his four sons to the Sultan for 4 thousand gold pieces, Bayezid’s associates were killed, and he himself was executed on the orders of the Sultan on November 28, 1563.
Mark on history
Professor, historian Leslie Pierce, in her work on the Sultan's harem, proves that previously, concubines in the harem could become favorites only if the Sultan liked them and if they became the mother of his heir. Before Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska, the roles of beloved concubine and mother of the heir to the throne never overlapped. After the birth of a son, the concubine and child were sent to some distant province, where the son had to grow up before ascending the throne. Hurrem became the first woman in Ottoman history to remain close to the Sultan even after giving birth to children. This, naturally, could not please the conservative nobles who respected traditions and the order established from ancient times.After her sons grew up, Hurrem did not go with them to the province. She remained in the palace next to the Sultan, and visited the children only occasionally. The Sultan's beloved wife violated traditions, and many did not like her for this. Historians of that time described Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska from a negative perspective. The Sultan's favorite was supposed to have only one son. Hurrem also violated this principle. How she was able to achieve such influence on the Sultan, no one could explain. Therefore, contemporaries were sure that Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska had bewitched the Sultan. As a result, history remembers Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska as a cunning intriguer, gripped by a thirst for power. This image, although somewhat modified, migrated to the notes of Western historians.
Cultural contribution
Before Hurrem, mothers of heirs could build any buildings only in the province where they lived with their children. Hurrem was allowed to build any charitable, religious buildings in Istanbul and other large cities of the empire. Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska even created her own charitable foundation named after her.
With the money of this fund, the entire Aksaray district (women's bazaar) was built in Istanbul, which was later named in honor of Haseki. On its territory a mosque, an imaret, a madrasah, Primary School, fountain and hospitals.
The author of this complex for Istanbul for the first time was the architect Sinan, who had just been appointed chief architect of the ruling house.
The complex became the third largest construction project in the capital after Mehmet II and Suleymaniye. In addition, Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska was involved in other charitable projects.
These include, for example, a complex in Ankara, construction in Adrianople, which served as the basis for a large project in Jerusalem (later it was named after Haseki Sultan). A canteen was built next to Haseki Hurrem's palace; in other places, on Hurrem's initiative, canteens and hospices were also built for beggars and pilgrims. For example, in Istanbul they built a public canteen and two large public baths.
Talking about the life of this outstanding woman is not easy. After all, her biography contains a lot of contradictory facts. Roksolana was born in the small town of Rohatyn, which is located in Western Ukraine. Since at that time (approximately 1506) the territory of the modern Ivano-Frankivsk region was captured by the Poles, Roksolana is often called a polka. According to official data, she was Ukrainian by nationality.
There are also heated discussions about her real name. There is no reliable information about him in 16th-century sources. But later a tradition appeared to call her Anastasia. Historians who tend to consider her Polish call this famous woman Alexandra. According to the most popular version, Anastasia was the daughter of the priest Gavrila Lisovsky.
Around 1520, the girl was captured by the Tatars. Then she was transported to the Crimea, to the city of Kafa (present-day Feodosia), and from there she came to Istanbul. In the Turkish capital, she was noticed by the vizier Ibrahim Pasha, who presented her to Suleiman I. From this moment her majestic biography begins. Roksolana became the love of the Sultan's life.
Having entered the palace as an ordinary concubine, the girl was able to very quickly charm the ruler. There is information that Suleiman even dedicated poetry to her. In the harem, Roksolana received the nickname Khurrem, which means “Merry”, for her good and booming laughter.
After the wedding of Hurrem and the Turkish Sultan, it is safe to say that her biography began to develop completely differently. Roksolana now became an influential person because she was considered the main wife of Suleiman. Before this, the sultans had never tied the knot. To get married, the Ukrainian woman had to convert to Islam.
In addition to her visual attractiveness, Roksolana was very wise and educated. She was well versed in art and politics, and often personally received foreign rulers. When the spouses were separated, they corresponded with beautiful poems in Arabic and Persian.
So many dark spots her biography conceals. Roksolana, according to one version, was able to turn her husband against his son from Mustafa’s third wife. One way or another, there is reliable evidence that he was strangled by order.
The couple had five children - 4 sons and a daughter. True, only one of the sons survived Suleiman the Magnificent - Selim. All the rest died during the bloody struggle for the throne.
They say that even the Sultan’s mother was shocked by the cruel methods by which Roksolan gained power. The biography of this amazing woman shows that she was feared outside the palace. Hundreds of people she disliked quickly died in the hands of executioners.
Fortunately, it was not only deceit and cold calculation that made Khurrem Sultan famous. She managed to do a lot for the prosperity of Istanbul: she built several mosques, opened a school, organized a house for and also opened a free kitchen for the poor, and established contacts with many European countries.
Around 1561, at the age of 55, her biography ends. Roksolana was buried with full honors; the Sultan outlived his beloved by only eight years. Their tombs still stand nearby to this day, near the Suleiman Mosque. After the death of the Sultan, the throne was taken by Roksolana's son Selim. Unfortunately, during his reign, the decline of the empire began, and the people called him Selim the Drunkard.
Of course, we have no right to judge the actions that Roksolana committed. The biography, the story of the life and death of the beloved wife of Suleiman I is the story of a woman who lived in difficult times. Khurrem had to fight every minute for the right to be a worthy companion of the great ruler and for the lives of her children. She only accepted the rules of the game that were in force in the Sultan's palace.
The only woman in the East with whom Sultan Suleiman shared power over the country and who was able to ascend the throne with her face open was the Ottoman Sultana Haseki. But in European countries this legendary woman became known under a different name - Roksolana.
She was the wife of the Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent and the mother of their common children, one of whom, Sulim II, later became the Ottoman ruler. Suleiman's concubine, the Ukrainian Roksolana, had extraordinary beauty. And the Sultan, having loved the girl with all his heart and soul, not only took her as his wife, but also invited her to rule the empire with him.
The details of her life are still of interest to many scientists and ordinary people, but not only because this simple girl was able to go from the Sultan’s mistress to the Empress. What secrets and mysteries of Roksolana, the famous favorite of Sultan Suleiman, are hidden in her biography, read on.
What is known about the childhood and youth of the future sultana
Roksolana is a Ukrainian girl, famous for the fact that she became the wife of the Ottoman emperor and had all the powers of a padishah, allowing her to rule the country. But, despite the fact that Roksolana Haseki Hurrem Sultan was a legendary woman, the early years of her life are still not known to history. Well, the information that historical and literary sources offer is so contradictory that the truth about who and what Roksolana really was remains unrevealed.
And if most of the materials can be questioned, then the only indisputable detail that has become a reliable fact from Roksolana’s life is her Slavic origin. Almost all literary and historical sources insist that Roksolana Hurrem was Ukrainian.
Most likely, this outstanding person and future Ottoman sultana of the 15th century was born on territory that belonged to the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Nowadays this is the Ivano-Frankivsk region, located in western Ukraine.
Her real date of birth is unknown, as is where exactly Roksolana was born. Apparently, she was born into a priest's family around 1505-1506. If you believe literary sources, at birth the girl received the name Alexandra Lisovskaya. As for the other version, according to which the baby was named Anastasia and lived in Rohatyn, she was described very colorfully Ukrainian writer P. Zagrebelny in his novel of the same name - “Roksolana”.
ABOUT early years Nothing is known about the girl’s life, but her life line can be built, based on Ukrainian and Polish chronicles, from the age of 15. It was at this age that the Tatars attacked the town in which the famous Turkish concubine Roksolana lived with her family. And a 15-year-old girl is captured by them. In the future, she will have a fateful meeting with Sultan Suleiman, but before that she will have to go through several resales.
Once in the Sultan's harem, where the rules of survival were very cruel, she immediately managed to stand out. Roksolana and Suleiman met at one of the slave performances, when each of the new concubines had to demonstrate their talent to the owner. And the fragile girl Roksolana was able to surprise, intrigue and attract the attention of the Sultan not only with her singing, but also with her mysterious smile.
That evening, Sultan Suleiman ordered the scarf to be sent to his new favorite. This meant only one thing: she would have to spend the night with the young emperor.
The path from concubine to sultana
Silent and modest, she was always helpful and pliable, which won over the young ruler of the Ottoman Empire. After several nights spent together, she asked him for permission to visit the court library. This request, to put it mildly, surprised the Sultan, but he allowed her to go to the Sultan’s personal reading room. Some time later, when the young Sultan Suleiman returned from another military campaign, Roksolana shocked him. During his absence, she learned several foreign languages.
People in the area began to say that Hurrem was a witch. Some even blamed her for bewitching Suleiman. Envy arose among other concubines from the Ottoman ruler's harem. One of Suleiman’s mistresses even scratched young Roksolana’s face and body, which caused great indignation on the part of the Sultan. Since then, the Ukrainian captive became the most beloved wife of the Ottoman Emperor Suleiman.
Taking advantage of special privileges, the Sultan’s main favorite began to listen to everything that the court servants taught her. Her life and destiny were not easy, and therefore Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska was determined to take everything from life. While spending hour after hour in the library, she also learned oriental dances. Roksolana perfectly mastered the technique of oriental dances and with her movements could outshine any other concubine.
And yet it happened. The biography of Roksolana, the future Queen of the East, contains evidence of her wedding with an Ottoman prince. The marriage took place in 1530. Roksolana Haseki Hurrem Sultan became the first woman from the harem to be married by a representative of the royal dynasty, although this was contrary to the rules of the Turkish community.
The wedding celebration was on an unprecedented scale. On the eve of the wedding of the Sultan and his concubine, the streets of the city were decorated with festive decorations, and on the day of the celebration itself, a real performance was held, where wild animals, tightrope walkers and even illusionists performed.
Haseki's married life
Roksolana was happy in her marriage. Thanks to her humility and feminine wisdom, she was able to win the heart of the Ottoman emperor and get what she wanted.
The fourth child of Roksolana and Suleiman was another son, named Bayezid at birth. But he will not live to see his natural death in old age, since in pursuit of power over the Ottoman Empire he will oppose his brother Selim and will be executed for this along with his family.
The fifth child in the family was also a son, who was named Dzhanhangir. At birth, he was diagnosed with a defect - a hump growing on his back. But, despite this physical defect, Janhangir will live good life, although he will die at a young age, approximately 17-22 years old.
But Roksolana Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska and Suleiman had more than just sons. The Turkish sultana gave birth to the Ottoman emperor's only daughter, Mihrimah. She was the favorite child in the family, received a decent education, was surrounded by the attention of both parents, lived in luxury and was never denied anything. As Mikhrimah matured, she mastered various sciences and was involved in charity work all her life. In order to perpetuate the memory of her good deeds, two mosques were erected in Istanbul.
It is worth noting that the most educated woman of that time, the eastern queen Roksolana played a significant role in the life of the country. If you believe the data provided by Wikipedia, Hurrem Haseki was the initiator of the construction of socially significant buildings:
- Several mosques (now operating in Istanbul).
- Madrasah ( educational institutions, in which they trained and trained Muslim clergy, as well as primary school teachers).
- Hamam Roksolany (baths, which are currently one of the main attractions of Turkey).
Contribution to the development of the state and the cause of death of the concubine-sultana
As history shows us, Roksolana Haseki Hurrem Sultan was an incredibly wise, decisive and strong-willed woman. She lived a decent life, going through a difficult path from a concubine to a mistress who ruled an entire empire.
However, gentleness and love for children were combined in her with inflexibility and uncompromisingness. Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska did not spare traitors and traitors, applying harsh measures against them as a warning to others. So, for example, on the orders of the Sultana, one of the state dignitaries, named Ibrahim, was strangled. Convicted of excessive sympathy for France, he became a victim of cruel reprisals by the ruler.
Her contribution to the development of the Ottoman Empire was truly great. While her husband, Sultan Suleiman, was busy conquering new lands, Roksolana conducted diplomatic correspondence and organized receptions for foreign ambassadors, and was involved in matters of national importance. In addition, she introduced many reforms that simplified the lives of Muslim women and their children. That is why her death became a tragedy for the entire people of the Ottoman Empire.
The most educated and wisest woman of the 15th century, the beautiful Roksolana, died in 1558. According to historical sources, the cause of death of the Ottoman ruler, endowed with the powers of the padishah, was poisoning. However, this is still not an officially confirmed version. Considering that medicine at that time was not very developed, Hurrem Haseki could have died from an incurable disease. The Queen of the East, Roksolana, was fading away literally before our eyes. All attempts by her husband and children to save the life of the sultana were in vain, and in April 1558 (either April 15 or 18) Roksolana dies.
A year after the tragedy, the body of the eastern queen will be moved to a tomb located in a dome-shaped mausoleum. Her tomb was decorated with luxurious decorations, patterns and ceramic plates depicting the Garden of Eden. The texts of poems were also carved on the tombstone, which were dedicated to Roksolana and her charming smile. Author: Elena Suvorova
Roksolana, or Anastasia Gavrilovna Lisovskaya (1506-1562) - the first and only woman who had a title in the harem of Sultan Suleiman. The history of this Ukrainian woman is surrounded by legends; several films and TV series were made based on her biography. For her sake, Suleiman the Magnificent dissolved his harem, and at the last reception in the palace Roksolana appeared with her face open. She was involved in charity work and helped the Sultan manage the vast Ottoman Empire. The Turks called her Hurrem, which translated meant “joyful, cheerful, laughing.” It was thanks to her persistent character and optimism that the simple girl Nastya was able to survive in captivity and gain the love of the ruler.
Life before captivity
The girl was the daughter of the priest Gavrila Lisovsky. She was born in the city of Rohatyn. At that time it was part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Crimean Tatars often attacked that territory. One day they captured Lisovskaya. She was then barely fifteen years old.
The Tatars brought the slave to Istanbul on a ship, then put her on the market. It was there that Ibrahim Pasha saw Anastasia. The girl was not beautiful, but somehow she attracted attention. The vizier decided to give it to the Sultan. At first he bargained with the “owner” of the captive, but he refused the money when he found out who the girl was destined for. It is thanks to this that Roksolana was never in the status of a slave.
Other sources claim that the girl had already been captured once, even before meeting the Sultan. According to unverified data, in the fall of 1520 she studied at a school for slaves. It was there that Anastasia mastered the skill of dancing, playing the musical instruments and poetry.
Meeting with the Sultan
Suleiman the Magnificent was respected by all inhabitants of the empire. He was a fair padishah, fought against corruption, and issued many practical laws. The Sultan was also interested in philosophy and art, and was a comprehensively educated person.
Roksolana was a smart and talented girl. She wrote poetry, read a lot, sang and danced. The Ukrainian woman was able to interest Suleiman at the very first meeting. During the performance of the slaves, she unexpectedly broke the circle of dancing slaves, began to laugh and sing in her native language. Usually in such cases the girls were killed or sent to the Sultan's bedroom. The ruler felt sympathy for Nastya, so he chose the second option.
The young and attractive Suleiman did not disgust Lisovskaya, their first night went well. After her, the beauty turned to the man with only one request - she wanted to visit the library. Within a few months, she managed to independently master several languages, including Persian, Turkish and Arabic. The girl wrote poems and books, dedicating them to her lover. This caused fear among the inhabitants of the empire, so they often called her a witch. Many townspeople said that Anastasia bewitched the Sultan.
Lisovskaya was a good psychologist. She often observed those around her without saying anything. The girl quickly learned the behavior of the inhabitants of the empire and their laws, so she had to convert to Islam. She always knew what and to whom she needed to say in order to survive in the current situation.
Marriage and intrigue
The Sultan quickly realized that Lisovskaya was capable of independently ruling the empire. In 1530 they officially married. Thanks to this, the girl received the necessary powers, and soon the ruler’s wealth increased. Roksolana had the same rights as the padishah. She was dating statesmen and foreign ambassadors without wearing a burqa.
Anastasia gave birth to her husband four sons - Mohammed, Bayazet, Selim and Jehangir. Later, a daughter was born, she was named Khamerie. From the outside, the woman’s life seemed absolutely happy, but she was in constant fear. At any moment, the husband could leave the aged Lisovskaya for a new hobby, and the inheritance should not have gone to her son.
Suleiman's direct heir was Mustafa, the son of another slave, Makhidevran. To eliminate him, Roksolana married her daughter (12 years old) to the chief vizier. Thanks to this marriage, she was able to collect all the necessary information and convince the ruler of a conspiracy being prepared against him. As a result, the vizier was executed, then Mustafa was strangled.
The Sultan's mother suspected her daughter-in-law of complicity, but after the claims were made, she did not live even a month. Many believed that it was Nastya who poured poison into her mother-in-law. After the death of all the undesirables, she could breathe a sigh of relief. But the woman did not live to see the moment when her son Selim became the Sultan. In 1562 she died of a cold. In honor of his deceased beloved, Suleiman built a mausoleum, under the dome of which roses were carved. They were decorated with Lisovskaya's favorite stones - emeralds.
There are many dark spots in Roksolana’s biography, but this does not make people’s love for her fade away. A district in Istanbul is named after the girl, and her tomb is located next to the tomb of Suleiman. In the entire history of the empire, not a single woman has received such an honor.
Historians have differing opinions about the origins of Roksolana Hurrem Sultan. The only thing is that almost no one doubts its Slavic origin. It is believed that Hurrem was born in western Ukraine, into a family Orthodox priest. After 15 years, the young Slav woman was taken captive by the Crimean Tatars and sold on the slave market.
Biography
The life of Hurrem Sultan in her homeland remains largely a mystery to historians. However, the main milestones of her biography as a concubine of Suleiman and his wife are, of course, still known to researchers:
1502 (according to other sources 1505) - date of birth of Hurrem;
1517 (or 1522) - captured by the Crimean Tatars;
1520 - Sehzade Suleiman becomes Sultan;
1521 - birth of first son Khyurrem Mehmed;
1522 - birth of Mikhrimah, the only daughter of Roksolana;
1523 - birth of Abdullah, second son of Hurrem (died at the age of 3);
1524 - birth of Shehzade Selim.
1525 - birth of Shehzade Bayezid;
1534 - wedding of Suleiman the Magnificent and Hurrem Sultan;
1536 - execution of Roksolana’s worst enemy Ibranim Pasha;
The biography of the great Haseki, the wife of Sultan Suleiman, nicknamed the Lawgiver in his homeland, and the Magnificent in Europe, was, of course, full of other important events. However, it is not possible to find out about them for obvious reasons. Almost no accurate historical information about Roksolan has been preserved.
Anastasia Lisovskaya: truth and fiction
It is believed that in her homeland Hurrem Sultan, whose history has been exciting the minds of the inhabitants of both Europe and Asia for many centuries, her name was Anastasia Lisovskaya. Perhaps it was so. However, historians are still inclined to think that Anastasia or Alexandra Lisovskaya is a fictitious name. The fact is that this was the name of the heroine of the popular novel about the Ukrainian woman Roxalana from the city of Rohatyn, published in Europe in the century before last. The exact historical information about the name of the legendary Haseki has not been preserved. Apparently, the name Anastasia Lisovskaya was invented by the author of the novel himself. The researchers only managed to find out that Hurrem Sultan was born, most likely, in 1502. She was captured by the Crimean Tatars, according to legend, at the age of 14-17 years.
The Slavic slave did not tell her name either to the Tatars or to the owners who bought her from them. Subsequently, no one in the harem managed to find out practically anything about her past. Therefore, Suleiman’s new slave received the name Roksolana. The fact is that this is what the Turks traditionally called the Sarmatians, the ancestors of the modern Slavs.
How Roksolana ended up in the Sultan's harem
How exactly Hurrem Sultan got to Suleiman’s palace is also unknown for certain. What is known is that his friend and vizier Ibrahim Pasha chose the Slavic slave for the Sultan. Most historians believe that Roksolana was bought by him at the slave market with his own money as a gift for the Lord. From this time it began rich life Hurrem Sultan in the palace. If she had been purchased directly for Suleiman’s harem and with his personal funds, he would hardly have been able to marry her. According to Muslim laws, marriage at that time was allowed only with a gift of an odalisque.
Life in the palace and children
The title Haseki, or beloved wife, was introduced by Suleiman specifically for Hurrem. Roksolana had a truly enormous influence on the Sultan. The love of the greatest ruler of that time for his Haseki is evidenced by the fact that after marrying her, he dispersed his entire harem. Roksolana, as in the series, never actually had any rivals. However, despite all this, the family of Suleiman the Magnificent, most likely, still did not like the suddenly elevated slave, as in the TV movie. The Sultan's mother, according to historical data, greatly respected Muslim traditions. And her son’s marriage to a slave could really be a real blow for her.
The life of Hurrem Sultan in the palace, as in the series “The Magnificent Century,” was full of dangers. In fact, several attempts were made on her life. It is believed that it was her intrigues that led to the execution of Ibrahim Pasha and Mustafa, the son of Suleiman’s first wife, Mahidevran Sultan. According to legend, Roksolana initially sought to make her beloved son Bayazid heir. However, the Sultan's army was more supportive of her other son, Selim, who, after the death of Suleiman, ascended the throne.
As contemporaries testify, Haseki Roksolana was an attractive, but at the same time also a very smart woman. The life of Hurrem Sultan was not only about raising children and palace intrigues. Roksolana read a lot of books and was interested in politics and economics. She certainly had managerial talent. For example, in the absence of Suleiman, she managed to patch up a huge hole in the Sultan’s treasury in a rather cunning way, rather traditional for Slavic rulers. Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska simply ordered the opening of wine shops in the European quarter of Istanbul.
Due to the strong influence exerted on the Sultan, contemporaries considered Roksolana a witch. Perhaps the suspicions of witchcraft were not in vain. There are even historical information(though not entirely reliable) that Roksolana, already being Suleiman’s favorite concubine, ordered various kinds of witchcraft artifacts from Ukraine.
The cause of death of Hurrem Sultan also still remains a mystery to historians. It is officially believed that the great Haseki died of a common cold. Although there is information that she could have been poisoned. Also, some historians believe that the Haseki ended her life due to an illness that doctors of that time called simply fatal. Today this disease is known as cancer. It was this version that was presented in the series “The Magnificent Century”.
