Speaker 1: Welcome to Noble Blood, a production of iHeartRadio and Grim
Speaker 1: and Mild from Aaron Mank. Listener discretion advised one quick
Speaker 1: note of housekeeping before we begin today's episode. I am
Speaker 1: so so excited to be leading a trip to the
Speaker 1: English Cotswalds next July July twenty twenty five. It's through
Speaker 1: an incredible program called common Ground, and it's a pilgrimage
Speaker 1: where we read a book, talk about a book, and
Speaker 1: go on walks every day. This is the third one
Speaker 1: I've done with this program. We've talked about the book Frankenstein,
Speaker 1: I've done one on the novel Rebecca, and this one
Speaker 1: I'm so thrilled to say we're talking about one of
Speaker 1: my all time favorite novels, The Remains of the Day.
Speaker 1: If you haven't read it, absolutely read it. And if
Speaker 1: you're free next July and want to talk about the
Speaker 1: book and go on incredibly gorgeous walks around the Cotswalds,
Speaker 1: you should absolutely sign up. Now. It's a website reading
Speaker 1: and Walking with dot com. The program is common Ground.
Speaker 1: There are still a few spots remaining. I think actually
Speaker 1: maybe one spot, but there's always a wait list, so
Speaker 1: sign up quickly. If this is something that interests you.
Speaker 1: It's so much fun. I absolutely love it. I hope
Speaker 1: to see there if you would indulge me, listener, I
Speaker 1: would like to begin today's episode by reading you part
Speaker 1: of a poem. My intimate companion, my one and all,
Speaker 1: Sovereign of all beauties, my Sultan, my life, the gift
Speaker 1: I own, my be all, the elixir of paradise, my eden,
Speaker 1: my spring, my joy, my glittering day. We've done a
Speaker 1: number of episodes that have cameos from Lord Byron, but
Speaker 1: this isn't his work, nor is it a poem by
Speaker 1: Shelley or Keats, or Naruda or Dickinson. Instead, these are
Speaker 1: the words of Suliman the Magnificent, the longest reigning sultan
Speaker 1: of the Ottoman Empire. It was under his rule that
Speaker 1: the Ottoman Golden Age of art and culture was ushered in.
Speaker 1: He himself was both a poet and a goldsmith. And
Speaker 1: if you've listened to countless other episodes of this show,
Speaker 1: you'll know that most royal marriages don't reflect the poetic
Speaker 1: kind of connection above. While there are some exceptions, most
Speaker 1: sovereigns end up in practical, if not completely loveless arrangements
Speaker 1: Suliman is a particular exception to this rule, because not
Speaker 1: only was his marriage a love match, it was unprecedented politically.
Speaker 1: While not technically queen, he granted his wife a brand
Speaker 1: new title, Haseki Sultan, to indicate her new dynastic position
Speaker 1: and importance. What was even more unusual about their marriage
Speaker 1: was that his wife was not a noble. She wasn't
Speaker 1: even native to the Empire. Instead, she was originally the
Speaker 1: Emperor's favorite concubine, a former slave taken from her home
Speaker 1: in Ruthenia, located in modern day Ukraine. As a young
Speaker 1: captive in a foreign land, she was given the name Krem,
Speaker 1: the Persian word for joyful or laughing, but today she's
Speaker 1: better known by the name that Europeans gave her, Roxillana,
Speaker 1: meaning the maiden from Ruthenia. Suleiman's love for rock Salana
Speaker 1: not only provided her with comfort, safety, and luxury, but
Speaker 1: in a great shock to the Ottoman's real political influence,
Speaker 1: she was an advisor and a diplomat as well as
Speaker 1: a patron that helped her husband bring about the Empire's
Speaker 1: golden age. If you were to believe the content of
Speaker 1: her surviving love letters, her devotion to her husband was
Speaker 1: equal to that of the one he poeticized. However, it
Speaker 1: is important to remember that even though she was granted
Speaker 1: her freedom before their marriage, it was at Suliman's behest,
Speaker 1: and becoming the Sultan's lover in the first place was
Speaker 1: not rock Salana's choice to make. The only first hand
Speaker 1: insight we have into Roxalana's thoughts and feelings comes from
Speaker 1: those few surviving letters, which simply doesn't provide us enough
Speaker 1: context to know her entire headspace. Naturally, Roxalana's rise from
Speaker 1: slave to adviser aroused plenty of anger and suspicion, with
Speaker 1: accusations of witchcraft being particularly popular. Rumors would only intensify
Speaker 1: after a series of tragedies towards the end of Suleiman's reign,
Speaker 1: but his beloved never fell from his grace. While a
Speaker 1: number of European plays and stories would go on to
Speaker 1: portray Roxalanna as a scheming sorceress, there's really no evidence
Speaker 1: of ill intentions. She might not have been really a witch,
Speaker 1: but whether or not a literal spell was cast, Roxalanna's
Speaker 1: journey from enslaved girl to the Ottoman Empire's most powerful
Speaker 1: woman can sound like something straight out of a fantasy novel.
Speaker 1: I'm Danish Schwartz and this is noble blood. There's a
Speaker 1: degree of mystery surrounding Roxalanna's origins, but today it's widely
Speaker 1: accepted that the future Hesseki Sultan was born in Ruthenia,
Speaker 1: an area that now encompasses western Ukraine, but during Roxalana's
Speaker 1: time it was under the rule of the Polish king. Today,
Speaker 1: Ukrainian legend says her birth name was either Anastasia or
Speaker 1: Alexandra Lisowska, but there's no definitive evidence of that. She
Speaker 1: was born during a dark period for her homeland. Around
Speaker 1: fourteen seventy five, the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror defeated
Speaker 1: Venice and Genoa for control of the Black Sea slave trade.
Speaker 1: Following that victory, he made a vassal of the Khan
Speaker 1: of the Crimean Tatars, whose economy would be sustained through
Speaker 1: slave trade with Istanbul. A significant portion of the people
Speaker 1: they enslaved were taken from Ruthenia. Roxalana was likely captured
Speaker 1: in fifteen sixteen during a Tatar raid in which the
Speaker 1: region lost between an estimated anywhere from five thousand to
Speaker 1: forty thousand men, women and children. She would have only
Speaker 1: been around thirteen at the time. Captives were marched in
Speaker 1: chain all the way to Kafa, a settlement on the
Speaker 1: coast of the Black Sea, also located in modern day Ukraine.
Speaker 1: From there, most were loaded on two vessels that would
Speaker 1: take them to Istanbul, the largest market in the region
Speaker 1: of the slave market, an Ottoman courtier wrote, quote, a
Speaker 1: man who has not seen this market has seen nothing
Speaker 1: in this world. There a mother is severed from her
Speaker 1: son and daughter, a son from his father and brother,
Speaker 1: and they are sold among lamentations, cries of help, weeping
Speaker 1: and sorrow. It was amidst this horror that Roxalana was sold,
Speaker 1: But to whom specifically we don't know. She could have
Speaker 1: been purchased by someone directly in the palace, but the
Speaker 1: story circulating at the time claimed that she was a
Speaker 1: gift to Suliman upon his ascension as ruler in fifteen twenty.
Speaker 1: In that case, she could have been bought by a
Speaker 1: wealthy or prominent household with ties to court, hoping to
Speaker 1: earn favor if their gift became the Sultan's new favorite.
Speaker 1: One rumor alleged that it was one of Suliman's sisters
Speaker 1: who found Roxalana from him, while other sources say she
Speaker 1: came from his trusted friend and adviser Ibrahim. The reason
Speaker 1: there are many probablys and most Likeli's in Roxalana's origin
Speaker 1: story is by design. The concubines in the Sultan's imperial
Speaker 1: Harem were chiefly enslaved women, and the majority of them
Speaker 1: were originally Christian from varying regions and ethnic backgrounds. As
Speaker 1: you can imagine, the specific origins of the concubines were
Speaker 1: not documented, erased in service of loyalty and dependence on
Speaker 1: the Sultan, it was a new start from a young age.
Speaker 1: Enslaved girls chosen for the harem lived at the Old Palace,
Speaker 1: which was the home of the court's women, while the
Speaker 1: men lived in the New Palace. At the Old Palace,
Speaker 1: the girls were educated by palace staff and teachers. They
Speaker 1: were converted to Islam, taught the principles of the religion
Speaker 1: and Turkish language, the expectations of Ottoman women, and proper
Speaker 1: palace etiquette. The sharpest students could one day be eligible
Speaker 1: for the role of concubine and potential mother of any
Speaker 1: future ruler, So no matter how oh exactly Roxalana arrived
Speaker 1: at the palace. It's clear that once she did, she
Speaker 1: stood out exceptionally. It also seemed to be that it
Speaker 1: was less so her looks, but rather her personality and
Speaker 1: charm that caught the new twenty six year old ruler's attention.
Speaker 1: The Venetian ambassador during the early years of Suleiman's reign
Speaker 1: reported that the Sultan's budding favorite was quote young but
Speaker 1: not beautiful, although graceful and petite. If we recall her
Speaker 1: Ottoman name Harem, meaning joyful, we can understand her favorable qualities.
Speaker 1: The Venetian ambassadors at the Sultan's court are often our
Speaker 1: best source for details about life inside the palace, as
Speaker 1: there's a lack of Ottoman writing about the women of
Speaker 1: the Harem. From that same ambassador's writings, we learn quote
Speaker 1: the Grand Turk chooses whoever pleases him the most, and
Speaker 1: keeps her separate for two months and amuses himself with
Speaker 1: her as he pleases. If she becomes pregnant, he takes
Speaker 1: her as his consort. Rock Sillana evidently pleased Suliman greatly
Speaker 1: after she was presented to him in fifteen twenty. It
Speaker 1: wouldn't be long before their intimate relationship began. Before she
Speaker 1: was even brought to the Old Palace to begin her training,
Speaker 1: it would have been confirmed that rock Salana was a virgin.
Speaker 1: In addition to her training in etiquette, religion, language, and art,
Speaker 1: she would have been prepared for the moment the Sultan
Speaker 1: may invite her to his chambers. There were protocols for
Speaker 1: approaching and addressing him. She would be escorted to his
Speaker 1: room by eunuchs, her eyes downcast. The knight would either
Speaker 1: end with a polite dismissal from Suliman or a repeat invitation.
Speaker 1: If she became pregnant that night or any night following,
Speaker 1: her position with the Ottoman Empire, and her safety would
Speaker 1: be secured. We can speak of the material weight of
Speaker 1: these outcomes, but we just don't know anything about the
Speaker 1: emotional weight of that first night. Was she afraid, determined, pleased, disgusted, numb,
Speaker 1: a mix of all of it. We can be assured
Speaker 1: that the Suleiman at least had a very good night
Speaker 1: and the relationship continued. Roxalana gave birth to their first son, Mehmed,
Speaker 1: in fifteen twenty one, when she was likely around seventeen
Speaker 1: years old. The phrase first son was until that point unprecedented,
Speaker 1: as it implied a concubine would bear the sultan more
Speaker 1: than one possible heir. Ottoman policy declared one mother, one son.
Speaker 1: There was no limit to how many daughters a concubine
Speaker 1: could have with a sultan, but once she gave birth
Speaker 1: to a son, this sexual relationship ended. The idea was
Speaker 1: that each potential heir to the throne would have the
Speaker 1: undivided attention of his mother to best prepare him for
Speaker 1: his future. Ottoman succession differed from most major monarchies in
Speaker 1: that the first born son did not automatically inherit the throne.
Speaker 1: All living sons had a shot in a game of
Speaker 1: survival of the fittest. Mehmed was the first child born
Speaker 1: during Suliman's reign as sultan, but he was Suliman's fifth
Speaker 1: child overall. However, while rox Salana was pregnant or shortly
Speaker 1: after she gave birth, tragedy struck. Suleiman lost his eldest son,
Speaker 1: his second eldest son, and his daughter in rapid succession,
Speaker 1: likely to a plague. His only surviving child until Mehmed
Speaker 1: was another son, Mustapha, the son of the favorite before
Speaker 1: Roxalana's arrival, a woman named Mahadevron. The timing of these
Speaker 1: events meant that Roxalana's status shifted dramatically in a short
Speaker 1: amount of time. First the status boost that came with
Speaker 1: carrying the Sultan's child, then the additional boost that came
Speaker 1: with the child being a boy, and finally an even
Speaker 1: greater boost when her infant son became one of only
Speaker 1: two remaining living heirs. Mehmid's birth also changed his mother's
Speaker 1: legal status. She was now um al awad, or mother
Speaker 1: of a child. While this did not grant her her freedom,
Speaker 1: it meant that she could not be sold or given away,
Speaker 1: and she would automatically gain her freedom upon the death
Speaker 1: of her master. As noted by the Venetian ambassador, when
Speaker 1: a woman gave birth to the Sultan's child, quote, her
Speaker 1: salary is increased, or rather, she is now given a
Speaker 1: spending stipend quote, and she is honored and elevated above
Speaker 1: the others and is served as a lady. The ambassador
Speaker 1: also explained the role of the royal concubine in her
Speaker 1: child's life. Quote. If she gives birth to a son,
Speaker 1: the boy is raised by his mother until the age
Speaker 1: of ten or eleven. Then the Grand Turk gives him
Speaker 1: a province and sends his mother with him. As we know, however,
Speaker 1: things would play out differently for Rock Salana, who would
Speaker 1: remain by her husband's or future husband's side. Breaking protocol.
Speaker 1: Suleiman invited Rock Salana back to his chambers after she
Speaker 1: gave birth to a son, and she was pregnant once
Speaker 1: again by early fifteen twenty two. We don't know. We're
Speaker 1: sure what prompted the rekindling of their relationship. Did they
Speaker 1: feel a mutual connection from the start, or was Rock
Speaker 1: Salana manipulating Suliman reluctant to share the power that she
Speaker 1: had gained through Mehmet's birth. We can't answer those questions,
Speaker 1: but we know their daughter, Mirima, was born in the
Speaker 1: fall of that year, followed over the next few years
Speaker 1: by the birth of their son Salim Abdullah and Bazid,
Speaker 1: and later an additional son. Suliman was often away on
Speaker 1: military campaigns during the pregnancies, but it was always Rock
Speaker 1: Solana whom he returned home to. It was clear to
Speaker 1: those inside and outside the palace that not only did
Speaker 1: the Sultan have a new favorite, he was downright monogamous.
Speaker 1: We don't have records of Suliman and Roxalana's correspondence from
Speaker 1: these early years. Those will come later, so we have
Speaker 1: to rely on outside sources and conjecture to understand what
Speaker 1: their relationship might have been like at this time. Thankfully,
Speaker 1: the Venetians in court loved to gossip. In fifteen twenty
Speaker 1: two we see claims that the Sultan was very lustful,
Speaker 1: but by fifteen twenty four those shift, arguing that the
Speaker 1: signor is not lustful, rather devoted to a single woman.
Speaker 1: In fifteen twenty six, the ambassador notes that the Sultan
Speaker 1: no longer paid attention to the mother of his eldest son,
Speaker 1: the former favorite, but gave all his affection to quote
Speaker 1: another woman of the Russian nation, namely rock Sollana. Among
Speaker 1: the public, it's possible that this is the time during
Speaker 1: which the rumors of Roxalanna's sorcery begin to germinate, as
Speaker 1: there had never been a sultan committed to monogamy before. Yes,
Speaker 1: even in the fifteen twenties, people were doing a polyamory discourse.
Speaker 1: Subjects feared the sultan's devotion to his favorite concubine would
Speaker 1: be a distraction from his duty, which they saw as
Speaker 1: defending the borders from enemy threats. Additionally, they supported the
Speaker 1: system of succession as it functioned, and believed in the
Speaker 1: tradition that each prince should have one devoted mother as
Speaker 1: his personal adviser. Suleiman's mother, Hafsa, remained a trusted adviser
Speaker 1: even after her son's ascension, and she was responsible for
Speaker 1: spearheading the construction of a massive public mosque complex, alongside
Speaker 1: staying up to date with political affairs and maintaining her
Speaker 1: own network of informants. Roxalana would later follow in her
Speaker 1: mother in law's footsteps. A story emerged around this time
Speaker 1: that shines some light on rock Salana's feelings and or
Speaker 1: tactics for ensuring her own continued survival and comfort in
Speaker 1: the palace. As reported by the ambassador, quote, the Sultan
Speaker 1: was given two beautiful Russian maidens by a provincial governor,
Speaker 1: one for his mother and one for him. When they
Speaker 1: arrived in the palace, his second wife, wife meaning favorite
Speaker 1: here whom he esteems at present, became extremely unhappy and
Speaker 1: flung herself to the ground weeping. The ambassador then noted
Speaker 1: the reaction of Hafsa and the Sultan himself as they
Speaker 1: attempted to ease rock Salana's sadness. Quote. The mother who
Speaker 1: had given her maiden to the Sultan was sorry about
Speaker 1: what she had done, took her back and sent her
Speaker 1: to one of the governors as wife, and the Sultan
Speaker 1: agreed to send his to another governor because his wife
Speaker 1: would have perished from sorrow if these maidens, or even
Speaker 1: one of them, had remained in the palace. Whether Roxalana
Speaker 1: gave an Academy award winning performance or if she truly
Speaker 1: was so attached to Suliman, she certainly was not the
Speaker 1: first concubine to experience jealousy. The uniqueness here is how
Speaker 1: both Hafsa, the head of the house, and Suliman himself
Speaker 1: not only acquiesced to Roxalana's emotional needs but felt remorse.
Speaker 1: These are the two most powerful people in the empire,
Speaker 1: and Roxalana's feelings were clearly important to both of them.
Speaker 1: Our first surviving letters from the couple come from fifteen
Speaker 1: twenty six. My Sultan, there is no limit to the
Speaker 1: burning anguish of separation. Roxalana's earliest surviving letter concludes, now
Speaker 1: spare this miserable one and do not withhold your noble letters,
Speaker 1: let my soul gain at least some comfort. The poetry
Speaker 1: of her letters also takes inspiration from Islamic tradition. Quote
Speaker 1: oh you with the face of Yusef and words sweet
Speaker 1: as candy she writes to her lover. Based on the
Speaker 1: penmanship these letters were written by a Harem scribe, and
Speaker 1: Roxalana's Turkish was not at the level of composing stanzas,
Speaker 1: but it's probable she dictated what sentiments to include. The
Speaker 1: comparison of her lover to Yusef, the counterpart of Joseph,
Speaker 1: for those more familiar with the Hebrew or Christian Bible,
Speaker 1: takes on a level of irony when considering the story
Speaker 1: of Zuleka, or Potiphar's wife in the Hebrew tradition of
Speaker 1: the story. While Potiphar's wife is known traditionally as a
Speaker 1: seductress and a villainous, a number of great Muslim poets
Speaker 1: Roxalana would have been familiar with saw Zuleika's lust for
Speaker 1: Joseph as the soul's lust for God. After fifteen twenty six,
Speaker 1: there's a lull in information regarding rock Salana, but she
Speaker 1: becomes a subject of great interest again in fifteen thirty four,
Speaker 1: as the result of a shocking revelation. A journal entry
Speaker 1: from the Genoese Bank of Saint George in Istambul reads quote,
Speaker 1: this week, there has occurred in this city a most
Speaker 1: extraordinary event, one absolutely unprecedented in the history of the sultans.
Speaker 1: The Grand Signor Suliman has taken to himself as his empress,
Speaker 1: a slave woman from Russia called rock Salana, and the
Speaker 1: festivities have been beyond all record. At night, the principal
Speaker 1: streets were gaily illuminated, and there is much music and feasting.
Speaker 1: The houses are festooned with garlands, and there are everywhere
Speaker 1: swings in which the people swing by the hour with
Speaker 1: great enjoyment. There is great talk about the marriage, and
Speaker 1: none can say what it means. It was an accurate statement.
Speaker 1: Who could say what it meant for a sultan to
Speaker 1: marry his concubine. Roxalana, by this point was technically no
Speaker 1: longer his concubine either. He had granted her her freedom
Speaker 1: before they married, not to mention the fact that a
Speaker 1: sultan had not been married at all in over one
Speaker 1: hundred years. Political marriages used to be common, but ceased
Speaker 1: by the fifteenth century. The marriage broke a collection of
Speaker 1: traditions all at once. Timing wise, we know the marriage
Speaker 1: of Roxalana and Suliman likely followed the passing of Suliman's mother, Hafsa,
Speaker 1: who herself did not gain her freedom until the death
Speaker 1: of her master, Suliman's father. It would have been disrespectful
Speaker 1: to Hafsa, the highest ranking woman of the empire, for
Speaker 1: Suliman to elevate ro Sollana's position while the queen mother lived.
Speaker 1: Elevating Roxalana through marriage also served a political purpose for Suliman.
Speaker 1: He was about to embark on a long military campaign
Speaker 1: in Iran, and he needed trustworthy eyes and ears in
Speaker 1: Istanbul now that his mother was gone. So there were
Speaker 1: the political reasons, and then there were the personal. Suliman
Speaker 1: was devoted to Roxalana and was legitimizing her position as
Speaker 1: the mother of his children and a woman of exceptional status.
Speaker 1: Upon the marriage, she relocated to the new palace, becoming
Speaker 1: the first woman to do so. She would move with
Speaker 1: her entourage and the now thirteen year old Memate, and
Speaker 1: Suliman surely wanted both of them to be closer to
Speaker 1: the political heart of the empire. From a Venetian observer.
Speaker 1: We learned that Ra Roxallana's quarters were splendid with chapels, baths, gardens,
Speaker 1: and other amenities, not only for herself but for her
Speaker 1: damsels as well, of which she keeps as many as
Speaker 1: one hundred. Over time, Roxalana's quarters would grow into an
Speaker 1: entire wing of the palace that housed the imperial Harem.
Speaker 1: It was under her guidance that the gender politics of
Speaker 1: the empire began to shift and women became more involved
Speaker 1: in the political sphere. Roxalanna kept Suleiman informed during his
Speaker 1: time away by maintaining an information network, just as her
Speaker 1: late mother in law had done before her. The stewards
Speaker 1: and eunuchs in her service would pick up gossip from
Speaker 1: both inside and outside the palace walls. She began to
Speaker 1: work with Hofsa's former go between and even her own son, Mehmed,
Speaker 1: who could provide access to men mens spaces that Roxalana
Speaker 1: was barred from. The network wasn't the only thing Roxalana
Speaker 1: was building. In fifteen thirty eight, construction began on a
Speaker 1: new mosque in Istanbul, outside the city's imperial core. It
Speaker 1: would soon expand to include two schools, primary and a
Speaker 1: secondary A soup kitchen was built, including a fountain in
Speaker 1: its courtyard which could provide fresh water to the neighborhood.
Speaker 1: A couple of years in, the complex even gained a hospital,
Speaker 1: a rare amenity for the time. Charitable giving was a
Speaker 1: requirement for all Muslims with disposable income, and the imperial
Speaker 1: household was no exception. Philanthropy, however, was traditionally the queen
Speaker 1: mother's job. While breaking yet another norm, Roxalana's ambitious project,
Speaker 1: upon her elevation, would have attempted to legitimize her in
Speaker 1: the eyes of the people who still called her ziyati
Speaker 1: in their whispers, or which The mosque complex also served
Speaker 1: a larger purpose as an instrumental piece of Suliman's agenda,
Speaker 1: which sought to consolidate a stronger Sunni Muslim identity, achieved
Speaker 1: in part through philanthropy. Roxalana's project was additionally historic for women.
Speaker 1: It was the first foundation in Istanbul donated by and
Speaker 1: named after a woman. The neighborhood selected for its location
Speaker 1: was associated with women, home to the weekly Avrat Pazar
Speaker 1: or women's market. We also know that Roxalana specifically requested
Speaker 1: a female scribe to work on the project in an
Speaker 1: administrative position, a rarity for the time, which gives credence
Speaker 1: to the idea that her project was designed to uplift
Speaker 1: women's circumstances. The project was a resounding success. A few
Speaker 1: decades later, an Ottoman historian remarked that the exalted Mosque
Speaker 1: and the various other quote good works of the Hesseki
Speaker 1: Sultan were known to all human kind. In addition to
Speaker 1: her philanthropic efforts, Roxalana established new diplomatic relations for the empire.
Speaker 1: When the Polish king died in fifteen forty eight, Roxalana
Speaker 1: established diplomatic correspondence with the Polish monarchy, congratulating the king's
Speaker 1: son on his ascension. She would continue to cultivate more
Speaker 1: contacts in Europe and maintain correspondence with Safavid royal women,
Speaker 1: pioneering a new role for the women that would follow her.
Speaker 1: The Ottomans had had female diplomat in the past, but
Speaker 1: as elite women became more secluded, women were no longer
Speaker 1: employed for negotiations ords, peace treaties. Roxalana established letter writing
Speaker 1: as a method of diplomacy for women, and by the
Speaker 1: end of the century, the mother of her grandson was
Speaker 1: corresponding with Catherine de Medici, while the next Queen Mother
Speaker 1: exchanged gifts with Elizabeth the First. As we students of
Speaker 1: history know, these relationships between important women are incredibly important
Speaker 1: in establishing good relations between nations. Roxalana was now also
Speaker 1: in charge of the major affairs of the Old Palace.
Speaker 1: While day to day management was the job of the
Speaker 1: internal staff, Roxalana was in charge of major decisions and
Speaker 1: resolving problems. She became involved in matchmaking the girls of
Speaker 1: the Imperial Harem, which likely served several purposes. The first
Speaker 1: and most cynical is that it kept them away from
Speaker 1: her husband. Scond reason is that it's not hard to
Speaker 1: imagine the empathy she felt for those in the place
Speaker 1: she once was, but now she could help in securing
Speaker 1: them better futures and eventually freedom. In fifteen forty three,
Speaker 1: the family was faced with great tragedy the death of Mehmed.
Speaker 1: He had contracted an illness, likely smallpox, during the celebration
Speaker 1: for his father's recent military victory, mirroring the loss of
Speaker 1: Suliman's first three children upon his triumphant return to Istanbul.
Speaker 1: Around the time of Mehmed's birth, My Sultan Mehmed distinguished
Speaker 1: among princes. The distraught father wrote of his late son,
Speaker 1: we know that Suleiman dressed in black and attended prayers
Speaker 1: for the dead for forty days instead of the customary three.
Speaker 1: Rak Salana's grief, however, was not chronicled. Women did not
Speaker 1: attend funeral prayers, and she was rarely seen in public.
Speaker 1: As it was, she likely threw herself into caring for
Speaker 1: Mehmed's infant daughter, whose arrival was imminent at the time
Speaker 1: of his death. The loss of Mehmed also meant the
Speaker 1: loss of a candidate for sultan. By fifteen forty six,
Speaker 1: Suliman was fifty three by the Islamic calendar, two years
Speaker 1: older than his father had been at the time of
Speaker 1: his death. The most experienced candidate for sultan at this
Speaker 1: point was Mustafa, who, if you remember, was Suliman's only
Speaker 1: other surviving son at the time of Mehmed's birth, a
Speaker 1: son that was not born to Roxalana. Roxalana's own surviving
Speaker 1: sons had a more powerful mother, naturally, but Mustafa had
Speaker 1: a mother solely dedicated to his success, and again he
Speaker 1: was older and more experienced. Tension was inevitable. In fifteen
Speaker 1: fifty two, the tension came to a deadly point. The
Speaker 1: Empire was at war with Persia, but Suleiman himself was
Speaker 1: not leading the charge. Rumors began to circulate that the
Speaker 1: soldiers were losing faith in their sultan, and there were
Speaker 1: backers seeking to put Mustapha, now forty, on the throne.
Speaker 1: Suliman's first reaction was apparently to blame those trying to
Speaker 1: sow discord, but he did decide to join the campaign
Speaker 1: to show his competency. Nonetheless, it's unclear how exactly we
Speaker 1: get from point A to point B here, but we
Speaker 1: know this. Mustafa was called for a meeting with his father,
Speaker 1: and Mustafa's advisers, including his mother, the former favorite, begged
Speaker 1: him not to attend. They were right to fear. When
Speaker 1: Mustapha and his men went to the meeting, they were
Speaker 1: executed upon their arrival. We don't know what drove Suleiman
Speaker 1: to go so far as to kill his son, but
Speaker 1: history would put the blame on rock Sollana, earning her
Speaker 1: the reputation as villainous. It was not the first time
Speaker 1: she was painted as scheming and jealous. Of course, she
Speaker 1: was already sometimes blamed for Mustapha and his mother both
Speaker 1: being sent to a governorship post outside of Istanbul, the
Speaker 1: traditional practice at the time. The blame for Mustapha's death, however,
Speaker 1: was a reputation that she would gain over time. Ottoman
Speaker 1: historians over the following century did not associate Roxalana with
Speaker 1: the execution, but by the twentieth century historians were sharing
Speaker 1: it as fact. The flaw in asserting Roxalana's guilt, as
Speaker 1: described by biographer Leslie Pearce, quote, the Ottoman habit of
Speaker 1: blaming subordinates so as to avoid holding the powerful accout
Speaker 1: countable for unsavory acts. The most likely explanation for Mustafa's
Speaker 1: execution was the threat that his success and his followers
Speaker 1: posed to his father, not to Braxillana or her sons.
Speaker 1: The loss of Mustafa devastated many in the empire, but
Speaker 1: the following year Roxalana would face a more devastating loss.
Speaker 1: An anxious note from her to Suliman reads quote, the
Speaker 1: city is clamoring that a messenger is coming, and everyone
Speaker 1: is getting ready to deck the city out. They are
Speaker 1: saying the messenger will arrive in two or three days,
Speaker 1: and so they are standing ready to decorate the city. Now,
Speaker 1: my Sultan, it is a very odd thing that a
Speaker 1: good news messenger should come when you yourself are wintering
Speaker 1: in Aleppo. The messenger was likely carrying the news that
Speaker 1: her youngest son had died of sickness after struggling with
Speaker 1: de disabilities his entire life. He was only around twenty one. Again,
Speaker 1: we can only imagine Roxalana's devastation and the added sadness
Speaker 1: that came with having to mourn while her husband was
Speaker 1: still away. Still life carried on for her, and she
Speaker 1: continued to work on her latest project, construction on a
Speaker 1: large and well funded complex in Jerusalem. It would be
Speaker 1: her crowning achievement, a soup kitchen that could feed four
Speaker 1: hundred people twice a day, and housing was provided for
Speaker 1: those visiting the Holy City. She was the third woman
Speaker 1: to build a public project in Jerusalem. But as the
Speaker 1: project progressed, Roxalana's health declined. She died in the spring
Speaker 1: of fifteen fifty eight, one year after the complex formally opened.
Speaker 1: Roxalana's letters always stressed her pain at being away from
Speaker 1: her husband, and it's believed he was by her side
Speaker 1: when she did die. Quote they say, the day before
Speaker 1: she died Suleiman promised her and swore by the soul
Speaker 1: of his father Selim that he would never approach another woman.
Speaker 1: That's from the French ambassador at the time, who also
Speaker 1: noted that Roxalana was mourned by all those who owed
Speaker 1: their status to her, as the majority of those who
Speaker 1: governed the empire at this time were of her making.
Speaker 1: That's the story of Roxalana, who went from slave to
Speaker 1: the most powerful woman in an empire. But keep listening
Speaker 1: after a brief sponsor break to hear a little bit
Speaker 1: more about her legacy and why it's so specifically interesting.
Speaker 1: Roxalana was a subject of European fascination even during her lifetime,
Speaker 1: but after her death her legend continue to grow in stories, plays, operas,
Speaker 1: and today in film and TV shows. Many of these
Speaker 1: interpretations portray her as a witch and a villainous, but
Speaker 1: in Ukraine she's often considered a national hero. The scholar
Speaker 1: Galina Yermalenko argues that as the country gained its independence
Speaker 1: from Russia, rox Selena became an important figure in the
Speaker 1: construction of Ukraine's national identity. Rox Selena Is Coming Back
Speaker 1: Home is a bronze monument in Ukraine, believed to be
Speaker 1: her birthplace. The statue stands four meters tall on a
Speaker 1: six meter column, and she's dressed in a traditional Ukrainian costume.
Speaker 1: The names rock Soalana and Rosoliana are popular among Ukrainian
Speaker 1: girls and women, and you can find rock Salana's name
Speaker 1: and imagery on postage stamps, in the windows of beauty
Speaker 1: salons and boutiques, and even on vodka bottles. So next
Speaker 1: time you take a shot of vodka, make sure to
Speaker 1: toast to the Maiden from Ruthenia. Noble Blood is a
Speaker 1: production of iHeart Radio and Grimm and Mild from Aaron Manky.
Speaker 1: Nobel Blood is hosted by me Danish Forts, with additional
Speaker 1: writing and researching by Hannah Johnston, Hannah Zewick, Courtney Sender,
Speaker 1: Julia Milani, and Arman Cassam. The show is edited and
Speaker 1: produced by Noemy Griffin and rima Ill Kali, with supervising
Speaker 1: producer Josh Thain and executive producers Aaron Manky, Alex Williams
Speaker 1: and Matt Frederick. Four more podcasts from iHeartRadio visit the
Speaker 1: iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your
Speaker 1: favorite shows.