A Unique Rule for the Sultan
The author begins by pointing out what he believed was a surprising difference between the Ottoman sultan and his subjects. While ordinary Muslim men were allowed to marry, the sultan himself was generally expected not to take a legal wife. Instead, he lived with female slaves and concubines in the imperial harem. According to the writer, the sultan could have as many women as he desired, both for his personal life and to display the wealth and magnificence of the Ottoman court.
The author explains that this practice reflected a long-standing tradition among many Eastern rulers. In several royal courts throughout Asia and the Middle East, the size of a ruler’s harem was often seen as a symbol of power, prestige, and royal authority. A large household filled with attendants and concubines demonstrated the ruler’s wealth and high status Customized Tours Balkan.
Why Did the Sultan Avoid Marriage?
The writer says that the Ottoman practice of avoiding legal marriage had become an important principle of state policy. He describes it as one of the “secrets of the empire” (Arcana Imperii), meaning a political custom that helped protect the stability of the Ottoman dynasty.
He then presents one explanation given by the sixteenth-century diplomat Ogier Ghiselin de Busbecq. According to Busbecq, the custom began after the Ottoman Sultan Bayezid I was defeated by Timur (Tamerlane) at the Battle of Ankara in 1402.
Busbecq wrote that Bayezid’s wife, Despina Hatun, was captured after the battle. According to later European stories, Timur humiliated her in front of the defeated sultan. The author claims that this event caused Bayezid greater sorrow than even his military defeat. As a result, later Ottoman sultans supposedly decided not to marry officially, believing that a legal wife could become a source of political humiliation if captured during war.
Modern historians, however, question this famous story. Many believe that European writers exaggerated or even invented parts of the tale, and there is little reliable Ottoman evidence that Despina was publicly humiliated in the way later accounts describe.
A Political Strategy
The author believes there was a much more practical reason behind the custom. In his opinion, avoiding legal marriage helped the sultan prevent political problems within the royal family.
In many kingdoms, the family of the queen gained influence at court. Powerful relatives might seek government offices, military commands, or political favors because of their connection to the ruler. Such family alliances could create rival groups competing for power.
By choosing concubines instead of legal wives, the Ottoman sultans avoided giving any noble family special political influence. Since most concubines entered the palace as slaves without powerful relatives, they could not establish competing political dynasties outside the palace. This reduced the risk of family rivalries that might threaten the stability of the empire.
Modern historians generally agree that this political explanation was one of the main reasons for the Ottoman practice. It helped ensure that loyalty remained focused on the sultan rather than on influential aristocratic families.
Marriage and the Kabin
The author also explains that if a sultan chose to make a woman his legal wife, the ceremony was relatively simple. The essential act was providing her with a kabin, the marriage settlement or mahr required under Islamic law. This financial gift belonged entirely to the wife and served as her personal property and legal security.
Unlike many European royal weddings, which involved elaborate religious ceremonies and public celebrations, Ottoman royal marriages placed greater emphasis on the legal contract and financial settlement.
A Historical Perspective
This passage reflects both accurate observations and popular stories repeated by European travelers during the seventeenth century. The author correctly notes that Ottoman sultans usually preferred concubines rather than legal wives. However, modern scholarship suggests that this policy was motivated mainly by political concerns rather than by the story of Bayezid and Despina alone.
By avoiding marriage into powerful noble families, the Ottoman dynasty reduced the risk of political factions forming around the queen’s relatives. This system became one of the distinctive features of the Ottoman court and contributed to the stability of the imperial government for many centuries.