Meyrem Ayşe Sultan

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Meyrem Sultan was a legal wife and haseki sultan to Murad IV. She was also valide sultan to Mehmed IV.

Biography

She was born in 1614 in Albania and was the daughter of Hasan Bey from the Jonima family. She was the niece of Grand vizier Kemankes Kara Mustafa Pasha. She also had a brother named Silahdar Musa Aga. When still young Meyrem along with her cousin Ruhsar Hatun were presented in the Imperial Harem. Because of her cousin Ruhsar was Murad's concubine as well, Meyrem decided to destroy her cousins face by burning it. That happened after she gave birth to her first son Şehzade Ahmed. It is said that Meryem was very jealous and that Murad only loved Meryem after it. He had other concubines, but Meyrem was his favorite and legal wife.

Life with Murad and Haseki Sultan role

Meyrem Sultan was known for her beauty, she was Murad's favorite consort. Even though Murad had affair with both men and women, he was always on Meryem's side and supported her all the time. Meryem had given Murad six children, four princes and two princesses:

Şehzade Süleyman (d. 1632) Şehzade Alaadin (d.1640) Şehzade Mehmed (d. 1633) Şehzade Ahmed (d. 1627) Rukiye Sultan (d. 1675) Kaya Sultan (d. 1659)

During Murad's era, she was also an enemy of Kösem Sultan. Because later on, knowing that Murad had affairs with men, Kösem Sultan represented him young, handsome boys for him and which irritated Meyrem. In 1627, after Şehzade Ahmed's death, Meyrem was in a very painful sorrow and it was said that she mourned him in two weeks and later attempted taking a suicide. When Murad found out that his haseki was in such a sorrow and attempted to suicide, he decided to freed and legally married her. Murad married her in 22 July 1627 at the Old Palace. Her witness was Eyup Pasha. She became Ottoman Empire's youngest haseki sultan (thirteen years old).In that time, she became a bigger hostility towards Kösem which made her more powerful. In 1635 Kösem had been spreading rumors that Meyrem was using witch crafts to make her son only fall in love with Meyrem, not with anyone else. She also accused Meyrem for secretly making affairs with castle's golds. Weeks later, the rumors were spreading everywhere, and Meyrem was very irritated so she ordered to murder Kösem while she was taking a bath. Unfortunately, a kalfa saved Kösem's life, otherwise she would have been dead. They never found out who gave the order, but Meyrem was suspicious to Kösem. While Kösem tried to send him some concubines to irritate Meyrem, Meyrem secretly ordered the agas to burn all the girls.

Death Of Şehzade Alaadin

In 1640, after Murad's death her son Sehzade Alaadin should've ascend the throne, but Kösem Sultan stopped it and instead made Sehzade Ibrahim (Later Ibrahim I) the sultan. Although, all of Meyrem's princes were dead, for example Ahmed died because when he was born he was very small and weak. Later on, her other son Süleyman died due to bandit attack, which affected her other son Mehmed, he became very sick and ill in the mourn of his brother. Almost one year later he died. The only left son was Alaadin and the two daughters Kaya and Rukiye Sultan. She was send to the Eski Saray (Old Palace) and Ibrahim I ordered to execute his brother's son, Sehzade Alaadin. When Meryem found out, she called a bunch of jannicaries corps and decided to hide her son Alaadin in Haseki Hürrem Sultan's hamam (Bathroom). Five months later, the agas found the prince and immediately brought him back to the Topkapi Palace and there they executed him, Kösem Sultan had a big role on Alaadin's death, because it was her who found where her grandson was and spied to Ibrahim. The prince was executed, and Meyrem had no hopes left because she had no princes left. She remained in Eski Saray till 1648.

Valide Sultan title

After Ibrahim's death in 1648, his son Mehmed IV ascend the throne. Couple of days later. Mehmed IV ordered to bring Meyrem back in the Topkapi Palace and give her instead the title as the valide sultan. Everyone was shocked with his order, because his mother Turhan Hatice Sultan should've become the valide sultan, but he didn't allow her to take the role but instead Meyyem. The reason why he brought and made her valide sultan was because when Mehmed was young, Turhan's milk was probably poisoned, and it is said that Meryem fed him together with her other children. Mehmed had a big respect and love for her such as for his mother. Meyrem became valide sultan, and was the most powerful woman in the palace meaning that she was even more powerful than Kösem and Turhan. She was also the first ottoman consort to become valide sultan and her son not being the sultan the second is Rahime Perestu Sultan. During her valide sultan time, she was very powerful and very aggressive against the harem, pashas, beys, agas and sultanas. She showed no mercy for anyone, she killed all of her enemies. It is said that once time a concubine spilled milk on her dress, she made the concubine barry twenty six pounds of flower on her back. She also forbid Kösem involving on the polictis, and she was the one (Along with Turhan) who made Kösem and her grandson towards each other. One day, Meyrem heard that Turhan had complained to Mehmed because of the way Meyrem threats her and that Mehmed would order to take the valide sultan title away from her and send her back to the old palace. Meryem wouldn't allow that to happen, that's why she was about to start a revolt and make her daughter Rukiye Sultan as the new sultan. In that time, that was impossible. Only male children would become the sultans, a woman was not allowed to rule. A week later, Mehmed was camping and suddenly some bandits attacked him. The day after he was back the revolt broke in the castle and started creaming Meryem Valide Sultan cok yasa. The grand vizier,Kemankes Kara Mustafa and Silahdrar Musa Aga started the revolt.When Mehmed IV returned, he behead both of them and he broke into Meyrem's chamber, grabbed her and threw her in the dungeon for five days. The revolt had failed She was no longer valide sultan, and she was exiled to the old palace for the rest of her life. She was also one of the youngest women to become a valide sultan (Age 34) along with Handan Sultan(Age 31). (Regency August 8, 1648 - 15 November 1549)

Role on Kösem Sultan's death

After she was exiled in the old palace, she suddenly worked with Turhan all the time. Turhan visited her in the old palace and was planning on destroying Kösem. That happened because after Meyrem was no longer valide sultan, Mehmed's grandmother Kösem Sultan became the valide sultan once again. That was also a shock for everyone, because Turhan didn't get the title once again. It wasn't Mehmed's decision, but the jannicaries decided it was better that Kösem became valide sultan. One of Kösem's servant, Meleki Hatun was very loyal to Kösem. Turhan and Meyrem started playing a game on her, and suddenly made her towards Kösem. One day, Meleki spied to Turhan that Kösem was planning on dethroning her grandson and putting another grandson on the throne. Turhan was very angry, and she ordered the execution of Kösem. Later on, Kösem Sultan was strangled to death. After Kösem Sultan's death, Turhan became the valide sultan for the rest of her life. Meanwhile, Meyrem remained in Old Palace and died in 1680.

Sultanate of Women role

Meyrem was a very powerful woman, her power was enough to make her in the sultanate of women list. Some people say that she was even more powerful than Nurbanu Sultan and Safiye Sultan. And some people say that she was powerful and her power was enough for her to be in the sultanate of women but unfortunately she was not in the sultanate of women. Turhan had a big role on this. After Meyrem's death, she killed all people who knew Meyrem of spreading the knowledge further to tell people that she was valide sultan. That's why, today not everyone know that Meryem was a valide sultan, but it is known that she was the wife of Murad IV and a haseki sultan. Others say that, ottoman people thought that Meyrem was stupid sometimes, because she wanted to make her daughter, Rukiye Sultan the ottoman ruler. Which was not possible back then, women could not rule an empire till Kösem Sultan and Turhan Hatice Sultan's time. It is possible that, that happen because of from the hate people got on her, they could've removed the title as valide sultan once for all.

History

Meyrem Ayşe Sultan was not known well about her valide sultan title. Some say that Turhan Sultan killed all of Meryem's people after Meyrem's death, and in that way including historians. So it was probably Turhan who removed the valide sultan title forever. In 1977, a science man proved that Meyrem was a valide sultan, but the title was removed forever by Turhan.