The Real Harem Life
19The Ottoman Imperial Harem was a unique institution that played a significant role in the Ottoman Empire’s social and political affairs. The harem was composed of the sultan’s wives, servants, female relatives, and concubines, who occupied a secluded portion of the Ottoman imperial household.
The term ‘harem’ is derived from the Arabic ‘harim’ or ‘haram’, which connotes the sacred and forbidden. This term emphasizes that only women household members and some related male family members were able to enter these areas.
The harem served an important social function within the Ottoman court and wielded considerable political authority, especially during the long period known as the Sultanate of Women. Historians claim that the sultan was frequently lobbied by harem members of different ethnic or religious backgrounds to influence the geography of the Ottoman wars of conquest.
The utmost authority in the Imperial Harem, the valideh sultan, ruled over the other women in the household. The consorts of the sultan were normally of slave origin, including the valideh sultan. The Kizlar Agha, also known as the “Chief Black Eunuch” because of the Nilotic origin of most aghas, was the head of the eunuchs responsible for guarding the Imperial Harem.
As the sultan became increasingly sedentary in the palace, his family members were eventually relieved of their public duties and gathered in the imperial capital. This transformed the imperial harem into a well-organized, hierarchical, and institutionalized social and political structure with rigid protocols and training.
The harem was also a symbol of power. The sultan’s ownership of women, mostly slaves, was a sign of wealth, power, and sexual prowess. The seclusion of the harem from public gaze communicated his power as only those closest to him had the privilege to interact with him privately.
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