NEHC 20012 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Roxelana, Ulama, Manumission
6 Sep 2016
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Women were diverse group: social and economic classes, social status, education opportunities, duties, ethnic and religious background. There are no special or specific sources for women"s history: histories (narratives, records from palace, accounts of ambassadors, travelogues, court records, estate inventories, diaries, letters, etc. Possible career paths of a concubine: entry into dynastic family as mother of ottoman prince, promotion to administrative office in harem institution, manumission and entry into ottoman ruling elite as wife of ruling elite. Creating own elites inspired loyalty, closely linked. Myths of harem: idealized as exotic, not having much action, debauchery, sexualized. Truth: placed within those walls, expected to act only within those walls. Structure of palace: first courtyard: open to public, second courtyard: semipublic, government access limited to governing elite. Lively place: third courtyard: the imperial interior, not accessible, harem. Inside cannot go out, outside cannot go in. Secluded place: how to notice sultan in image: segregated from others, guarded by two men.
