Nefice Melek Khatun

Name and Origin

Nefis was probably born no earlier than 1335 and no later than 1360. She was the daughter of Murad I , the ruler of the Ottoman dynasty, who was first called the Sultan. Her mother was one of the wives or concubines of the Sultan, but it is impossible to name her for sure ^[1] .

The sources mention different names of this daughter of the Sultan: Nefise Melek-Khatun ^[2] , Melik Sultan-Khatun, Sultan-Khatun, Nefis-Khatun, Nefis-Sultan, Melek-Sultan, Khatun-Sultan, Devlet-Khatun and Mihri-Ali. In the prenuptial agreement that Feridun Akhmet-Bey found , she is called Nefise Sultan. The madrasah built by her is called Hatunya, that is, in Karaman her name was Hatun. For a long time it was not known how many daughters Murad had, two or one. There was also confusion over the determination of whose daughter Nefise was - Murad I or Murad II. However, now it is believed that these are the names of one daughter of Murad I ^[1] . Women were called by their husbands or fathers, by their position. Sultan-Khatun means a woman from the family of the Sultan, Devlet-Khatun comes from the word "devlet" - the state. Melike Hatun is the wife of the ruler. In the inscription on the Nefis Madrasah, it is called "Sultan Melik-Khatun", that is, the daughter of the Sultan and the wife of the ruler ^[3] .

Background

During the reign of Alaeddin, the bailik was significantly increased, in 1380 the territory of the Karamanids included the following regions and cities: Gulnar , Anamur , Silifke , Mut , Ermenek, , Bozkyr , Larinda (capital), Eregli , Ulukyshla , Nowhere , Karahisar, Aksaray , Akshehir , , Ylgyn and Konyu . Alaeddin was no longer just the “ruler of the Anatolian Mountains” (Sahib djibal al-Rum), as the Chameleans of the Mamelukes had previously called. He was already called “Sultan” and “Abu-l-Fat” ( Arabic. أبو الفتح - the father of victory) ^[4] .

Relations with the Ottomans of the Karamanids were difficult, since both Beyliki claimed the same nearby territories. Both families tried to achieve at least a temporary agreement through dynastic alliances with each other ^[5] . The first of these unions was the marriage of Alaeddin and Murad's daughter, Nefisa. Sources name different dates. In the collection of documents of the Ottoman office "Munshaat al-Salatin" (Letters of the Sultans), compiled by Nishanja Feridun Ahmed-bey in the XVI century, the wedding time is indicated in 1386. A study of the inscription on the Hatunya madrasah erected by Nephis gives reason to believe that the marriage was completed no later than 1381/82 ^[6] . It is not known on whose side the initiative was. It is known that in 1381 Bayazid, the son of Murad and the future Sultan, was married to Devlet Sultan, the daughter of Germianoglu Suleiman Shah ^[7] . Modern historians attribute the marriage of Nefis and Alaeddin to an earlier time - between 1360–1370, since the birth of the eldest son Nefis dates back to 1370 ^[1] .

Shikari in Karaman Nama writes that the marriage was proposed by Murad through Alaeddin’s brother, Davud, who came to Bursa as an ambassador from Alaeddin.

According to Shikari, in 1377 Ali-bey, the uncle of the groom, came as his representative to Bursa for marriage negotiations. The date of the marriage was set. The bride’s dowry and gifts from the groom were discussed ^[8] .

Thanks to this marriage, Alaeddin several times received forgiveness from Murad and Bayazid ^[8] .

Wedding

Shikari wrote that Murad Bey offered Nefisa Alaeddin Bey a hand to "rise above the position of a simple simple nomad by intermarrying with the great Karamanid family." However, the inscriptions on the buildings in Karaman, which call Murad a sultan, and Alaeddin the emir, indicate that at the time of marriage Murad was higher in position than Alaeddin. Among the gifts from the father of the bride to the groom were 18 rolls of Egyptian fabric, 9 carpets, 7 thoroughbred horses and 9 herds of camels ^[5] .

The description of the wedding is in many chronicles, its importance is evidenced by the fact that it was announced in advance at the mosque during Friday prayers. The representative of the bride was appointed military judge (later this position was called kadiasker ) Chandarlizade Mevlana Khalil. In the text of the announcement, preserved by the chronicles, Nefice is called "virtuous, the head of women, the incomparable princess" ^[5] . Khalil Eden Bey estimates the date of this announcement to be 1378. ^[5]

At the wedding ceremony, which took place in Bursa no later than 1381 ^[10] , Chandarlizade Mevlyana Khalil was a witness from Nefise-khatun, and Mevlyana Muslihiddin from Alaeddin ^[5] .

Munchaat us-saladin Feridun Bey contains a letter listing the gifts of the Sultan: one hundred thousand coins or gold lire, one hundred horses, ten rolls of silk, French velvet embroidered with gold thread for twenty dresses, five rolls of Damascus fabric, twenty rolls of mixed fabric (from silk thread woven from cotton), ten rolls of Turkish velvet, nine kilograms of gold jewelry, a total of four hundred and thirteen grams of diamonds, rubies and other precious stones, ten herds of camels. Alaeddin, in turn, promised, assuring the press that in the event of a divorce, he would give his wife Akshehir, Aksaray and all the villages in the vicinity of these cities ^[5] .

In the description of the wedding, the chronicles preserved the story of the attack on the bride’s motorcade. The Mongols surrounded the caravan in Sivrikhisar, but the Alaeddin’s guards defeated the Mongols before they had arrived to the aid of 40,000 horsemen from Karaman. The emirs of Sarukhan , Aydin , Menteshe and Eshrefoglu were present at the wedding celebrations in Karaman ^[5] .

Reseller

The next time Nefice was mentioned by the chronicles in connection with the events of 1385/86, when she first played the role of a mediator between her husband and father ^[5] . Alaeddin repeatedly entered into conflicts, first with Murad, and after his death with Bayazid, capturing lands and cities that the Ottomans considered theirs. Thanks to the intercession of Nephis, each time Alaeddin was able to receive forgiveness ^[5] .

The first time Nefice was a petitioner for her husband in 1386 ^[11] (1385 ^[12] ). According to Ottoman chronicles, Murad was forced to distract from military operations on European territory and return with an army to Anatolia. The reason was the territorial claims of Alaeddin, who captured Kara-Agak, Yalvaj and , taking advantage of Murad’s employment in Rumelia ^[13] . Alaeddin Bey, realizing that his strength was not enough, sent the ambassador to his father-in-law, but the Sultan did not even accept him. Murad besieged Alaeddin in Konya, and after 13 days of the siege, the Karaman Bey sent to Sultan Nefis, who, with requests and tears, incited her father to a peaceful outcome. According to Neshri and subsequent historians, Nefis requested “to forgive the husband’s guilt only once, not to destroy her family, not to make her a widow, and her children orphans” ^{[14] [4]} . It follows that in 1386 Nefis and Alaeddin already had children ^[4] . Murad forgave the son-in-law and conveyed through his daughter that Alaeddin should appear before the Sultan and kiss his hand in a sign of submission. Alaeddin was also to abandon Beysehir ^[4] . The historian N. Sakaoglu in the stories about this mediation cites the story of the dove. In one of the stories, Nefisa, before leaving her father, put her hand on her heart and swore allegiance "while life is warm in this body." Coming out of the tent, she opened the cloak, and from the floor she released a dove. Nefisa said: “I free myself from the oath I have made and let go of my words, like this little dove.” ^[5] In another case, N. Sakaoglu describes that Alaeddin swore on a dove ^[15] . However, the Ottoman historian Neshri talks about a dove in connection with the capture of his son Nefis, Mehmed ^[14] .

After the death of Murad in 1390/91, there was another military clash between Alaeddin and the Ottomans, this time with Bayazid. Again, Alaeddin after the defeat managed to resolve the issue peacefully. And again Nephis was the mediator and petitioner for him ^[16] .

The Execution of a Husband

Despite the defeats, Alaeddin could not accept and did not calm down. During the battle of Nikopol, he attacked Ankara and imprisoned Sari Temirtash Pasha, the cities of Vali . At the battle of Nikopol, Johann Schiltberger was captured by Bayazid, who served directly to Bayazid, being in the retinue of the Sultan. He left a description of subsequent events ^[17] . According to him, Bayazid opposed a rebellious relative with a 150 thousandth army, while Alaeddin had 70 thousand ^[17] . Upon learning of the approach of Bayazid, Alaeddin freed Timurtash Pasha and sent him as ambassador with gifts and peace proposals to the Sultan. However, Bayazid refused to talk about peace. The armies met near Konya and entered the battle. Despite the numerical superiority, Bayazid in the two-day battle could not defeat the Karamanid, however, being almost surrounded, Alaeddin took refuge in the citadel of the city. After 11 days of the siege, the sultan agreed with the inhabitants of the city that they would open the gates in exchange for preserving life and property ^[17] . The population of the city betrayed its ruler, and Alaeddin was killed ^[4] . Johann Schiltberger described the death of Alaeddin Bey as follows:

According to Schiltberger's description, this happened in 1397/98, however, Kramers indicates 1391 (after the battle of Aksaray) ^[12] . The famous orientalist Yuri Petrosyan accepted the version that Alaeddin was executed by order of Bayazid ^[18] .

After the execution of her husband

After the execution of Alaeddin and the surrender of Konya, Bayazid went to Larinda, in which were the sons of Alaeddin and their mother - the widow of Alaeddin and Bayazid's sister. The sons of Alaeddin, already teenagers (they were at least 11 years old), were offended and angry with the execution of his father and the look of his head at the peak. With youthful ardor, they wanted to defend the city and did not want to give up. Residents of the city sympathized with the boys and supported them. However, after several days of the siege, Nefise was afraid that her sons would be executed, as well as their father. She told the residents that she did not see the opportunity to defend the city and did not want people to suffer because of their family ^[8] . Due to the inability to resist, the widow of Alaeddin left the city to her brother, leading her sons. Bayazid “seeing his sister with his sons, went out of his tent to meet them; they then rushed to his feet, kissed his feet, asking for mercy, and handed him the keys of the castle and the city. The king then ordered the dignitaries standing near him to pick them up, took possession of the city and placed there the head of one of his close associates. He sent his sister and her sons to the capital city of Brussa ” ^[17] . At first, Bayazid gave the lands of the Karamanids to his son Mustafa. It is not known how Mehmet Bey and Ali Bey , the sons of Alaeddin and Nefis, lived in Bursa. According to Envery 's Dusturnam, they were kept separately from their mother ^[19] . There is evidence that Mehmet and Ali lived in Bursa in honorable captivity, but soon Bayazid gave Mehmet the conquered lands of the Karamanids. Ichel was given to Sheikh Hassan, the son of Suleiman Bey, who was hiding in Eretna ^[4] .

From 1403 to 1424 the sons of Nefis ruled in Karaman. It is believed that Nefice died in Larind during the reign of Mehmed between 1403 and 1423 ^[8] . In 1381, she built the Khatuniye Madrasah in Larind, next to which she was buried in a turbine . The date of burial is unknown ^[5] .

The Khatunya Madrasah built by Nephis has been preserved and belongs to the Karaman Museum. In addition to the madrassah Nefis erected a hammam. She founded two foundations ( waqf ) at the madrasah and at the mausoleum ( tour. Vakf-ı medrese-i Melek Hatun bint Sultan Murad , tour. Vakf-ı türbe-i Hatun ve medrese-i mezkure benam Hatuniyye ), which received income from hamama ^[5] .

Nefice was one of the first Ottoman women mentioned in her contemporary chronicles (Schiltberger). The abundance of references to Nefis in various texts under different names gave the Turkish historian Uzuncharshila the opportunity to study and analyze Ottoman female names using the example of Nefis. Uzuncharshily testified that the names of women at that time were often not mentioned. Even the daughters or wives of the Sultans were often referred to in documents not by personal names, but were called according to the situation ^[20] .

Nefice played an important role as a mediator between her husband and sultans. Thanks to her, Alaeddin Bey was twice forgiven, first by Murad and then by Bayazid ^[21] . The historian N. Sakaoglu called Nefis "a bird of prey" ^[22] . Ottoman historians noted that Nefis rejected her Ottoman origin and fully supported her husband. They said about her: “She could be a man” ^[5]

in Russian

• Petrosyan Yu.A. Ottoman Empire: Power and Perdition (Historical Essays). - M .: Science. The main edition of oriental literature, 1990. - 280 p. - ISBN 5-02-017026-7 .
• Ivan Schiltberger's journey through Europe, Asia and Africa, from 1394 to 1427 . - 1867. - T. 1. - (Notes of the Imperial Novorossiysk University). - ISBN 975–585–483–5.

in other languages

• Mehmed Neshri. Bogged down into the light: History on the Ottoman court / ed. Maria Kalitsin. - OF, 1984. - 420 s.
• Alderson Anthony Dolphin. The Structure of the Ottoman Dynasty . - Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1956. - 186 p. (eng.)
• Emecen F. Anatolian emirates (THE KARAMANIDS) // Encyclopedia of the Ottoman Empire / Ágoston G., Bruce AM. - 2009. - P. 40. - ISSN 0-8160-6259-5 . (eng.)
• Kramers JH Karaman-Oghullari / In Houtsma, Martijn Theodoor. - Leiden: BRILL, 1927. - Vol. II. - S. 748-752. - (EJ Brill's first encyclopaedia of Islam, 1913-1936). (eng.)
• Sakaoglu N. Famous Ottoman Women. - Istanbul: Avea, 2007 .-- 320 p. - ISBN 9757104779 . - ISBN 9789757104773 . (eng.)
• Sakaoğlu, Necdet. Bu mülkün kadın sultanları. - İstanbul: Oğlak Yayıncılık, 2015. - 574 p. (tour.)
• Sumer F. Karaman-Oghullari. - Leiden: BRILL, 1997 .-- Vol. IV. - S. 619-625. - (Encyclopaedia of Islam, New Edition). (eng.)
• Sumer F. Karamanogullari : Islamansiklopedisi. - 1995. - No. 24 . - P. 454-460. (tour.)
• Süreyya Mehmed Bey. Sicill-i Osmani / ed. Nuri Akbayar. - Istanbul: Tarih Vakfi Yurt Yayınlar, 1996. - T. 1. - P. 15. - ISBN 975-333-049-5 , 975-333-038-3.
• Uzunçarşılı İ. H. Murad-ı Hüdâvendigâr kızı ve Karamanoğlu Alâeddin Bey'in zevcesinin adı nedir? // Belleten. - Ankara, 1957. (tur.)
• Uluçay MC Padişahların Kadınları ve Kızları. - 2001. - ISBN 978-975-437-840-5 . (tour.)

Links

• Hatuniye Medresesi ( unopened ) (unreachable link) . http://gokaraman.gov.tr/ . Date of treatment January 26, 2018. Archived on May 14, 2016.