Hoşyar Kadın

Hoşyar Kadın was the adopted daughter of Beyhan Sultan, daughter of Sultan Mustafa III, and cousin of the Sultan Mahmud.[1]

In 1810, Beyhan Sultan gave a grand banquet to Mahmud. During this time, he offered Hoşyar's hand in marriage to him. Beyhan consented to his offer and, after some days, sent her to the imperial harem, with a grand ceremony, and with magnificent presents, which she gave her as her dower. For ten days, the Sultan was most assiduous in his attentions; after that period, he showed himself no more.[2]

She was given the title of "Fourth Consort". Two years later, on 29 June 1812, she gave birth to her first daughter, Mihrimah Sultan.[3] She was followed two years later by another daughter, Şah Sultan, born on 14 October 1814, who died at the age of two on 13 April 1817.[4] She was then elevated to the title of "Third Consort", and later to the title of "Second Consort".[5]

When the time came to get Mihrimah Sultan a husband, Hoşyar resolved that she should make her choice. She showed her the portraits of several young men, each worthy of her hand. She fixed upon Said Pasha,[6] and the two married in 1835.[7]

Shortly after his marriage to her daughter, Said Pasha had incurred Mahmud's displeasure and been exiled to the provinces, to his wife's and mother-in-law's distress. At this time, Hoşyar had sufficiently sure of her influence to petition Mahmud directly and did so in a letter. She followed this up with two letters of thanks, one when Mahmud granted her request and ordered Said Pasha brought back to Istanbul, the other when he arrived.[8]

Very few months had elapsed when Mihrimah died in 1838 in childbirth, and with her, Hoşyar's last solace disappeared.[6] With the death of Mahmud in 1839, she lost her influence at the court.[8]

In later years she settled in her palace, situated at Tarlabaşı, facing Dolmabahçe Palace.[9] She also met Melek Hanim, wife of grand vizier Kıbrıslı Mehmed Emin Pasha.[10] Melek described her being tall and fair-haired, and her skin, exceedingly white, set off the freshness of her complexion. Knowing that Melek had been in Europe, Hoşyar interrogated her as to the manners and customs of the Christians, the way the towns were built, the balls, theatres, systems of lighting by gas, the architecture of the palaces, and a thousand other matters.[11]

Bezmiâlem Sultan, the mother of Sultan Abdulmejid I always regarded her with a jealous eye. She scarcely allowed her to receive, once a month, a visit from Said Pasha when he was in Istanbul. Moreover, she was never allowed to hear of her daughter spoken of.[6]

In 1840, she commissioned a fountain in Elhac, Kasımpaşa. In 1844, she commissioned a school in Burgaz. She also commissioned a mosque.[12]

In 1859, Hoşyar went for a pilgrimage (Hajj) to Mecca, where she died.[13][1]

Together with Mahmud, Hoşyar had two children:

• Mihrimah Sultan (Topkapı Palace, 29 June 1812 - Istanbul, Turkey, 31 August 1838, buried in Nakşidil Sultan Mausoleum), married and had issue;[14]
• Şah Sultan (14 October 1814 - 13 April 1817, buried in Nuruosmaniye Mosque);[15]

• In 2018 Turkish historical fiction TV series Kalbimin Sultanı, Hoşyar is portrayed by Turkish actress Beste Kökdemir.

• Ottoman Imperial Harem
• List of consorts of the Ottoman sultans

• Hanim, Melek (1872). Thirty years in the harem: or, The autobiography of Melek-Hanum, wife of H.H. Kibrizli-Mehemet-Pasha.
• Uluçay, Mustafa Çağatay (2011). Padişahların kadınları ve kızları. Ötüken. ISBN 978-9-754-37840-5.
• Sakaoğlu, Necdet (2008). Bu mülkün kadın sultanları: Vâlide sultanlar, hâtunlar, hasekiler, kadınefendiler, sultanefendiler. Oğlak Yayıncılık. ISBN 978-9-753-29623-6.