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Empress of the East: How a European Slave Girl Became Queen of the Ottoman Empire

door Leslie Peirce

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1213224,107 (3.82)11
"The extraordinary story of the Russian slave girl Roxelana, who rose from the role of concubine to become the only queen in Ottoman history In Empress of the East, historian Leslie Peirce tells the remarkable story of a Christian slave girl, Roxelana, who was abducted by warriors at age twelve from her Ruthenian homeland, and brought to the harem of Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent in Constantinople. Suleiman became besotted with her, and forsook all other mistresses. Then, in an unprecedented step, he made her the first and only queen in the Ottoman court. Although shrouded in scandal, the canny and sophisticated Roxelana became a shrewd diplomat and administrator, who helped Suleyman keep pace with a changing world in which women--from Queen Elizabeth to Catherine de Medici--increasingly held the reins of power. In Empress of the East, Pierce reveals the true history of an elusive figure who pushed the Ottoman Empire towards modernity"-- "FROM CHRISTIAN MAIDEN TO MUSLIM QUEEN: Roxelana was born in Ruthenia, possibly the daughter of a priest but more likely into an average family, facing a hardscrabble life. She was captured by slavers around age 12 and taken to the Ottoman court. Her trajectory was extraordinary--she became a favored concubine and then the first, and only, Ottoman Queen. From rags to riches, her life is one of political maneuvering, rule breaking, and forbidden love. A Christian slave girl ripped from her homeland who, against all odds, rose to become the only queen in the history of the Ottoman Empire, Roxelana has long been accused of witchcraft and blamed for turning the sultan Suleyman's head--even preventing him from reaching his full potential as a ruler. But the truth is even more remarkable: the first (and only) Queen in Ottoman history, Roxelana was a diplomat, an administrator, and a modernizer who helped Suleyman keep up with the changing world. She is a remarkable figure whose fascinating story warrants retelling, and whose life will shed new light on the history of the Ottoman Empire. Soon after Roxelana entered Suleyman's harem, however, Suleyman set aside all others, breaking centuries of tradition in favor of the laughing Ruthenian maiden, who he would eventually free and marry. Controversial from the outset, Roxelana has remained so for historians. Both in life and in death, she has been a lightning rod for virtually all of Suleyman's unpopular acts, including a series of controversial executions. This greatest of Ottoman sultans has himself been sold short by the myth of his susceptibility to Roxelana's charms"--… (meer)
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Toon 3 van 3
Not bad. Limited by availability of sources. ( )
  maryroberta | Apr 26, 2021 |
This is a book about the only queen of the Ottoman Empire. Suleiman the Magnificent received Roxelana as a slave. He eventually set her free, married her, and went on to have six children with her. All of this was unheard of in Ottoman society. Ambassadors to the Ottoman court claimed that Roxelana was a great favorite of the Sultan who was devoted to her and loved her greatly. It is for this that she is remembered today.

Nothing is known of Roxelana's life before she came to the Ottoman court. And very little is known afterwards. A few surviving letters in her voice are all we are able to use to understand her character. This book is not just about Roxelana. It is also about the times she lived in and it delves into the history of the Ottoman court and culture. In that respect, it can be a bit tedious reading. However, the snippets we get about Roxelana make the reading vastly worthwhile. ( )
  briandrewz | Jul 26, 2020 |
I took a class on the history of the Balkans, and this book was on the suggested reading list. What a great choice I made!

This book tells the story of Roxelana, a Russian girl captured into slavery and sent to the harem of Suleyman I (later known as "the Magnificent"). Not much is known about her, but the author has done a lot of research to put together as complete a picture as possible. What I found especially interesting is how the social and political structures of the court worked. The Ottomans didn't believe that sultans should participate in dynastic marriages with royals from other countries; they felt this might divide the loyalties of any offspring, including successors to the throne. Nor did they follow the practice of primogeniture (where the first born son is the natural successor).

What this resulted in was a system where the sultan had sexual relationships with concubines from the harem who caught his eye. Now, here is where it gets interesting. The concubines favoured, or expected to be favoured, by the sultan were educated in speaking and writing Turkish (remember most were foreign slaves), in needlecraft and perhaps music. Once a concubine bore a child, her status was elevated to royal mother and she was given a budget and learned financial management. The head of the harem was the sultan's mother. She had great financial and managerial power as well as influence over the sultan.

While girls could not ascend to the throne, they were much prized by both parents, loved and educated as royal princesses. Once a concubine bore a son, however, her sexual relationship with the sultan ended. Her job was to prepare her son for becoming sultan by ensuring his education and advocating for him. It was felt that a mother could not and should not have her loyalties divided among sons; therefore, one son per mother was the rule. As sons were given governorships or other duties, their mothers accompanied them.

Then Suleyman met Roxelana and changed the system. They fell in love; the kind of love that is enduring and stronger than convention. Roxelana bore Suleyman five sons and a daughter. He was faithful to her; in fact, he freed then married her. She moved from the women's palace to his palace, where they had adjoining quarters. By adopting a lifestyle that we see as "normal", Suleyman was seen as a revolutionary. Roxelana was, by many, called a witch or sorceress. In this book, we learn of how she looked after her sons' interests without being able to favour any one of them (there's an older half-brother to complicate things a bit). We also learn about her role as "Empress" which never before, or since, existed.

This book is listed as biography/history -- and it is both -- but its real strength is as a cultural study. I found it fascinating. ( )
1 stem LynnB | Feb 22, 2018 |
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This woman, of late a slave, but now become the greatest empresse of the East, flowing in all worldly felicitie, attended upon with all the pleasures that her heart could desire, wanted nothing she could wish but how to find means that the Turkish empire might after the death of Solyman be brought to some one of her owne sons. -- Richard Knolles, The Generall Historie of the Turkes (1603).
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For Joanne, Lynda, Nancy, Linda, and the memory of Jude
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The Russian slave had been the concubine of Suleyman I, "the Magnificent," for fifteen years when the royal wedding celebration took place in 1536.
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"The extraordinary story of the Russian slave girl Roxelana, who rose from the role of concubine to become the only queen in Ottoman history In Empress of the East, historian Leslie Peirce tells the remarkable story of a Christian slave girl, Roxelana, who was abducted by warriors at age twelve from her Ruthenian homeland, and brought to the harem of Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent in Constantinople. Suleiman became besotted with her, and forsook all other mistresses. Then, in an unprecedented step, he made her the first and only queen in the Ottoman court. Although shrouded in scandal, the canny and sophisticated Roxelana became a shrewd diplomat and administrator, who helped Suleyman keep pace with a changing world in which women--from Queen Elizabeth to Catherine de Medici--increasingly held the reins of power. In Empress of the East, Pierce reveals the true history of an elusive figure who pushed the Ottoman Empire towards modernity"-- "FROM CHRISTIAN MAIDEN TO MUSLIM QUEEN: Roxelana was born in Ruthenia, possibly the daughter of a priest but more likely into an average family, facing a hardscrabble life. She was captured by slavers around age 12 and taken to the Ottoman court. Her trajectory was extraordinary--she became a favored concubine and then the first, and only, Ottoman Queen. From rags to riches, her life is one of political maneuvering, rule breaking, and forbidden love. A Christian slave girl ripped from her homeland who, against all odds, rose to become the only queen in the history of the Ottoman Empire, Roxelana has long been accused of witchcraft and blamed for turning the sultan Suleyman's head--even preventing him from reaching his full potential as a ruler. But the truth is even more remarkable: the first (and only) Queen in Ottoman history, Roxelana was a diplomat, an administrator, and a modernizer who helped Suleyman keep up with the changing world. She is a remarkable figure whose fascinating story warrants retelling, and whose life will shed new light on the history of the Ottoman Empire. Soon after Roxelana entered Suleyman's harem, however, Suleyman set aside all others, breaking centuries of tradition in favor of the laughing Ruthenian maiden, who he would eventually free and marry. Controversial from the outset, Roxelana has remained so for historians. Both in life and in death, she has been a lightning rod for virtually all of Suleyman's unpopular acts, including a series of controversial executions. This greatest of Ottoman sultans has himself been sold short by the myth of his susceptibility to Roxelana's charms"--

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