Free Daily Life In The Ottoman Empire by Mehrdad Kia Page B

royal harem came from the Caucasus. The “sultans were partial to the
fair, doe-eyed beauties” from Georgia, Abkhazia, and Circassia. There were also
Christian slave girls and female prisoners of war who were sent as gifts to the
sultan by his governors. These girls underwent a long process of schooling and
training, which prepared them for a new life in the imperial palace. The most
powerful woman of the harem was the mother of the sultan, who lived in her own
apartment surrounded by servants and attendants. Her apartment included a
reception hall, a bedroom, a prayer room, a resting room, a bathroom, and a
bath. It was second in size only to the apartment of the sultan.
     

    Topkapi Palace, harem
(interior). Hall of the Padisha (Throne Room).
     
     
    EUNUCHS
     
    As in other Islamic states, in the Ottoman Empire, the
ruler maintained eunuchs or castrated males who were brought as slaves to guard
and serve the female members of the royal household. As Islam had forbidden
self-castration by Muslims or castration of one Muslim by another, the eunuchs
were bought in the slave markets of Egypt, the Balkans, and southern Caucasus.
In the palace, there were two categories of eunuchs—black and white. Black
eunuchs were Africans, mostly from Sudan, Ethiopia, and the east African
coastal region, who were sent to the Ottoman court by the governor of Egypt.
They served the female members of the royal family who resided in the sultan’s
harem. The white eunuchs were mostly white men imported from the Balkans and
the Caucasus and served the recruits at the palace school. The black eunuchs “underwent
the so-called radical castration, in which both the testicles and the penis
were removed,” whereas, in the case of eunuchs from the Balkans and the
Caucasus, “only the testicles were removed.”
    An important figure in the Ottoman power structure was the
chief black eunuch, who served as the kızlar ağası (chief
of women) or harem ağası (chief of harem). In charge of the
harem and a large group of eunuchs who worked under his direct supervision, the
chief black eunuch enjoyed close proximity to the sultan and his family.
    Another important figure was the chief of the white
eunuchs, who acted as kapi ağası (chief of the Gate of
Felicity). Starting with the reigns of Murad III (1574–1595) and Mehmed III
(1595–1603), the white eunuchs lost ground, and black eunuchs gained greater
control and access to the sultan. Regardless of their race, ethnic origin, or
the degree and intensity of castration, the palace eunuchs received
privileges—such as lavish clothing, accoutrements, and accommodations—in
keeping with their high status. Included among these privileges was access to
the best education available. It is not surprising, therefore, that many chief
eunuchs were avid readers and book collectors who established impressive
libraries.
    The ağa, or the chief, of the black eunuchs of
the harem was not only responsible for the training and supervision of the
newly arrived eunuchs but also supervised the daily education and training of
the crown prince and “oversaw a massive network of pious endowments that
benefited the populations of and Muslim pilgrims to Mecca and Medina.” He used
his position and access to the throne to gain power and influence over the
sultan and government officials. His daily access to the sultan, and close
relationship with the mother and favorite concubines of his royal master, made
him an influential player in court intrigues. By the beginning of the 17th
century, the chief eunuch had emerged as one of the most powerful individuals
in the empire, at times second only to the sultan and the grand vizier and, in
several instances, second to none.
     
     
    PALACE PAGES AND ROYAL CHAMBERS
     
    Four principal chambers within the palace served the sultan
and his most immediate needs. The privy chamber served his most basic needs
such as bathing, clothing, and personal security. The sultan’s sword