Suleiman the Magnificent: Difference between revisions

Suleiman was very much infatuated with [[Roxelana|Hurrem Sultan]], a harem girl of [[Ruthenian]] origin. In the West, foreign diplomats taking notice of the palace gossip about her, called her "Russelazie" or "Roxolana", referring to her Slavic origins.<ref>Ahmed, 43.</ref> The daughter of an [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Orthodox]] [[Ukrainians|Ukrainian]] priest,<ref>Kinross, 236.</ref> she was captured and rose through the ranks of the [[Harem (household)|Harem]] to become Suleiman's favorite wife. Breaking with 300two yearscenturies of Ottoman tradition followed by subsequent Sultans,<ref>Kinross, Suleiman married Hurrem Sultan in236.</ref> a formalformer ceremony,concubine makinghad herbecome the firstlegal formerwife slave to gain legitimacy asof the Sultan's, legal wife,much to the astonishment of many observers both in the Empirepalace and inthe Europecity<ref>Mansel, 86.</ref>. He also allowed Hurrem Sultan to remain with him at court for the rest of her life, breaking another tradition<ref>Imber, 90.</ref> that when imperial heirs come of age, they would be sent along with the imperial concubine who bore them to govern remote provinces of the Empire, never to return unless their progeny succeeded to the throne.