Kadınefendi

Kadınefendi (also Kadın efendi, Ottoman Turkish: قادين افندی) was the title given to the imperial consort of the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire after the 17th century, and is translated as kraliçe in Turkish and "Imperial Lady Consort" in English.^[1][2][3] The Sultan could have up to four and some times five and eight women^[4] i.e. consort with the imperial rank of Kadınefendi and unlimited number of Ikbals i.e. consort with the rank of Hanımefendi. The title was a replacement of the early titles, Hatun and Sultan (including Haseki Sultan).^[5] When the Ottoman Empire was abolished on 1 November 1922 and Abdülmecid II proclaimed himself as caliph, his consorts kept the title kadınefendi.

Ranks and styles

The women were ranked and styled as:^[6][7]

• Başkadın, Başkadınefendi or Devletlu İsmetlu (given name) Başkadınefendi Hazretleri — first or chief imperial lady consort;
• İkinci Kadın, İkinci Kadınefendi or Devletlu İsmetlu (given name) İkinci Kadınefendi Hazretleri — second imperial lady consort;
• Üçüncü Kadın, Üçüncü Kadınefendi or Devletlu İsmetlu (given name) Üçüncü Kadınefendi Hazretleri — third imperial lady consort;
• Dördüncü Kadın, Dördüncü Kadınefendi or Devletlu İsmetlu (given name) Dördüncü Kadınefendi Hazretleri — fourth imperial lady consort;
• Beşinci Kadın, Beşinci Kadınefendi or Devletlu İsmetlu (given name) Beşinci Kadınefendi Hazretleri — fifth imperial lady consort;
• Altıncı Kadın, Altıncı Kadınefendi or Devletlu İsmetlu (given name) Altıncı Kadınefendi Hazretleri — sixth imperial lady consort;
• Yedinci Kadın, Yedinci Kadınefendi or Devletlu İsmetlu (given name) Yedinci Kadınefendi Hazretleri — seventh imperial lady consort;
• Sekizinci Kadın, Sekizinci Kadınefendi or Devletlu İsmetlu (given name) Sekizinci Kadınefendi Hazretleri — eighth imperial lady consort.

List of Başkadın

List of chief imperial lady consort (başkadın) of Ottoman.

Name	Maiden Name and Origin	Became Başkadın	Ceased to be Başkadın	Death	Spouse
Emetullah Banu		1703	20 September 1730 husband's abdication	1732	Ahmed III
Hace Alicenab		20 September 1730 husband's ascension	13 December 1754 husband's death	1775	Mahmud I
Leyla		13 December 1754 husband's ascension	30 October 1757 husband's death	1794	Osman III
Aynülhayat		30 October 1757 husband's ascension	21 July 1764		Mustafa III
Mihrişah	Agnes. Georgian	21 July 1764 fellow consort's death	21 January 1774 husband's death	16 October 1805
Ayşe		21 January 1774 husband's ascension	1775		Abdul Hamid I
Hümaşah		1775 fellow consort's death	1778
Haciye Hatice Ruhşah		1778 fellow consort's death	7 April 1789 husband's death	1807
Nâfîze		7 April 1789 husband's ascension	30 May 1792		Selim III
Hüsnimah		30 May 1792 fellow consort's death	29 May 1807 husband's deposition	1814
Şevrinur		29 May 1807 husband's ascension	28 July 1808 husband's deposition	1812	Mustafa IV
Fatma		28 July 1808 husband's ascension	February 1809		Mahmud II
Alicenab		February 1809 fellow consort's death	1839
Haciye Pertevpiyale Nevifidan		1839 fellow consort's death	1 July 1839 husband's death	25 December 1855
Servetsezâ	Daughter of Mansur of Temruko	2 July 1839 husband's ascension	25 June 1861 husband's death	22 September 1879	Abdülmecid I
Dürrünev	Melek Dziapş-İpa. Abkhaz-Georgian family. Daughter of Mahmud Bey Dziapş-lpa	25 June 1861 husband's ascension	30 May 1876 husband's deposition	4 December 1895	Abdülaziz
Eleru	Mevhibe Tarkanişvili. Daughter of a Georgian noble, Ahmed Bey Tarkanişvili	30 May 1876 husband's ascension	31 August 1876 husband's deposition	21 February 1936	Murad V
Nazikedâ نازک ادا	Abkhazian princely family Tsanba. Daughter of Arzakan Bey Tsanba and Esma Hanım Klıç	3 August 1876 husband's ascension	11 April 1895		Abdul Hamid II
Bedrifelek بدر فلك	Karzeg dynasty. Daughter of Mehmed Bey Karzeg and Faruhan Hanım İnal-lpa	11 April 1895 husband's ascension	21 January 1909 husband's deposition	6 February 1930
Kamures	Ubykh Bey	27 April 1909 husband's ascension	3 July 1918 husband's deposition	30 April 1921	Mehmed V
Emine Nazikeda نازك ادا	Emine Marshan. Member of Abkhazian-Georgian princely family Marshania. Daughter of Hassan Bey Marshania (1836-1877) and Fatma Horecan Hanım Aredba	3 July 1918 husband's ascension	1 November 1922 husband's deposition and empire abolished	4 April 1941	Mehmed VI
Şehsuvar	Ubykh clan of Circassia	19 November 1922 husband's proclaimed as caliph	3 March 1924 husband's deposition and caliphate abolished	1945	Abdülmecid II

See also

• Hatun
• Haseki Sultan
• Hanımefendi
• Valide Sultan

References

1. Kadın efendiler: 1839-1924, by Harun Açba
2. Öztuna, Yilmaz, "Deletler ve Hanedanler", Vol: 2, Ministry of Culture Publications, London (1996), s.924
3. Saray hatıralarım, by Safiye Ünüvar
4. Fanny Davis (1986). The Ottoman Lady: A Social History from 1718 to 1918. Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0-313-24811-5.
5. Kadın efendiler: 1839-1924
6. The Concubine, the Princess, and the Teacher: Voices from the Ottoman Harem. University of Texas Press. 2010. ISBN 978-0-292-78335-5.
7. "Turkey: The Imperial House of Osman". web.archive.org. Archived from the original on May 2, 2006. Retrieved 27 July 2014.