Kadınefendi

Kadınefendi (also Kadın efendi, Kadın Efendi, Ottoman Turkish: قادين افندی) was the title given to the favourite official wives of the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, and is translated as "Kraliçe" in Turkish language and "Queen" in English language.[1][2][3] The Sultan could have up to four and some times five and eight women[4] i.e. wives with the royal rank of Kadınefendi and unlimited number of Ikbals i.e. wives with the rank of Hanımefendi. The title was a replacement of the early titles, Hatun and Haseki Sultan.[5]

Ranks and styles

The women were ranked and styled as:

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. Retrieved 27 July 2014.