HARĒM
History Undressed
by
Colin Falconer
The word 'Harēm'conjures an element of fantasy for most people; of women in gauzy veils drapedlanguorously beside steam baths against a background of incense and marble. Across between a high class bordello and a spa resort.
Most men are disappointed to learn that theOttoman harēm was in fact run by the Sultan's mother.
She had assumed the title of 'Valide Sultan'upon her son's ascension and thus became the most powerful woman in the OttomanEmpire. It was the ultimate achievement for a former concubine and slave. She wasnow head of a palace that had once been her prison, and also wielded enormousinfluence over her son's political decisions and by extension the Empire thathad enslaved her.
She also regulated the relations between himand his wives and children.
Do I dare say it? This caused friction.
Far from the indolent massage parlour ofmale fantasy, the harēm was in fact a hotbed of intrigue and ambition. All thewomen were in competition with each other; and every one of them wanted to bethe next Valide.
The Sultan was allowed just four principalfavourites but an unlimited number of concubines. Far fewer Sultans tookadvantage of this arrangement than you might think. Most Sultans preferredtheir favourites to a different girl every night.
The Australian actor Jack Thompson perhapsexplained the reason for this best. He lived with many years with twin sisters.Many men seemed to think this was an ideal arrangement and one reporterquestioned him about it. Jack answered: 'You know what it's like coming homeafter a night out and having to face one woman? Well imagine having to face two.'
The rank and file concubines were chosenfor their exceptional beauty and intelligence. Inside the world of the harēm theywere considered the contemporary equivalent to a 'one night stand.' Should shebe chosen for this honour and fail to arouse sufficient interest during theencounter, she might never see the Sultan again. But if she was asked backrepeatedly she became an iqbal, afavourite.
But pleasing the Sultan was only part of it;it was also essential to get pregnant with a male child so that she couldbecome one of the Sultan's 'wives'. Then, although technically still a slave herself, she was given her own apartments,slaves, and eunuchs.
She couldnow one day become the most powerful woman in the Empire - or finish her daysin a weighted sack at the bottom of the Bosphorus.
But theconcubines and kadins were only half the story. Eunuchswere the integral other half of the harēm.There is a myth that once a man has been castrated he loses his desire forwomen. Sadly, from my research, I learned that this is apparently not the case.It must have been truly torturous for these men to be surrounded by naked and exquisitelybeautiful women and still retain their yearning.
There were two sets of eunuchs; the whiteeunuchs came from the conquered Christian areas of Georgia, and Armenia, or asprisoners of war from Hungary and Germany.They were only partly castrated.
(Imagine what happens in lambing season -it was like that.)
The black eunuchs however were completely'shaven'. Most of these operations were performed at a Coptic monastery inEgypt. The boys were brought there from the Sudan as young boys. Their averageage was eight. The survival rate was ten per cent.
Enough said.
Should a eunuch survive this procedure andrise to become the Chief Black Eunuch he would then find himself the thirdhighest-ranking officer of the empire, after the Sultan and the Grand Vizierand functioned as the private messenger between the Sultan and his mother. Itwas also his appointed task to lead a new odalisque to the Sultan's bedchamber, and was the only"man" who could enter the harēm should there be any nocturnalemergencies.
Being in control of the Harēm and head of anet of spies in his fellow Black Eunuchs, he was deeply involved in almostevery palace intrigue and these men even gained power over the Vizier and theSultan himself.
The Chief White Eunuch was the head of the harēmbureaucracy and was supposed to have no contact with the harēm women, but thiswas not always the case in practice. As they were not completely 'shaven', theysometimes retained the ability to satisfy a lonely harēm girl. A few years after Suleiman's death theywere banned from the Harēm completely as too many of the girls were fallingpregnant without the Sultan's assistance.
Far from being the fantasy place ofnineteenth century art, the harēm was in fact a sad and lonely place ofintrigue and deadly spite. For young women it must have been a terrible anddolorous place.
But oh, let me tell you; it was just afantastic background for a novel!
COLINFALCONER is the author of WHEN WE WERE GODS, ANASTASIA and many other books ofhistorical fiction. His work has been translated into seventeen languages. Hislatest novel SILK ROAD, was published in London last month by Corvus-Atlantic.
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