Ayşe, the favourite of Conqueror Sultan Murad IV.
Ayşe Sultan's life is unfortunately not well-documented; there is less information about her compared to predecessors like Hürrem, Nurbanu, Safiye, or Kösem. However, this doesn't necessarily mean she was an insignificant figure unworthy of remembrance. In this post, I aim to present Ayşe's life story as comprehensively as possible based on available sources. (Since no portrait or imagined depiction of the sultana exists, I will use images from the series "Muhteşem Yüzyıl: Kösem.")
Origins and entry into the harem
Ayşe was Sultan Murad IV's favourite, accompanying him throughout his 17-year reign. She was likely around the same age as Murad, born circa 1612/1613. While her exact birth date and original name are unknown (as is common with many concubines), we have more certain information about her origins: she was of Greek descent. This is known from ambassadorial reports, which often compared her to her mother-in-law, Kösem Sultan, in both origin and appearance.
Ayşe appears in harem records from 1628, suggesting she became Murad's concubine around that time, at approximately 15-16 years old—a typical age for girls to be presented at court.
The Haseki Sultan
The exact date when Ayşe became Haseki Sultan is unknown, but 1632 is a plausible estimate. That year, an ambassadorial report mentions Murad seeking his mother's approval to elevate his favourite and the mother of his newest child to the rank of Haseki. However, there are no records identifying the child in question. Ayşe's only known and confirmed child was Esmehan Kaya Sultan, whose birth is dated to 1633. Murad's son, Süleyman, was born in 1632; it's possible Ayşe was his mother, though there's no definitive evidence. Alternatively, Kaya's birth date might have been misrecorded, which would make Ayşe the first favourite to receive the Haseki title after giving birth to a daughter (rather than Muazzez Sultan, the second Haseki of Sultan Ibrahim). Again, there's no concrete proof. The only established fact is that Ayşe rose to the rank of Haseki around 1632, indicating her special importance to the stern Sultan Murad.
Information about Ayşe's personality also survives. In 1637, Venetian secretary Angelo Alessandrini described her as a woman of exceptional beauty but noted that in spirit, she was nothing like the Valide Sultan, Kösem. Nonetheless, according to Alessandrini, the sultan held her in high esteem and treated her like a queen, and Ayşe endeavoured to behave accordingly. However, the secretary believed she had no chance of matching Kösem, despite her attempts to imitate the Valide Sultan in clothing, jewellery, and the number of servants. It's important to note that Alessandrini and the ambassador he served greatly admired Kösem Sultan, so it's natural they refrained from comparing anyone to her.
The strong bond between Ayşe and Murad is exemplified by the fact that Murad took Ayşe with him on his campaign to Yerevan. This was an exceptional and unusual event, as sultans had not taken their wives or favourite concubines on campaigns for centuries. This is understandable, considering that Sultan Bayezid I and his wife, Serbian princess Olivera Lazarević, were captured together by Timur in 1402. According to accounts, the sultan was tormented by the conqueror, who humiliated his wife in front of him. Additionally, during Sultan Selim I's reign, it's known that during a campaign against the Safavids, Selim captured one of the shah's favourite concubines (or wives) and married her off to an Ottoman politician, which was considered beneath her rank. Aware of such risks and learning from predecessors' mistakes, most sultans refrained from bringing any member of their harem on campaigns. However, Murad broke this tradition, illustrating his strong attachment to Ayşe.
Some records suggest that Ayşe gave birth to their son, Alaeddin, during the campaign; however, this is likely the result of a mistranslation. Prince Alaeddin was indeed born in 1635 during the time of the campaign, but he was born in Istanbul, making it highly unlikely that Ayşe—who was present on the campaign—was his mother. It is especially improbable that Murad would have taken a pregnant concubine with him on a military campaign. Since Ayşe accompanied Murad throughout the campaign, many have blamed her for the execution of his two brothers, Princes Süleyman and Bayezid. However, there is no evidence to suggest that Ayşe ever tried to turn Murad against the princes. After the campaign, several eyewitnesses described Ayşe's return to Istanbul as a truly magnificent event.
The first Baş Haseki Sultan
The Yemen campaign was likely the last grand event in Ayşe's life, as not long afterward, all of Sultan Murad's sons died due to various epidemics and infant mortality. Following these losses, Murad's primary goal became the production of an heir. It was during this period that a concubine appeared who succeeded in giving birth to a son in 1638.
Contrary to popular myths, there was no Transylvanian princess involved, nor is the infamous Georgian-origin concubine named Şemsişah credible—her name and background are not found in any sources or harem records. All that is known is that she became Sultan Murad's second Haseki. Murad never officially married anyone, and the concubine was granted the Haseki title as a reward, along with a higher salary than Ayşe—likely because Ayşe's son or sons had already passed away by that time, if she had any.
Although this event was undoubtedly unfavorable and likely sorrowful for Ayşe, it brought about significant changes. Since the establishment of the Haseki title in 1534, it had never occurred that a sultan had more than one Haseki. As a result, the title of Baş Haseki emerged, referring to the woman whom the ruler had elevated first to the Haseki rank. Unlike the title of Baş Hatun, this was not a rotating position, as it did not depend on the sons of the women involved but rather on when the Haseki title was granted. Importantly, once bestowed, the title was retained even after the sultan's death. Unfortunately, the second Haseki's career was short-lived, as her child died in the same year he was born. Following this, her salary was reduced, and she faded from historical memory, while Ayşe retained her previous stipend. Sultan Murad died in 1640, likely from cirrhosis of the liver. Yet Ayşe's figure did not completely disappear thereafter. As was customary, she was moved to the Old Palace after the sultan's death, but even there, she received a significant salary as the former principal Haseki of the late sultan. The harem records of the Old Palace referred to her as "Hazreti Ayşe Sultan haseki-i merhum Sultan Murat Han Gazi", meaning "Her Highness Ayşe Sultan, Haseki of the late Sultan Murat Han Gazi."
However, one known incident shows that Ayşe openly clashed with Kösem Sultan. Kösem intended to arrange a politically advantageous marriage for her granddaughter, Esmehan Kaya, who at the time was only about 11 or 12 years old, to a pasha old enough to be her grandfather. Ayşe opposed this for two reasons: first, because traditionally it was the parents who chose the spouses; second, because she argued that Sultan Murad had once openly promised Kaya's hand to his personal arms bearer. Kaya had grown up with the belief that she would marry him—though he was not a politically influential man. Kösem, by contrast, wanted to marry the girl off to a powerful pasha. This led to a conflict between the Valide Sultan and Ayşe. Ayşe tried to seek the help of the new sultan, Ibrahim. However, Sultan Ibrahim—known for his unstable nature—allegedly wanted to take advantage of Ayşe's vulnerable position and claimed his late brother's former favorite for himself. As a result, Kösem ultimately prevailed and, as punishment, revoked Ayşe's high salary.
The wedding took place in 1644. Kaya Sultan's husband was eventually Melek Ahmet Pasha. According to some sources, Kaya did not wish to consummate the marriage, and the pasha did not insist, but Kösem allegedly forced the young couple to do so—an act that would have been brutal considering Kaya was still a child. Other accounts suggest Kösem respected Kaya's decision and did not impose anything on her, but there is no conclusive evidence either way.
Ayşe Sultan eventually died in 1680 or 1681, having outlived all her children—and indeed, everyone of her own generation.
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