Süleyman and Mihrimah: The Favorite's Daughter

Mihrimah was the only daughter of the Ottoman sultan Süleyman I and his favorite concubine, later his wife, Hurrem.  This paper argues that Mihrimah’s gender allowed her to form a unique relationship with her father.  Mihrimah’s marriage to Rüstem Pasha, who became grand vizier in 1544 gave Mihrimah, Rustem and Hurrem together more influence over Süleyman than any other faction during his reign.  They worked to promote to positions of authority their closest relatives, such as Rustem’s brother, Sinan Pasha, appointed admiral in 1550 despite his inexperience in naval matters and his difficulty in working with experienced seamen.  Their influence led to the execution of Süleyman’s eldest son, Mustafa, who was the son of his first favorite, because their future power and prosperity depended on one of Hurrem’s sons inheriting the throne.  Succession struggles arose between Hurrem’s sons, but since Mihrimah could not inherit the sultanate, she developed a closer relationship with her father than her brothers.

Mihrimah became advisor to the sultan when Hurrem died.  Mihrimah advised Süleyman to attack the Knights of Malta, offering to equip 400 ships at her own expense. That Mihrimah had the wealth to fund such an enormous fleet suggests the extent of the resources she controlled. Mihrimah was allowed to construct pious foundations in Istanbul. An inscription over the door of the mosque built in her name by her father claimed that Mihrimah was “patron of pious foundations, protector of the state and the world and the faith, the princess … daughter of … Sultan Süleyman Khan…”

Mihrimah was the only one of Süleyman’s children to be buried with him in his türbe, highlighting that in death as in life she had a unique relationship with her father that was only possible because she was a daughter.