Ayşe Sultan b. 16?? d. 1656 was the daughter of Sultan Ahmed I by Kösem Sultan and loving sister of (the eventual Sultan) Murad IV -- and Liz Taylor's Ottoman rival in the game of 'multiple marriages'. But Ayşe's 'marrying game' was a grisly one -- none of her seven husbands lasted more than five years before perishing, for one reason or another...
With her mind attuned to the wishes of the sultanate, Ayşe Sultan had a succession of husbands starting with the aged Sadrazam Nasuh Paşa -- when she was not much more than a child. Three years later her husband failed in his duty to the Sultan and met his fate at the hands of the bostancı -- in the traditional manner, by strangulation.
After barely enough time to respectfully grieve her loss, she was remarried -- this time to Karakaş Mehmed Paşa. But within five years, he too had passed on to a better world -- due to apparently natural causes.
Her third husband was the Beylerbeyi of Van province, Hafiz Ahmed Paşa -- a former slave of Kösem Sultan. This marriage (involving lots of political skulduggery) pitted Kösem Sultan (the winner) against the Grand Vizier Kemankeş Ali Paşa (the loser). But the in-fighting went for naught before wedding celebrations were barely underway. The day after the wedding, while defending his castle from marauding bandits, Hafiz Ahmed Paşa was killed.
Marriage number four -- arranged according to the wishes of (then) Sultan Murad IV -- was to the 'mayor' of Diyarbakır, Mustaza Paşa. But, sadly, Mustaza suffered mortal wounds and didn't return with the rest of the troops after the Revan war campaign.
The list goes on...
Ayşe's fifth husband Vizier Ahmed Paşa was also killed in battle -- during an Ottoman attack on Crete.
Next in line was the Kaptan-i Derya, Voynuk Ahmed Paşa -- of which little is reported, except that he also soon passed away.
Finally...Ayşe's last husband was the Sadrazam, İpşir Mustafa Paşa -- who, on Murad IV's orders (but actually at Grand Admiral Kara Murat Paşa's instigation), was decapitated by the Janissaries -- for some courtly misdemeanor or other. This last dead husband proved to be the undoing of Ayşe -- and in 1656 (during the reign of Sultan Mehmed IV) she also passed away.75
Should we be glad she finally 'escaped' all those deadly marital entanglements or should we be sorry that she never found a lasting love?
With her mind attuned to the wishes of the sultanate, Ayşe Sultan had a succession of husbands starting with the aged Sadrazam Nasuh Paşa -- when she was not much more than a child. Three years later her husband failed in his duty to the Sultan and met his fate at the hands of the bostancı -- in the traditional manner, by strangulation.
After barely enough time to respectfully grieve her loss, she was remarried -- this time to Karakaş Mehmed Paşa. But within five years, he too had passed on to a better world -- due to apparently natural causes.
Her third husband was the Beylerbeyi of Van province, Hafiz Ahmed Paşa -- a former slave of Kösem Sultan. This marriage (involving lots of political skulduggery) pitted Kösem Sultan (the winner) against the Grand Vizier Kemankeş Ali Paşa (the loser). But the in-fighting went for naught before wedding celebrations were barely underway. The day after the wedding, while defending his castle from marauding bandits, Hafiz Ahmed Paşa was killed.
Marriage number four -- arranged according to the wishes of (then) Sultan Murad IV -- was to the 'mayor' of Diyarbakır, Mustaza Paşa. But, sadly, Mustaza suffered mortal wounds and didn't return with the rest of the troops after the Revan war campaign.
The list goes on...
Ayşe's fifth husband Vizier Ahmed Paşa was also killed in battle -- during an Ottoman attack on Crete.
Next in line was the Kaptan-i Derya, Voynuk Ahmed Paşa -- of which little is reported, except that he also soon passed away.
Finally...Ayşe's last husband was the Sadrazam, İpşir Mustafa Paşa -- who, on Murad IV's orders (but actually at Grand Admiral Kara Murat Paşa's instigation), was decapitated by the Janissaries -- for some courtly misdemeanor or other. This last dead husband proved to be the undoing of Ayşe -- and in 1656 (during the reign of Sultan Mehmed IV) she also passed away.75
Should we be glad she finally 'escaped' all those deadly marital entanglements or should we be sorry that she never found a lasting love?
