Hurrem gave birth to the last one, Cihangir, in 1531. The wedding of Suleiman and Roksolana was celebrated in 1530. This was an unprecedented case in the history of the Ottomans - the Sultan officially married a woman from the harem. Mihrimah Sultan. The Sultan was intrigued and surprised. The Sultan was angry with Mahidevran and made Hurrem his favorite concubine.” They said about Roksolana that she bewitched the Sultan with the help of evil spirits. And in fact he was bewitched.
There are no documentary sources or even any reliable written evidence talking about Hurrem’s life before entering the harem. At the same time, its origin is known from legends and literary works, mainly in Western sources. Once in the harem, Roksolana received the name Khyurrem (from the Persian خرم - “cheerful”).
Another concubine of Suleiman, Mahidevran, the mother of Prince Mustafa, a slave of Albanian or Circassian origin, became jealous of the Sultan for Hurrem. The quarrel that arose between Makhidevran and Khyurrem was described in his report for 1533 by the Venetian ambassador Bernardo Navagero: “...The Circassian woman insulted Khyurrem and tore her face, hair and dress. After some time, Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska was invited to the Sultan's bedchamber.
Historian Galina Ermolenko dates Khyurrem's appearance in the harem to the period between 1517 and Suleiman's accession to the throne in 1520
However, the Sultan called Hurrem and listened to her. Then he called Mahidevran, asking if Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska told him the truth. Mahidevran said that she was the main woman of the Sultan and that other concubines should obey her, and that she had not yet beaten the treacherous Hurrem.
It can be assumed that Roksolana-Anastasia ended up in the harem of the Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent at 15 years old
In 1521, two of Suleiman's three sons died. In this regard, Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska's ability to give birth to an heir gave her the necessary support in the palace. The new favorite’s conflict with Makhidevran was restrained by the authority of Suleiman’s mother Hafsa Sultan. Even before this, in 1533, together with her son Mustafa, who had reached adulthood, Khyurrem’s longtime rival, Mahidevran, went to Manisa.
Sultan Suleiman, who spent most of his time on campaigns, received information about the situation in the palace exclusively from Hurrem
The death of the Valide and the removal of the Grand Vizier opened the way for Hurrem to strengthen her own power. After the death of Hafsa, Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska was able to achieve something that no one had ever achieved before her. The wedding ceremony that took place was, apparently, very magnificent, although it is not mentioned in any way in Ottoman sources. Hurrem's unique position was also reflected by her title - Haseki, introduced by Suleiman especially for her.
One of the sanjak beys gave the sultan and his mother one beautiful Russian slave girl each. When the girls arrived at the palace, Hurrem, who was found by the ambassador, was very unhappy. Valide, who gave her slave to her son, was forced to apologize to Hurrem and take the concubine back. The Sultan ordered the second slave to be sent as a wife to another sanjak bey, since the presence of even one concubine in the palace made the Haseki unhappy.
On her initiative, several mosques, a bathhouse and a madrasah were built in Istanbul. Soon after returning from a trip to Edirne, on April 15 or 18, 1558, due to a long illness or poisoning, Hurrem Sultan died. Roksolana's tomb is located near the Suleiman mausoleum to the left of the mosque in the Suleymaniye complex. Inside the tomb of Hurrem there is probably the coffin of Hanim Sultan, daughter of Hatice Sultan, sister of Suleiman.
Having given birth to a son, the woman ceased to be a favorite, going with the child to a remote province, where the heir was to be raised until he took his father’s place. This image of an insidious and power-hungry woman was transferred to Western historiography, although it underwent some transformation. She is the only woman in the Sultan's harem with an official title. She is the Haseki Sultana, and Sultan Suleiman shared his power with her. She is the woman who made the Sultan forget about the harem forever.
The beautiful captive was sent to the capital of the sultans on a large felucca, and the owner himself took her to sell.
First half of the 16th century was a time when the Turks, together with the Tatars under their control, mercilessly plundered the territories of southeastern Europe. In 1512, a wave of devastating raids reached modern Western Ukraine, which was then under the rule of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.
In March 1536, the Grand Vizier Ibrahim Pasha, who had previously relied on the support of Hafsa, was executed by order of Sultan Suleiman, and his property was confiscated
This path was made, among other Polonyankas, by a girl, a priest’s daughter from the town of Rohatyn (now Ivano-Frankivsk region) Nastya Lisovskaya. The Turk was struck by the dazzling beauty of the girl, and he decided to buy her as a gift to the Sultan.
Mihrimah was born in 1522 in the Top Kapi palace, 2 years later her mother Hurrem Sultan would give birth to the future padishah Selim
This turn of events made it possible for Roksolana to become the legal wife of Suleiman, which would have been impossible if she had been bought for money. By the way, the Slavs were called “Roksolans” and “Rosomans”. The word Roksolana is a slave (captive), therefore everyone in Suleiman’s harem was Roksolana. There is a legend about how Hurrem (Hurrem - translated from Persian as “smiling”, “laughing”, “cheerful”) caught the eye of the Sultan.
The Sultan was shocked, but allowed it. Constant intrigues at Suleiman's court developed Roksolan's abilities as a psychologist. Roksolana became for him the embodiment of everything that he loved in women: she appreciated art and understood politics, was a polyglot and a wonderful dancer, knew how to love and accept love.
Suleiman II's beloved died of a cold in 1558 (according to other versions, 1561 or 1563) and was buried with all due honors. In a very short time, Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska attracted the attention of the Sultan. Valide Sultan died in 1534. And that same evening, Khurrem received the Sultan’s scarf - a sign that in the evening he was waiting for her in his bedroom.
Known to many from the popular TV series, Roksolana was a bright and extraordinary personality. Having been captured at a young age, she managed to achieve the love and admiration of the most powerful man in Turkey at that time, Sultan Suleiman. Her life was full of secrets and intrigue. What Roksolana died from remains a mystery to many.
Origin
Most historians are inclined to believe that Anastasia Lisovskaya (that was the girl’s original name) had Ukrainian roots. Her father was a priest. However, this did not prevent her from subsequently changing her faith and converting to Islam. The girl had a beautiful appearance. During one of the raids she was captured. Anastasia was sold several times. As a result, it became a gift for the great Sultan in honor of his accession to the throne.
Concubine and wife
It is not known for certain what she died from. Nevertheless, books are written and legends are made about her life. The path from a simple concubine to the Sultan's wife was not so easy. Her external beauty and natural charm helped her attract the Sultan. She had incredible abilities and knew how to please her master. The Sultan very quickly made her his favorite concubine, which caused indignation on the part of his first wife Makhidevran. Roksolana skillfully weaved intrigues and quickly pushed her rival into the background. The young concubine was the only known official wife of the Sultan. She became for him not only his beloved, but also an adviser in all political affairs, thereby acquiring unlimited power.
Children
The young girl spent all his free time with the Sultan. He grieved for a long time after her death and tried with all his might to find out why Roksolana, his only beloved, died. However, this remained a secret. As a result of great love, they had five children: Mehmed, Mihrimah (the only daughter of the Sultan), Abdallah, Selim, Bayazid. None of the children inherited the intelligence, originality, or greatness of their parents. Their fates were unfortunate. After the death of his father, Selim became Sultan. His reign was short-lived. He died from constant drunkenness. This is how he remained in the memory of the people.
Death
What did Roksolana die from? It is known that Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska was 52-56 years old when she died. She was sick for a long time. According to some reports, it was a common cold that caused complications. Some claim that she was poisoned by ill-wishers. It is now impossible to say for sure. For posterity, it remains a mystery why Roksolana died.
4) Mehmet (1521 -November 6, 1543 in Manisa) Proclaimed heir to Vali Ahad on October 29, 1521. Governor of Kutahya 1541-1543. Son of Hurrem.
5) Abdullah (before 1522-October 28, 1522) Son of Hurrem.
6) Selim II (1524-1574) eleventh Sultan of the Ottoman Empire. Son of Hurrem.
7) Bayezid (1525 - July 23, 1562) in Iran, Qazvin. Proclaimed 3rd heir of Vali Ahad on November 6, 1553. Governor of Karaman 1546, governor of the provinces of Kutahya and Amasya 1558-1559. Son of Hurrem.
8) Jihangir (1531- November 27, 1553 in Aleppo (in Arabic Aleppo) Syria) Governor in Aleppo 1553. Son of Hurrem.
It is also worth remembering that it was Suleiman, and not Hurrem, who executed his two sons, namely Mustafa and Bayazid. Mustafa was executed along with his son (the remaining of the two, since one of them died a year before the death of Mustafa himself), and his five little sons were killed along with Bayezid, but this happened already in 1562, 4 years after the death of Hurrem .
If we talk about the chronology and causes of death of all the descendants of Kanuni, it looked like this:
Sehzade Mahmud died of smallpox on 11/29/1521,
Sehzade Murad died of smallpox before his brother on 11/10/1521.
Sehzade Mustafa ruler of Manisa province since 1533. and the heir to the throne was executed along with his children by order of his father on suspicion of plotting against his father in alliance with the Serbs.
Sehzade Bayezid "Sahi" was executed along with his five sons by order of his father for rebelling against him.
Accordingly, what mythical forty descendants from Sultan Suleiman, killed by Hurrem, are being discussed remains a mystery not only to skeptics, but also to history itself. Or rather, a bike. One of the 1001 tales of the Ottoman Empire.
Legend two. “About the marriage of twelve-year-old Mihrimah Sultan and fifty-year-old Rustem Pasha”
The legend says: “As soon as her daughter was twelve years old, Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska offered Mihrimah as a wife to Rustem Pasha, who took the place of Ibrahim, who at that time was already fifty. The difference between the bride and groom of almost forty years did not bother Roksolana.”
Historical facts: Rustem Pasha also Rustem Pasha Mekri (Croatian Rustem-pasa Opukovic; 1500 - 1561) - Grand Vizier of Sultan Suleiman I, Croatian by nationality.
Rustem Pasha married one of the daughters of Sultan Suleiman I - Princess Mihrimah Sultan
In 1539, at the age of seventeen, Mihrimah Sultan (March 21, 1522-1578) married the beylerbey of the province of Diyarbakir, Rustem Pasha. At that time, Rustem was 39 years old.
For those who find simple arithmetic operations of adding and subtracting dates unconvincing, we can only advise using a calculator to instill greater confidence.
Legend three. “About castration and silver tubes”
The legend says: “Instead of a sweet and cheerful laughing enchantress, we see a ferocious, insidious and ruthless survival machine. With the execution of the heir and his friend, a wave of repressions unprecedented in Istanbul began. One could easily pay with one's head for one too many words about bloody palace affairs. They cut off their heads without even bothering to bury the body...
Roksolana’s effective and terrifying method was castration, carried out in the most cruel way. Those suspected of sedition were completely cut out. And after the “operation” the unfortunate people were not supposed to bandage the wound - it was believed that the “bad blood” should come out. Those who still survived could experience the Sultana’s mercy: she gave the unfortunate people silver tubes that were inserted into the opening of the bladder.
Fear settled in the capital; people began to fear their own shadow, not feeling safe even near the hearth. The name of the sultana was pronounced with trepidation, which was mixed with reverence.”
Historical facts: The history of mass repressions organized by Hurrem Sultan has not been preserved in any way, either in historical records or in the descriptions of contemporaries. But it should be noted that historical information has been preserved that a number of contemporaries (in particular Sehname-i Al-i Osman (1593) and Sehname-i Humayun (1596), Taliki-zade el-Fenari presented a very flattering portrait of Hurrem, as a woman revered "for her numerous charitable donations, for her patronage of students and respect for learned men, experts in religion, as well as for her acquisition of rare and beautiful things." If we talk about the historical facts that took place in the life of Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska, then she entered In history, not as a repressive politician, but as a person involved in charity, she became known for her large-scale projects.Thus, with the donations of Hurrem (Kulliye Hasseki Hurrem) in Istanbul, the Aksaray district of the so-called Avret Pazari (or women's bazaar, later named after Haseki) was built. , containing a mosque, a madrasah, an imaret, a primary school, hospitals and a fountain, it was the first complex built in Istanbul by the architect Sinan in his new position as chief architect of the ruling family. And the fact that it was the third largest building in the capital, after the complexes of Mehmet II (Fatih) and Suleymanie, testifies to the high status of Hurrem. She also built complexes in Adrianople and Ankara. Among other charitable projects, one can name the construction of hospices and a canteen for pilgrims and the homeless, which formed the basis of the project in Jerusalem (later named after Haseki Sultan); a canteen in Mecca (under the Haseki Hurrem Emirate), a public canteen in Istanbul (in Avret Pazari), as well as two large public baths in Istanbul (in the Jewish and Aya Sofya quarters, respectively). At the instigation of Hurrem Sultan, slave markets were closed and a number of social projects were implemented.
Legend four. “About the origin of Khyurrem”
The legend says: “Deceived by the consonance of names - proper and common nouns, some historians see Roksolana as Russian, others, mainly French, based on Favard’s comedy “The Three Sultanas,” claim that Roksolana was French. Both are completely unfair: Roksolana, a natural Turkish woman, was bought for the harem as a girl at a slave market to serve as a servant for the dalist women, under whom she held the position of a simple slave.
There is also a legend that pirates of the Ottoman Empire in the suburbs of Siena attacked a castle belonging to the noble and wealthy family of Marsigli. The castle was plundered and burned to the ground, and the daughter of the owner of the castle, a beautiful girl with hair the color of red gold and green eyes, was brought to the Sultan's palace. The Family Tree of the Marsigli Family states: Mother - Hannah Marsigli. Hannah Marsigli - Margarita Marsigli (La Rosa), so nicknamed for her fiery red hair color. From her marriage to Sultan Suleiman she had sons - Selim, Ibrahim, Mehmed."
Historical facts: European observers and historians referred to Sultana as "Roksolana", "Roxa", or "Rossa", since she was assumed to be of Russian origin. Mikhail Lituan, Lithuania's ambassador to Crimea in the mid-sixteenth century, wrote in his chronicle of 1550 "... the beloved wife of the Turkish emperor, the mother of his eldest son and heir, was at one time kidnapped from our lands." Navaguerro wrote of her as "[Donna]... di Rossa", and Trevisano called her "Sultana di Russia". Samuil Twardowski, a member of the Polish embassy to the Court of the Ottoman Empire in 1621-1622, also indicated in his notes that the Turks told him that Roksolana was the daughter of an Orthodox priest from Rohatyn, a small town in Podolia near Lviv. The belief that Roksolana was of Russian rather than Ukrainian origin probably arose as a result of a possible misinterpretation of the words "Roksolana" and "Rossa". At the beginning of the 16th century in Europe, the word "Roxolania" was used to refer to the province of Ruthenia in Western Ukraine, which was at various times known as Red Rus', Galicia or Podolia (that is, located in Eastern Podolia, which was under Polish control at that time time), in turn, modern Russia at that time was called the Moscow State, Muscovite Rus' or Muscovy. In ancient times, the word Roxolani denoted the nomadic Sarmatian tribes and settlements on the Dniester River (currently in the Odessa region in Ukraine).
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Legend five. "About a Witch at Court"
Historical Facts: Venetian reports claim that Roksolana was not so much beautiful as she was sweet, graceful, and elegant. But, at the same time, her radiant smile and playful temperament made her irresistibly charming, for which she was named “Hurrem” (“joy-giving” or “laughing”). Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska was known for her singing and musical abilities, her ability to do elegant embroidery, she knew five European languages, as well as Farsi, and was an extremely erudite person. But the most important thing was that Roksolana was a woman of great intelligence and willpower, which gave her advantage over other women in the harem. Like everyone else, European observers testify that the Sultan was completely smitten with his new concubine. He was in love with his Haseki for many years of marriage. Hence, evil tongues accused her of witchcraft (and if in medieval Europe and the East the existence of such a legend in those days can be understood and explained, then in our time the belief in such speculation is difficult to explain). Legend six. "About the infidelity of Sultan Suleiman" Historical facts: When the ambassadors, Navaguerro and Trevisano wrote their reports to Venice in 1553 and 1554, indicating that “she is very loved by her master” (“tanto amata da sua maesta”), Roxolana was already about fifty and had been with Suleiman for a long time . After her death in April 1558, Suleiman remained inconsolable for a long time. She was the greatest love of his life, his soul mate and his lawful wife. This great love of Suleiman for Roksolana was confirmed by a number of decisions and actions on the part of the Sultan for his Haseki. For her sake, the Sultan violated a number of very important traditions of the imperial harem. In 1533 or 1534 (the exact date is unknown), Suleiman married Hurrem in a formal wedding ceremony, thereby breaking a century and a half of Ottoman custom in which sultans were not allowed to marry their concubines. Never before had a former slave been elevated to the rank of legal wife of the Sultan. In addition, the marriage of Haseki Hurrem and the Sultan became practically monogamous, which was simply unheard of in the history of the Ottoman Empire. Trevisano wrote in 1554 that once he met Roxolana, Suleiman “not only wants to have her as a legal wife, always keep her next to him and see her as a ruler in a harem, but he also does not want to know any other women: he did something that none of his predecessors had done, because the Turks were accustomed to hosting several women in order to have as many children as possible and satisfy their carnal pleasures.” For the sake of love for this woman, Suleiman violated a number of traditions and prohibitions. In particular, it was after his marriage to Hurrem that the Sultan dissolved the harem, leaving only service personnel at court. The marriage of Hurrem and Suleiman was monogamous, which surprised contemporaries a lot. Also, the real love between the Sultan and his Haseki is confirmed by the love letters they sent to each other and have survived to this day. Thus, one of the indicative messages can be considered one of Kanuni’s many farewell dedications to his wife after her death: “The skies are covered with black clouds, because there is no peace for me, no air, thoughts and hope. My love, the thrill of this strong feeling, so squeezes my heart, destroys my flesh. Live, what to believe in, my love...how to greet a new day. I am killed, my mind is killed, my heart has stopped believing, your warmth is no longer in it, your hands, your light are no longer on my body. I am defeated, I am erased from this world, erased by spiritual sadness for you, my love. Strength, there is no greater strength that you betrayed to me, there is only faith, the faith of your feelings, not in the flesh, but in my heart, I cry, I cry for you my love, there is no ocean greater than the ocean of my tears for you, Hurrem ..." |
The legend says: “But the day came when Roxalana “opened the eyes” of the Sultan to the allegedly treacherous behavior of Mustafa and his friend. She said that the prince had developed close relations with the Serbs and was plotting against his father. The intriguer knew well where and how to strike - the mythical “conspiracy” was quite plausible: in the East during the time of the sultans, bloody palace coups were the most common thing. In addition, Roksolana cited as an irrefutable argument the true words of Rustem Pasha, Mustafa and other “conspirators” that her daughter allegedly heard... A painful silence hung in the palace. What will the Sultan decide? Roxalana’s melodious voice, like the chime of a crystal bell, murmured caringly: “Think, O lord of my heart, about your state, about its peace and prosperity, and not about vain feelings...” Mustafa, whom Roxalana knew from the age of 4, becoming adults, had to die at the request of his stepmother.
The Prophet forbade shedding the blood of the padishahs and their heirs, therefore, by order of Suleiman, but by the will of Roxalana, Mustafa, his brothers and children, the grandchildren of the Sultan, were strangled with a silk cord."
Historical facts: In 1553, Suleiman's eldest son, Prince Mustafa, was executed, at that time he was already under forty years old. The first sultan to execute his adult son was Murad I, who ruled at the end of the 14th century, and ensured that the rebellious Savji was put to death. The reason for Mustafa's execution was that he planned to usurp the throne, but, as in the case of the execution of the Sultan's favorite, Ibrahim Pasha, the blame was placed on Hurrem Sultan, who was a foreigner who was near the Sultan. There was already a case in the history of the Ottoman Empire when a son tried to help his father leave the throne - this is what Suleiman’s father, Selim I, did with Suleiman’s grandfather, Bayezid II. After the death of Prince Mehmed several years earlier, the regular army really considered it necessary to remove Suleiman from affairs and isolate him in the Di-dimotihon residence located south of Edirne, in direct analogy with what happened with Bayezid II. Moreover, letters from the shehzade have been preserved, on which the personal seal of the shehzade Mustafa is clearly visible, addressed to the Safavid Shah, which Sultan Suleiman later learned about (this seal has also been preserved and Mustafa’s signature is inscribed on it: Sultan Mustafa, see photo). The last straw for Suleiman was the visit of the Austrian ambassador, who, instead of visiting the Sultan, first went to Mustafa. After the visit, the ambassador informed everyone that Shehzade Mustafa would be a wonderful Padishah. After Suleiman found out about this, he immediately called Mustafa to his place and ordered him to be strangled. Shehzade Mustafa was strangled by order of his father in 1553 during the Persian military campaign.
Legend eight. “About the origin of Valide”
The legend says: “Valide Sultan was the daughter of the captain of an English ship that was wrecked in the Adriatic Sea. Then this unfortunate ship was captured by Turkish pirates. The part of the manuscript that has survived ends with the message that the girl was sent to the Sultan’s harem. This is an Englishwoman who ruled Turkey for 10 years and only later, not finding a common language with her son’s wife, the notorious Roksolana, returned to England.”
Historical Facts: Ayse Sultan Hafsa or Hafsa Sultan (born around 1479 - 1534) became the first Valide Sultan (queen mother) of the Ottoman Empire, being the wife of Selim I and the mother of Suleiman the Magnificent. Although the year of birth of Ayşe Sultan is known, historians still cannot definitively determine the date of birth. She was the daughter of the Crimean Khan Mengli-Girey.
She lived in Manisa with her son from 1513 to 1520, in a province that was the traditional residence of the Ottoman shehzade, future rulers, who studied there the basics of government.
Ayşe Hafsa Sultan died in March 1534 and was buried next to her husband in the mausoleum.
Legend nine. “About soldering Shehzade Selim”
The legend says: “Selim acquired the nickname “Drunkard” due to excessive consumption of wine. Initially, this love for alcohol was due to the fact that at one time Selim’s mother herself, Roksolana, periodically gave him wine, so her son was much more manageable.”
Historical facts: Sultan Selim was nicknamed the Drunkard, he was so cheerful and did not shy away from human weaknesses - wine and a harem. Well, the Prophet Muhammad himself admitted: “Most of all on earth I loved women and fragrances, but I always found complete pleasure only in prayer.” Do not forget that alcohol was in honor at the Ottoman court, and the lives of some sultans were shorter precisely because of their passion for alcohol. Selim II, being drunk, fell in the bathhouse and then died from the consequences of the fall. Mahmud II died of delirium tremens. Murad II, who defeated the crusaders at the Battle of Varna, died of apoplexy caused by heavy drinking. Mahmud II loved French wines and left behind a huge collection of them. Murad IV caroused from morning to night with his courtiers, eunuchs and jesters, and sometimes forced the chief muftis and judges to drink with him. Falling into binges, he committed such harsh acts that those around him seriously thought that he had gone crazy. For example, he loved to shoot with arrows at people who were sailing on boats past the Topkapi Palace or to run at night in his underwear through the streets of Istanbul, killing anyone who got in his way. It was Murad IV who issued a seditious decree from an Islamic point of view, according to which alcohol was allowed to be sold even to Muslims. In many ways, Sultan Selim’s addiction to alcohol was influenced by a person close to him, in whose hands were the main threads of control, namely the vizier Sokolu.
But it should be noted that Selim was not the first and not the last sultan who revered alcohol, and this did not prevent him from participating in a number of military campaigns, as well as in the political life of the Ottoman Empire. So from Suleiman he inherited 14,892,000 km2, and after him this territory was already 15,162,000 km2. Selim reigned prosperously and left his son a state that not only did not decrease territorially, but even increased; for this, in many respects, he owed the mind and energy of the vizier Mehmed Sokoll. Sokollu completed the conquest of Arabia, which had previously been only loosely dependent on the Porte.
Legend tenth. “About thirty campaigns in Ukraine”
The legend says: “Hurrem, of course, had influence on the Sultan, but not enough to save her fellow countrymen from suffering. During his reign, Suleiman undertook campaigns against Ukraine more than 30 times.”
Historical facts: Restoring the chronology of the conquests of Sultan Suleiman
1521 – campaign in Hungary, siege of Belgrade.
1522 - siege of the fortress of Rhodes
1526 – campaign in Hungary, siege of the Petervaradin fortress.
1526 – battle near the city of Mohács.
1526 – suppression of the uprising in Cilicia
1529 – capture of Buda
1529 – storming of Vienna
1532-1533 - fourth campaign in Hungary
1533 – capture of Tabriz.
1534 - capture of Baghdad.
1538 – ruin of Moldova.
1538 - capture of Aden, naval expedition to the shores of India.
1537-1539 - the Turkish fleet under the command of Hayreddin Barbarossa ravaged and imposed tribute on more than 20 islands in the Adriatic Sea that belonged to the Venetians. Capture of cities and villages in Dalmatia.
1540-1547 - battles in Hungary.
1541 capture of Buda.
1541 – capture of Algeria
1543 - capture of the Esztergom fortress. A Janissary garrison was stationed in Buda, and the Turkish administration began to function throughout the territory of Hungary captured by the Turks.
1548 – passage through the lands of Southern Azerbaijan and capture of Tabriz.
1548 – siege of the Van fortress and capture of the Lake Van basin in Southern Armenia. The Turks also invaded Eastern Armenia and Southern Georgia. In Iran, Turkish units reached Kashan and Qom and captured Isfahan.
1552 – capture of Temesvar
1552 Turkish squadron headed from Suez to the shores of Oman.
1552 - In 1552, the Turks took the city of Temesvár and the Veszprém fortress
1553 - capture of Eger.
1547-1554 – capture of Muscat (a large Portuguese fortress).
1551-1562 the next Austro-Turkish war took place
1554 – naval battles with Portugal.
In 1560, the Sultan's fleet won another great naval victory. Near the coast of North Africa, near the island of Djerba, the Turkish armada entered into battle with the combined squadrons of Malta, Venice, Genoa and Florence
1566-1568 – Austro-Turkish war for the possession of the Principality of Transylvania
1566 – capture of Szigetvár.
During his long, almost half-century rule (1520-1566), Suleiman the Magnificent never sent his conquerors to Ukraine.
It was at that time that the construction of fences, castles, fortresses of the Zaporozhye Sich, the organizational and political activities of Prince Dmitry Vishnevetsky arose. In Suleiman’s letters to the Polish king Artykul August II there are not only threats to punish “Demetrash” (Prince Vishnevetsky), but also a demand for a quiet life for the inhabitants of Ukraine. At the same time, in many ways, it was Roksolana who contributed to the establishment of friendly relations with Poland, which at that time controlled the lands of Western Ukraine, the native lands of the Sultana. The signing of the Polish-Ottoman truce in 1525 and 1528, as well as the “perpetual peace” treaties of 1533 and 1553, is very often attributed to her influence. So Piotr Opalinski, the Polish ambassador to Suleiman’s court in 1533, confirmed that “Roksolana begged the Sultan to forbid the Crimean Khan to disturb the Polish lands.” As a result, the close diplomatic and friendly contacts established by Hurrem Sultan with King Sigismund II, as confirmed by surviving correspondence, made it possible not only to prevent new raids on the territory of Ukraine, but also helped to interrupt the flow of the slave trade from those lands.
Author of the article: Elena Minyaeva.
Anastasia Gavrilovna Lisovskaya, who went down in history as Roksolana, was born in the small town of Rohatyn, in Galicia (Western Ukraine) at the beginning of the 16th century, approximately 1505 according to historians. Her father was a priest, the family did not have much income, which was further aggravated by the constant raids of the Mongol-Tatars, who robbed, killed and trampled crops. But the worst thing was catching people. With hooting, the Krymchaks (as they were called then by the Slavs - Dogheads - because of the custom of wearing fur hats even in the heat) burst into the settlements and chased after everything living, young girls were of particular value - Slavs were famous for their beauty throughout the world. In one of these raids, 17-year-old Roksolana was caught, and, as some historians write, everything happened on the eve of her wedding.
The long slave journey led to the Crimea, but for the young Polonyanka it turned out to be much longer. The owner appreciated the beauty of the slave and decided to sell her profitably in Istanbul, where the vizier of the young Suleiman I noticed her at the slave market. Being an intelligent and savvy politician, the pasha decided to give his master a gift, knowing that this was how he would be able to please him. However, the quick-witted Krymchak turned out to be a no-brainer and quickly got his bearings in the situation, mentally assessing what benefits he himself could derive by presenting such a valuable gift to the powerful vizier. This is where the story begins.
But it is known that it is inappropriate to take a girl, even such a beautiful one, straight from the market to the Sultan’s palace - first a bath and an examination by doctors who confirmed the virginity of the future Sultana. Being a scientist, Pasha gave Anastasia a new name - Roxolana (Roxalans or Roxans in ancient times were called Sarmatian tribes in the 2nd-4th centuries AD, who roamed the steppes between the Dnieper and Don, and a little later they were considered the ancestors of all Slavs).
However, not everything is so simple, and the myth that the beautiful Galychan woman won Suleiman’s heart as soon as he saw her is actually a myth. Having hundreds of the most beautiful women from all over the world in his harem, the Sultan did not immediately turn his attention to Roksolana. However, this still happened, but after some time, after which the girl decided to achieve the status of an official wife at all costs (returning home from the Sultan’s harem in those days was more difficult than flying to the moon). And becoming the wife of the great Sultan is also not an easy matter, although not so impossible.
Muslims, as you know, can marry four times and have four wives. This is official, but unofficially there are many, many concubines. Naturally, not everyone could afford such luxury, but only the richest, among whom was the Sultan himself. However, as it turns out, becoming the wife of the Sultan is half the trouble; the other half was the ability to survive in this female kingdom of envy and jealousy. And it was even more difficult to protect children, each son of the Sultan was considered a contender for the throne, therefore, according to the law, although the sons of the first wife were considered heirs to the throne, the hatred of women extended to all boys and the main concern of each mother was to protect the child from poison or a dagger. Looking ahead, it must be said that after the death of his father, the eldest son, having received the crown, as a rule, killed all his brothers, thereby protecting himself in the future from bloody feuds from pretenders.
Roksolana achieved her goal, even though it cost her dearly. She became Suleiman's wife. Going towards her goal, she did everything - she changed her faith (and this is the daughter of a priest!), bribed the eunuchs, seduced the Sultan as best she could (an innocent girl!).
But the Sultan already had a son, Mustafa, whose mother, a black-haired Circassian woman, was considered the first wife and valide (mother of the crown prince). We must pay tribute, living in a harem left its mark on the quiet and kind Nastya. She became the insidious and power-hungry Roksolana, who sees her worst enemies in the Circassian woman and her son. And her main trump card was her children - Roksolana gave birth to Suleiman three sons and a daughter.
However, the path to power and victory was long and thorny. Living in constant fear for his life, the Sultan could have liked another woman so much that, having decided to make her his legal wife, he would have made room for this by executing one of the “old ones.” And they did this in a harem in a very sophisticated way: an unloved wife or a boring concubine was put in a small leather bag, an angry cat and sometimes a poisonous snake were also thrown into it, after which the bag was sewn up and along a special stone chute made by many such bags, they lowered it with a tied stone into the waters Bosphorus.
Roksolana’s first step was the marriage of her daughter to the very middle-aged Rustem Pasha, an influential courtier, the revered heir of the Sultan and the son of a Circassian woman, Mustafa. Roksolana sacrificed her daughter, as beautiful as herself, but naive and even stupid.
A very short time after the wedding, seizing an opportune moment, she told her husband about an alleged conspiracy being prepared against him by her son-in-law and the valid. Rustem Pasha was tortured, where under torture he incriminated himself and everyone he could. Then he was executed, but this was not the goal of the insidious intriguer, but his eldest sons, the children of his first wife. Skillfully courting Suleiman, Roksolana achieved her goal. And, since shedding the blood of the sacred sultans and their heirs is forbidden by the Korans, the heirs were strangled with silk threads, and finally Lisovskaya’s son, the reddish Selim, became the heir, and Anastasia herself became valid, and at this time the Circassian woman, abandoned by everyone and gone crazy with grief she was dying, forgotten and no one needed in a small closet.
But Roksolana’s thirst for blood was not quenched. Deciding to protect her son, she ordered his siblings, her younger sons, to be drowned, and then to find and kill (secretly or openly) 40 more of her husband’s children.
For forty years Roxalana was the wife of Suleiman the Magnificent; for forty years she skillfully created for herself the reputation of the most educated woman in the Muslim East, patronizing art and its followers.
The hypocritical and evil sultana died a natural death. She never had to see her son ascend the throne. Selim II reigned in the Sublime Porte of his father for only eight years (1566 - 1574) - and, even despite the strict prohibition of the Koran from drinking wine, he went down in history as Selim the drunkard, a terrible alcoholic, which his heart could not stand.
This is the real true story of Sultan Suleiman and Hurrem Roksolana - Anastasia Lisovskaya, who went down in history as a defender of her people and an example of virtue...
Roksolana(Hurrem, according to literary tradition, birth name Anastasia or Alexandra Gavrilovna Lisovskaya; d. April 18, 1558) - concubine and then wife of the Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, mother of Sultan Selim II.
Origin
Information about origin Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska quite contradictory. There are no documentary sources or even any reliable written evidence talking about Hurrem’s life before entering the harem. At the same time, its origin is known from legends and literary works, mainly of Western origin. Early literary sources do not contain information about her childhood, limiting themselves to mentioning her Russian origin. The first details about Hurrem's life before entering the harem appear in literature in the 19th century. According to Polish literary tradition, her real name was Alexandra and she was the daughter of the priest Gavrila Lisovsky from Rohatyn (Ivano-Frankivsk region). In Ukrainian literature of the 19th century she is called Anastasia. According to Mikhail Orlovsky’s version, set out in the historical story “Roksolana or Anastasia Lisovskaya”, she was not from Rohatyn, but from Chemerovets (Khmelnitsky region). At that time, both cities were located on the territory of the Kingdom of Poland. In Europe, Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska was known as Roksolana. This name was invented by the Hamburg ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, Ogier Ghiselin de Busbeck, author of the Latin-language Turkish Notes. In this essay, based on the fact that Hurrem came from what is now Western Ukraine, he called her Roksolana, referring to the name of these lands popular in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth at the end of the 16th century - Roksolania.
Sultana-educator
The wedding of Suleiman and Roksolana was celebrated in 1530. This was an unprecedented case in the history of the Ottomans - the Sultan officially married a woman from the harem. Roksolana became for him the embodiment of everything that he loved in women: she appreciated art and understood politics, was a polyglot and a wonderful dancer, knew how to love and accept love.
This is what one foreigner (British diplomat) wrote about the wedding of Suleiman with his concubine Hurrem: “ This week an unprecedented event took place in Istanbul: Sultan Suleiman declared his Ukrainian concubine Roksolana sultana, as a result of which a big celebration took place in Istanbul.It is impossible to convey in words the splendor of the wedding ceremony held in the palace. A general procession was organized. At night, all the streets were illuminated. There were entertainments everywhere, with musicians playing. The houses were decorated. The people were delighted. A large platform was built in Sultanahmet Square, in front of which the competition took place.Roksolana and other concubines came to the celebration. Muslim and Christian knights took part in the competition. Then there was a performance with the participation of tightrope walkers, magicians, and wild animals. There were various rumors about the wedding in Istanbul. However, no one knew exactly what happened ».
Suleiman and Khurrem could talk for hours about love, politics, art... They often communicated in poetry. Roksolana, like a real woman, knew when to remain silent, when to be sad, and when to laugh. It is not surprising that during her reign the dull harem turned into a center of beauty and enlightenment, and the rulers of other states began to recognize her. The Sultana appears in public with an open face, but despite this, she is respected by prominent figures of Islam as an exemplary devout Muslim. When Suleiman II, leaving his wife to rule the empire, set out to pacify the rebellious peoples of Persia, he literally scraped out the treasury. This did not bother the economic spouse. She ordered the opening of wine shops in the European quarter and in the port areas of Istanbul, after 
causing hard coin to flow into the treasury of the Ottoman rulers. This seemed not enough, and Roksolana ordered to deepen the Golden Horn Bay and reconstruct the piers in Galata, where not only light or medium-sized, but also large-capacity ships with goods from all over the world soon began to approach. The capital's shopping arcades grew like mushrooms after rain. The treasury was also full. Now Hurrem Sultan had enough money to build new mosques, minarets, nursing homes, hospitals - a lot of things. The Sultan, returning from another victorious campaign, did not even recognize the Topkapi Palace, which was being rebuilt with funds obtained by his enterprising and deified wife. Suleiman fought, expanding the borders of the Ottoman Empire. And Roksolana wrote him tender letters.
”My Sultan, - she wrote, - what a boundless and burning pain of parting. Save me, unfortunate one, and don’t delay your beautiful letters. May my soul receive at least a drop of joy from your messages. When they are read to us, your servant and son Mehmed and your slave and daughter Migrima cry, yearning for you. Their tears are driving me crazy”.
”My dear goddess, my amazing beauty, - he answered, - mistress of my heart, my brightest month, my deepest desires companion, my only one, you are dearer to me than all the beauties in the world!”
Bloody sacrifices of Roksolana
Hatching evil plans. Sultan Suleiman was a stern, reserved man. He loved books, wrote poetry, paid a lot of attention to the war, but was indifferent to debauchery. As was expected “according to his position,” he married the daughter of the Circassian Khan Gulbeher, but did not love her. And when he met his Hurrem, he found his only chosen one in her. Hurrem named her first-born Selim - in honor of her husband's predecessor, Sultan Selim I, nicknamed the Terrible. Roksolana really wanted her little golden-haired Selim to become just like his older namesake. But Mustafa, the eldest son of the padishah’s first wife, the beautiful Circassian Gulbeher, was still officially considered the heir to the throne.
Lisovskaya understood: until her son became the heir to the throne or sat on the throne of the padishahs, her own position was constantly under threat. At any moment, Suleiman could be carried away by a new beautiful concubine and make her his legal wife, and order one of the old wives to be executed. In the harem, an unwanted wife or concubine was put alive in a leather bag, an angry cat and a poisonous snake were thrown into it, the bag was tied, and along a special stone chute they lowered it with a tied stone into the waters of the Bosphorus. The guilty considered it lucky if they were simply quickly strangled with a silk cord. Therefore, Roksolana prepared for a very long time and began to act actively and cruelly only after almost fifteen years. 
Victims of Roksolana. Roksolana's first victim was the outstanding Turkish sovereign figure, vizier-philanthropist Ibrahim, who in 1536 was accused of excessive sympathy for France and was strangled on the orders of the Sultan. Ibrahim's place was immediately taken by Rustem Pasha, with whom Roksolana sympathized. She gave her 12-year-old daughter in marriage to him. Later, Rustem, too, could not avoid the court intrigues of his mother-in-law: using her own daughter as a spy, Roksolana exposed her son-in-law of betraying the Sultan and, as a result, Rustem Pasha was beheaded. But before that, Rustem Pasha fulfilled his destiny, for the sake of which he was nominated by the insidious mistress. Hurrem and his son-in-law were able to convince the Sultan that the heir to the throne, Mustafa, had established close relations with the Serbs and was preparing a conspiracy against his father. The intriguer knew well where and how to strike - the mythical “conspiracy” was quite plausible: in the East during the time of the sultans, bloody palace coups were the most common thing. The Prophet forbade the shedding of the blood of the padishahs and their heirs, therefore, by order of Suleiman, Mustafa, his brothers and the Sultan’s grandchildren were strangled with a silk cord. Their mother Gulbeher went crazy with grief and soon died.
One day, Valide Khamse, Suleiman’s mother, who had influence on him, told him everything she thought about the “conspiracy,” executions and his beloved wife Roksolana. After that she lived less than a month. It is believed that a few drops of poison “helped” her with this... Over forty years of marriage, Roksolana managed the almost impossible. She was proclaimed the first wife, and her son Selim became the heir. But the sacrifices did not stop there. Roksolana's two youngest sons were strangled. Some sources accuse her of involvement in these murders - allegedly this was done in order to strengthen the position of her beloved son Selim. However, reliable data about this tragedy has never been found. But there is evidence that about forty sons of the Sultan, born to other wives and concubines, were found and killed. Roksolana never saw her dream come true - she died before her beloved son Selim ascended the throne. He reigned for eight years. And contrary to the Koran, he loved to “take it to his chest,” which is why he remained in history under the name Selim the Drunkard. Academician Krymsky described him as “a degenerate alcoholic and a cruel despot.” Selim's rule did not benefit Turkey. It was with him that the decline of the Ottoman Empire began. Suleiman II's beloved died of a cold in 1558 and was buried with all due honors. Suleiman I - in 1566. He managed to complete the construction of the majestic Suleymaniye Mosque - one of the largest architectural monuments of the Ottoman Empire - near which Roksolana’s ashes rest in an octagonal stone tomb, next to the also octagonal tomb of the Sultan. This tomb has stood for more than four hundred years. Inside, under the high dome, Suleiman ordered to carve alabaster rosettes and decorate each of them with a priceless emerald, Roksolana’s favorite gem.
When Suleiman died, his tomb was also decorated with emeralds, forgetting that his favorite stone was ruby. 
Children of Roksolana and Suleiman
Roksolana gave birth to the Sultan six children - five sons and one daughter Miriam (Mihrimah):
Mehmed (1521 - 1543)
Mihrimah (1522 - 1578)
Abdallah (1523 - 1526)
Selim (28 May 1524 - 12 December 1574)
Bayezid (1525 - November 28, 1563)
Jahangir (1532 - 1553)
Suleiman loved his only daughter Miriam most of all. In 1539 she was married to Rustem Pasha, who later became the Grand Vizier. Suleiman also built a mosque in honor of his daughter. Of his father's sons, only Selim survived. The rest died during the struggle for the throne. Including Suleiman's son from Gulbahar's third wife - Mustafa. They say that the good Jangir died out of grief for his brother.
Mehmed (1521 - 1543). The eldest son Hürrem Mehmet was Suleiman's favorite. It was Mehmet Suleiman who prepared for the throne. At the age of 21 he died of a severe cold or smallpox. He had a beloved concubine, who after his death gave birth to a daughter, Huma Shah Sultan. Mehmet's daughter lived to be 38 years old and had 4 sons and 5 daughters.
Miriam (1522 - 1578). Mihrimah Sultan was not only the only daughter of Sultan Suleiman and his wife, the “laughing” Slav Hurrem Sultan, but also one of the few Ottoman princesses who played an important role in governing the Empire. Mihrimah was born in 1522 in the Top Kapi palace, 2 years later her mother Hurrem Sultan would give birth to the future padishah Selim. The Sultan-Lawgiver adored his golden-haired daughter and fulfilled all her whims. Mikhrimah received an excellent education and lived in the most luxurious conditions.
Abdullah(1523-1526). Died of plague at the age of 3 years. 
Selim(28 May 1524 - 12 December 1574). Eleventh Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, reigned 1566-1574. Selim gained the throne largely thanks to his mother Roksolana. During the reign of Selim II, the Sultan never appeared in military camps, did not participate in campaigns, but spent time in a harem, where he indulged in all sorts of vices. The Janissaries did not like him and called him a “drunkard” behind his back. Nevertheless, the aggressive campaigns of the Turks during the reign of Selim continued. Selim's wife - Nurbanu Sultan. When Selim became governor of the province, Hurrem Sultan, breaking traditions, did not go with him, but stayed in the Topkapi Palace. Nurbana quickly wrapped up Selim, who was left all alone. When Selim ascended the throne, she easily took over the harem, since at that time Hurrem Sultan had already died and Valide Sultan was not in the harem. In Selima's harem, Nurbanu was in charge, who, being the mother of his eldest son and heir Murad, held the title of first wife. She was the Sultan's favorite, and he loved her dearly.
Shehzade Bayezid(1525 - November 28, 1562). Bayezid was an incomparably more worthy successor than Selim. Moreover, Bayezid was a favorite of the Janissaries, in whom he resembled his father and from whom he inherited the best qualities of his nature. But a few years later a civil war broke out between Selim and Bayezid, in which each was supported by his own local armed forces. Bayezid, after an unsuccessful attempt to kill Selim, hid in Persia with 12 thousand of his people, and began to be considered a traitor in the Ottoman Empire, which at that time was at war with Persia. Selim, with the help of his father's troops, defeated Bayezid near Konya in 1559, forcing him with his four sons and a small but efficient army to seek refuge at the court of the Shah of Iran, Tahmasp. This was followed by a diplomatic exchange of letters between the Sultan's envoys, who demanded the extradition or, optionally, execution of his son, and the Shah, who resisted both, based on the laws of Muslim hospitality. At first, the Shah hoped to use his hostage to bargain for the return of lands in Mesopotamia that the Sultan had seized during the first campaign. But it was an empty hope. Bayazid was taken into custody. According to the agreement, the prince was to be executed on Persian soil, but by the people of the Sultan. Thus, in exchange for a large sum of gold, the Shah handed Bayezid over to the official executioner from Istanbul. When Bayezid asked to be allowed to see and hug his four sons before he died, he was advised to “move on to the task ahead.” After that, a cord was thrown around the prince's neck, and he was strangled. After Bayezid, four of his sons were strangled. The fifth son, only three years old, met, by order of Suleiman, the same fate in Bursa, being given into the hands of a trusted eunuch assigned to carry out this order.
Jahangir(1532 - 1553). The last son of Suleiman and Hurrem. Born a sick child. He had a hump and other health problems. To drown out the constant pain, Jahangir became addicted to drugs. Despite his age and illness, he was married.
The terrible death of his brother Mustafa, provoked by Roksolana, shocked the impressionable Jihangir so much that he fell ill and soon died. Suleiman, grieving over his unfortunate hunchbacked son, instructed Sinan to erect a beautiful mosque in the quarter that still bears the name of this prince. The Jihangir Mosque, built by the great architect, was destroyed by fire and nothing has survived from it to this day. 
Roksolana destroyed the Ottoman Empire
Roksolana (Anastasia Lisovskaya) was born in the city of Rohatyn in 1505. Anastasia's father was a priest and a heavy alcoholic. Nastya spent her childhood as usual for the children of clergy of that time - reading the Holy Scriptures, prayers and akathists, as well as some secular literature. At the age of fifteen, she was kidnapped by the Crimean Tatars and sold into Turkish slavery, or rather in grief to the Turkish Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent. From this moment the most incredible adventures of Roksolana in Turkey begin. Anastasia Lisovskaya was an exceptionally strong-willed and decisive girl, naturally prone to intrigue, adventurism and nymphomania. While in the harem, she quickly learned to manipulate her husband and his closest relatives, as well as the highest dignitaries and courtiers of the Ottoman Empire. To understand the mechanisms of Roksolana’s rise at the Sultan’s court, you need to know the morals and customs that then reigned among the Turkish nobility and in the royal family. Under Sultan Selim the Terrible, who was Roksolana's husband Suleiman's father, Turkey reached the highest peak of its imperial power. During his reign, the Ottoman Porte conquered Syria, Egypt and part of Persia; on the site of modern Ukraine, lands controlled by Turkey extended almost to Kyiv. These territorial acquisitions doubled the size of the state. Selim was a strong ruler, but he had some vicious human weaknesses. He was a homosexual... It was the presence in his character of an unhealthy sexual craving that explains the fact that Selim had a whole harem of boys whom he for some reason emasculated... When, during the next war, Selim captured all the wives of the Persian Shah, he did not count them to his harem, and having ordered to undress, he kicked out. He gave only the most beloved wife of Shah Ismail to his nobleman... Selim's court consisted largely of noble Turks of non-traditional sexual orientation, as well as foreigners, primarily of Slavic origin. 
With the coming to power of Suleiman the Magnificent, the Turkish court in its, so to speak, qualitative composition has changed little. Although Suleiman himself paid attention exclusively to women, he democratically allowed people of unconventional orientation into his retinue... Here is how the German envoy to Turkey Buzbek wrote about Suleiman: “Even in his youth, he did not experience a vicious passion for boys, in which almost all Turks wallow.” . Sultan Suleiman was a good poet. He, a melancholy and dreamy man, was characterized by frequent depression and philosophical disappointments with life... Knowing the Ukrainian language perfectly, Suleiman sometimes liked to listen to blind kobzars. Wandering through the streets of the Turkish capital, they sang drawn-out songs about the exploits of the glorious Turkish lads, the same Janissaries who bravely slaughtered the Zaporozhye Cossacks on the battlefields and brought home rich spoils of war...
Suleiman the Magnificent, like many men inclined to the arts, loved strong-willed, intelligent, sensual and educated women - women capable of commanding. This is precisely what explains the fact that Roksolana managed to fall in love with the young Sultan so easily.
Commanding the heart of the “ruler of half the world,” it was not difficult for Roksolana to deal with all her competitors at the Turkish court. With the help of subtle and extremely insidious intrigues, she managed to become the de facto sovereign ruler of the Ottoman Empire. Among the highest Turkish aristocracy there were quite a few people of Slavic nationality, especially Ukrainians and Poles. Roksolana took advantage of the opportunities of the court Slavic “party”, while she manipulated Turkish viziers and ministers like pieces on a chessboard.
Having given birth to a son, Selim, from Suleiman, our illustrious compatriot immediately set about eliminating competitors who could lay claim to the Turkish throne. In addition to Roksolana, the Sultan had another beloved wife: a Circassian woman who gave birth to his first child, Mustafa. My father loved Mustafa very much. The people simply adored him. And Mustafa would have become the real ruler of Turkey - ruthless and bloodthirsty, but, as they say, it was not destiny... Having eliminated the Grand Vizier Ibrahim, a protege of the “Circassian party”, Roksolana achieved the appointment of “her own man” to this position - Rustem Pasha, who by nationality was Serb. Soon the new Grand Vizier married the daughter of Roksolana and Suleiman, thus becoming related to the royal family and becoming a person personally interested in the success of the intrigues of his tireless mother-in-law. However, he himself participated in these intrigues... Here is what the Venetian ambassador Navajero wrote about this in February 1553: “All the intentions of the mother, whom the great sovereign loves so much, and the plans of Rustem, who has such great power, are directed towards only one goal: make his relative Selim heir.” 
When Suleiman’s Circassian wife realized that she would soon suffer the same fate as the Grand Vizier Ibrahim, she attacked Roksolana with her fists. There was a fight in which the native of the Caucasus took the upper hand. This whole story continued in the Sultan’s chambers: the guiltily humble Roksolana silently showed her master a clump of hair torn out from her by a ferocious Circassian woman, and she, in turn, screamed hysterically, proving that the Ukrainian steppe woman was plotting intrigues throughout the court and weaving treacherous conspiracies. To end the strife in the harem, Suleiman, without hesitation, sent the Circassian woman along with his son Mustafa to a remote fortress, while Roksolana remained in the Sultan’s palace. Upon learning of Mustafa's death, Roksolana rejoiced: her plan was a success... Now the road to the Turkish throne was open for her son Selim.
Selim II ruled Turkey for only eight years. He died early and devoted the last years of his life entirely to bloody terror against the rebellious and to alcoholism. Under his rule, the Turkish Empire began an inglorious path to its end. Roksolana’s grandson, Murad the Third, began drinking from childhood. From his father, he adopted not only a hereditary disease, but also methods of governing the state: cutting off the heads of his subjects for the slightest offense. In those days, Turkish rulers developed a “fashion” for powerful and strong-willed wives. Selim, Murad, and subsequent rulers of Turkey acquired their own “Roksolans”. Each new sultana, with her intrigues and adventures, destroyed the statehood as best she could. This period of Turkish history is called "the era of privileged women." From then until the time of the Turkish Revolution, most of the rulers of the Ottoman Porte were heavy drinkers. Thanks to the alcoholism gene passed on by Roksolana to the Turkish ruling dynasty, Turkey suffered major defeats in military campaigns and on the world diplomatic stage throughout the 17th and 18th centuries. The Turkish Empire, decomposed and morally undermined from within by Anastasia Lisovskaya, in those days ceased to pose any serious threat to the world superpowers, including the Russian Empire. The annexation of the Novorossiysk region and Crimea to Russia is the result not only of outstanding victories of Russian commanders, but also a consequence of the pernicious influence of Roksolana on the ruling circles of the Ottoman ports of the 16th century.