The Sunday globe., 1901-06-16
A SULTAN'S HAREM
Not Such a Bad Place for UnprO-
tected Females.
OUR DANES OF INFLUENCE.
Might Find More DlSagreeabe Refuge Than
The The Turks Serago-Itls Is in Line with
Their Tastes, while Clerical Ability is Not
Required, Nothing but "FuenOe Send
Your Pictures, Ladies', 10 The Grand Turk.

For the information simply and sole
ly of the danes of influence in the
Departments, whom The Globe has
quiet tip will soon be hunting some
other means of employment we print
the following as of special interest to
this class. 1t is possible that some of
them may work in with their "infiu-
euce" and secure a position in the sui
tan's harem, where influence alone
counts and clerical ability is not re.
quired:
General inquiry does not develop
much information about the sultan's
harem. What one person tells you is
apt to be contradicted by another The
fact is that very little is really known.
In the sultans harem there are,
perhaps. 1000 females--sultanas
wives, daughters, favorites, servants,
etc. The organization of this large
body is perfect, and the greatest order
and system prevail (The Daughters
of the American Revolution might
avoid their yearly wrangle by taking
few lessons from their Turkish sis
ters.) Ordinarily the head Of the ha-
rem. the Valide sultana, would be the
mother Of the sultan but she, having
died many years agO-in the sultan's
babyhood--his foster mother is sup
posed to be the nominal head. The
Valide sultana wields in the harem
the most absolute authority, and is ad-
dressed as the Grown of Yelled
Heads" The Valide is assisted by a
cabinet, or court, of twelve lady Of.
fcials called Kalfas.
"Under the Moslem law the sultan,
like other Mohammedans, may have
four wives. and these ladies are next in
rank-the first known as Bash Kakin
Effendi and the three others as Kadin
Effendis.
"NeXt comes the mothers Of other
children, called Hanum Edendis.
"The unmarried daughters of the
sultan-called sultanas-come next,
Those princesses cut but little figure in
palace life, as they are generally rich
ly lowered when about Is years of age
and given a husband, palace, slaves,
etc.
Following the sultanas are the sui
tan's avorites-Ikbals--a very import
ant element in harem life.
"To each of the above ladies--includ-
suite of apartments, money allowance.
Next come the Guezdos, young
ladies upon whom the sultan has cast
an eye but not positively selected as
an Ikbal.'
1t is here the danes of influence
must get in their work,
"The harem of the sultan is COM
posed entirely of slaves or women of
.sryf,, Ia FOR fnfG fc
that a Moslem free woman may not un-
veil herself in the presence Of man
not of her blood nor permit a man
to enter the harem. And in the sui
tan's harem they are understood to
unveil themselves pretty consider
ably, which will Just suit some of the
danes from the Treasury Department
palace slaves are usually purchased
very young, and those who develop per-
sonal charms are placed under the
tutelage Of the Kalfas, and are taught
department. dancing, singing, music,
etc. The others are brought up as ser
vants-cooks, housemaids, bath attend
ants, etc.
"The sultan's wives and favorites
aCe generally presented to him by the
Vakde or some other Official who thus
attempts his maiesty's favor. But any
slave in the palace may aspire to the
highest dignity IR fact, the wife Of
Mahmoud IL, the mother of Abdul
Aziz, was a menial when she attracted
attention. No formal contract is en-
tered into between the sultan and his
wives, but the union is indissoluble un-
til both are dead. A sultan's wide "
may not marry again.
HI 4 L 1.
there is a big time! Everybody dons
her best and looks her prettiest. The
mistress of ceremonies ushers him in
and conducts him to the divan. Under
the superintendent Of the Kalfas the
slave girls serve coffee sherbet, sweets,
ETC. Should any one of them take his
fancy he asks a casual question about
her Of the Valide when, by a sign the
girl is commanded to approach and
kiss the fringe of the divan. She then
leaves the service of the Kalfa and has
become a GueZde-oHe of the eyed.
AS such she is given a separate apart
ment II on further acquaintance she
proves acceptable, she becomes a ia.
forite or Ikbal, and should she become
a mother a Hanum or Kasir Effenai-
according to the number OF wifely pre-
decessors in the sultan's affections,
Should. however a sultan tire of her
and wish her removal, a dover is
given her and she is married to some
palace official.
con the accession of new sultan
the various ladies Of the deceased and
their immediate attendants are re-
meved to some other palace and the
household Of the new monarch in
stalled
"The position Of the sultan's slave
girls must in no sense be confounded
with the conditions that surround
slaveEy in other countries These wom-
en- are cared for-or properly married
ali the days of thei lives. When mar
ried they become free women. Their
labors even as menials, are light, and
the women Of the sultan's harem con-
slider themselves as m exceedingly for
Hunate set.
"The ladies OF the harem are ex.
ceediAgly punctilious When calling
Upen each other as much ceremony
and form is INDUCED IN as when the
Grand Duchess of Gerolestein calls
upon ths Grand Duchess OF Pumper.
Nickel u must be remembered that
each mother of q son is a possible Va
Tide sultana, for each prince has a
chance under Moslem law Of some day
becoming sultan. AS the sultan is
called the Lion of Lions, so each
mother calls her princehng My little
lion. And when this little lion
reaches a certain age he is installed in
a palace, given lRrem of his own
and does a right good business at it
during the early years Of hs life.
"The foster mother and the foster
brothers of the sultan always play an
important part in the monarch's life.
Next te the actual mother of the sui