Sadka

**Lady Sadka** (in Hai: እመቤት ሳክዳ "pure" or "innocent"; 1123-1200) she was a noblewoman of the Hai Empire who effectively controlled the Hai government in the late Sumi dynasty as empress dowager and regent for 50 years, from 1150 until her death in 1200. Selected as a concubine of the Efrain Emperor in her adolescence, she gave birth to a son, Hanzade. After the Efrain Emperor's death in 1211, his five-year-old son became the Hai Emperor, and Sakda assumed the role of co-empress dowager alongside Efrain's widows, who became Empress Dowager Mirzimah and Empress Dowager Empress Karz'i. She then consolidated control over the dynasty when she installed her grandson as the new Emperor.

## Background

Sadka is generally said to be originally from the toothed islands and daughter of a priest of the goddess Mea on the island of Karu whose maiden name was Tamera. In 1138, at the age of 14 or 15, she was kidnapped and then bought as a slave and sold into the harem of Emperor Efrain.

She was accepted as a minor concubine who was the lowest rank in the hierarchy of the imperial harem. She was given as a lady-in-waiting to the Empress Mother Mucciu, Efrain's mother.

When the sterility of Empress Karz'i was ascertained in 1243, Mucciu decided to let her lady-in-waiting Sakda enter the emperor's chambers. Mucciu asked the head of the eunuchs, Turitti Azzu, to speak to the emperor about the girl. Efrain was enchanted by the girl's description and called her to his rooms. In one of these meetings Sakda became pregnant and gave birth to a child, Hanzade on August 29, 1145. His birth elevated Sakda to the rank of Empress alongside Karz'i. Hanzade however was raised by Empress Karz'i as he was traditionally considered her son. She then gave birth to another girl on 2 August 1247.

Another concubine named Mirzimah became pregnant, this pregnancy endangered Sakda's position as if she gave birth to a male child she would gain the title of empress. Sakda tried to prevent the pregnancy but in vain and Mirzimah gave birth to a son in 1148 and was made Empress.

Sakda's intelligence fascinated Efrain, with whom Sakda began to often talk about politics, which was strange as it was not considered something for women. During the third war against the Galardian, the emperor and his court had to escape from the Royal Palace of Roio and took refuge in their residence in Curkitin. Efrain, however, fell seriously ill and Sakda, realizing that if he died her son would ascend the throne, asked him if she could become her son's regent. Efrain, however, refused but Sakda poisoned him but not before forging a document indicating that Sakda herself would become her son's co-regent together with Empress Karz'i.

## As co-regent

When Ephrain died in 1150 her son Hanzade was named emperor but being five years old as per decree Sakda and Empress Dowager Karz'i became co-regents. However, the nobles and the government refused to leave them alone to rule and appointed other regents. The other regents were: Empress Dowager Mirzimah, two brothers of Efrain (Prince Konnie and Prince Pui) and five other nobles Lord Fuadi representing the cihi clan, Lord Minisci representing the susikiu clan and Lord Armerd representing the biriki clan, Lord Cia of bibi clan and Lord Hocikai of juiti clan. Mirzimah however died under mysterious circumstances a few months after her appointment as regent. It is believed that Sadka and Narz'i had something to do with Mirzimah putting the position of the two at risk. Mirzimah's death consolidated the status of Sadka and Narz'i as the only "descendants" of Emperor Ephrain (according to Hai tradition, the emperor's wives were considered members of the dynasty rather than the emperor's own brothers). So Sakda and Narz'i remained the two main regents.

### War of Rice Grain

The two divided roles, Sadka took care of politics while Karz'i took care of administration. As regent Sakda's first act was to ally with foreign powers to end the Rice Grain War, Sakda's strategy worked and the civil war ended. To resolve the conflicts between the nobles and the citizens Sadka and Karz'i instituted the two agricultural reforms, however the credit was given entirely to Sadka thus increasing his popularity. All this caused disagreements between her and Karz'i who was jealous of her popularity.