Salça Hatun

**Salça Hatun** (Modern Yoman: سالچا هاتون ; *"vivid red"*; 1242/1243 – 1318/1320) was daughter of Işa I and one of his first concubines Mülrimah Hatun.

## Name meaning and use

The name Salça derives from the ancient Aiziriano and is compromised by the words *"Sal"* which means **red** and *"Alça":* **vivid**. Usually the name Salça was given to girls with reddish cheeks.

## Marriage

Born in 1242 or 1243, she was the daughter of Işa and Mülrimah Hatun and therefore full sister of the firstborn Fatma Hatun, who died before her birth.

Işa married Salça in 1254 together with his sisters Ayşe Hatun, Fatma Hatun, Sultan Hatun, Rukiye Hatun, Kara Hatun, Nefise Hatun, Hafize Hatun and Mihriali Hatun. Salça was married to "Küçuk" Mustafa Pasha. However after the death of her cousin, Birimah Hatun (daughter of Süleyman Mustafa Bey) she was allowed to divorce and was married to Piri Ahmed Pasha.

The marriage of the two was one of the happiest, Salça and Piri Pasha were very happy and had nine children in total.

Piri Ahmed became very rich in 1265 when he was appointed judge of Yşrin, subsequently he become judge of Koçi, of Nehirsilik, and finally of Karazza. After the signing of the Treaty of Açukşu (1288/1289) many provinces rebelled and Şehzade Korkut (son of Murad I) declared war on his father. Korkut and Murad clashed in Karazza where Piri Ahmed was judge, after Piri helped Murad who, to thank him, appointed him Grand Vizier.

Salça had to move to the capital, Murad gave them the Ahmed Sarayi as his home, which from then on was called Piri Ahmed Pasha Sarayi. During her husband's visitation the War of the Redsons developed, Salça as the wife of the Grand Vizier took care, in the absence of her husband, of sending men to supply Murad's army. This act confirmed Salça's loyalty to Murad, Salça's loyalty like that of her sisters Hatice and Mihriali was different from the loyalty of Murad's other sisters who declared loyalty to him and later betrayed him in favor of Mahmud Bey and Mehmed Bey. Salça's alliance with Murad may have been caused by the probable fact that neither Mehmed nor Mahmud sent her letters, it is possible, however, that Mehmed and Mahmud had not sent letters to Salça for fear that it would be intercepted by her husband Piri.

This war caused a lot of stress to Salça who feared for the life of her husband and her three sons, Salça in fact sent many letters asking for the health of her family. During the Battle of Barsa war one of Salça's sons died due to dysentery, this increased Salça's desperation and she asked Murad to make at least his sons abandon the war, Murad agreed making Salça very happy who thanked her with a letter.

When Mahmud defeated Murad, according to Mürçi Salça was in the Türfeş Palace, however she tells him that unlike her sister Hatice she left the palace together with Mihriali for fear of Mahmud's reaction.

The news of Mahmud's death of her husband did not reach her until Mahmud himself told her when he visited her in the Piri Ahmed Pasha Sarayi. Salça was shocked and fell into deep despair, Salça then seized with a fit of anger took a dagger and tried to assassinate Mahmud. Mahmud then decided to remove her from the capital and sentenced her to house arrest.

## Mahmud's assassination

Mahmud had several enemies one of these was Salça while another was Hatice Hatun both had grudges against him and both are the most popular as Mahmud's assassins. Salça's husband Piri Ahmed Pasha had been executed on Mahmud's orders, this added to the fact that he restricted her to house arrest extreme disagreements and resentments between the two.

It is not actually known whether Salça or Hatice had anything to do with Mahmud's death, maybe both or maybe just Salça or just Hatice. It is thought that at least one of them if not two helped Mahmud's assassins in some way. According to some historians, Mahmud's son Haznir Bey, who was about to ascend the throne, convinced his aunts to assassinate Mahmud; in fact, after Mahmud's death, Salça's house arrest was annulled.

The most plausible theory, if Salça had anything to do with it, is that Salça acted against Mahmud through his loyal men.

## Death and burial

Salça died during the reign of Haznir Bey. It is known that he visited it often and appreciated it very much. Salça was buried in her father Işa's Mausoleum and the capital held three days of mourning in her honor.

## Issue

From her second husband with Piri Pasha she had:

* Bayezid Pasha: he participated in the War of Redsons;
* Şehinşah Bey (died 1291): he participated in the War of Redsons. He died due dysentery;
* Ishak Bey: he participated in the War of Redsons;
* Gevherhan Hatun
* Mihrimah Hatun
* Mustafa Bey
* Kaya Hatun
* Murad Bey
* Yoman: stillbirth.