Hundi Hatun (daughter of Işa)

## Hundi Hatun

**Hundi Melek Hatun** (Modern Yoman: هندی خوندی خاتون, "emotional" and "angel";1252 – 1308) was a yoman princess, the second daughter of Işa I e Anna Hatun and therefore full sister to Fahkriye Hatun and Hiriban Hatun. Hundi is the first and only yoman princess whose sexuality is questioned, in fact it is believed that she was bisexual even if there is no way to know exactly her exact orientation.

## Early life

She was born in the palace of Bakvaär his mother was Anna Hatun, who became one of Işa's most beloved consorts. At the age of ten in 1262 her father ascended the throne, she and the entire harem joined him.

## First Marriage

In 1270 she was married to Yakup Bey, who belonged to the regional council of Sanjak of Servit. They had two children, the last of the two was born after his father's death in 1272.

## Second Marriage

In 1275 she married the Agha of the Janissaries, Mahmud Agha. Işa decided to maintain his position as leader of the Janissaries, which was strange given that as a rule, when a princess married an agha he was elevated to the title of Pasha or Bey, if not both.

The two had two children, a daughter and a son, Zehran Agha who was trained as a warrior.

## Alliance with Gülmah Hatun

Murad I at the beginning of his reign decided to move to the summer residence in Yşrin. However he not only left the government and administration but also his harem at the Türfeş Palace, leaving power to his mother Gülmah Hatun. Gülmah in fact took the opportunity to increase his power not only in the harem but also in political affairs.

Gülmah understood that if she want to have power she had to get the Janissaries on her side who were already starting to complain about Murad's policies, she in fact allied herself with the husbands of the other daughters of Işa including Mahmud Agha and Tupal Pasha, husband of Fahkriye Hatun, who had been Agha of the Janissaries and still had good relations with them.

Gülmah was aware of the discontent of the people and the Janissaries due to the fact that wars were being organized and tried to calm the situation by convincing the Grand Vizier Bayezid Davud Pasha to organize a war. Murad who was unfavorable to organizing a war once he learned that Bayezid Pasha was about to organize a war deposed himz after that in 1283 he returned to the Türfeş Palace.

Murad noted the influence of his mother and tried to limit it first by exiling her to Eskisanjak in a residence of her property, Gülmah's absence allowed Hundi and Mahmud to take power in her name. The two therefore remained in contact with Gülmah.

When Murad realized he wrote to his mother to stop. Gülmah however did not stop and Murad ordered her execution, Sure enough Hundi and Mahmud tried to stop the execution but in vain and Gülmah was executed.

Murad discovered the alliance between Mahmud and Gülmah. Since it was only Mahmud who showed his face and Hundi remained in the background Murad executed Mahmud for treason and left Hundi unpunished.

## War of Redsons

Her step-brothers: Mehmed Bey and Mahmud Bey, returned to the borders of the empire around 1289, after Murad signed the Treaty of Açukşu (1288/1289) they reunited some provinces and settled in Furdanı, Murad wanted to attack them, however Murad after learning of the size of their army retreated and sked his younger sister, Hiriban Hatun, to act as an intermediary between the two, thus becoming the first female ambassador of the yomans.

Diplomacy, however, failed to calm the waters and forced the imperial family to take sides, first the sisters of the princes and then the entire empire. Hundi declared loyalty to Murad however she betrayed him in favor of Mehmed and Mahmud. Hundi still remained on good terms with the Janissaries and the fact that her son Zehran had been appointed Agha of the Janissaries allowed her to have influence over them.

Hundi managed to convince most of the Janissaries to betray Murad. During the Battle of Barsa Hundi planned to organize a revolt but this was however stopped by her sister Mihriali Hatun thus causing the death of Mehmed Bey. Hundi, however, did not stop and continued to plot against Murad.

Hundi created a circle of faithful men and women, among them there was a woman called Rakşlihan Hanim, according to some sources the two had a close relationship which caused many eunuchs and pashas next to her complained, Divani Ibrahim Pasha (a pasha belonging to the Divan of Murad) she complained about the influence Rakşlihan had on her. All this suggests that the two had a romantic relationship. While we know a lot about the sexuality of the yoman princes, we do not know much about that of the princesses, this being the first and only case.

During the Red River Battle Murad's and Mahmud's armies clashed along the banks of the river, Murad's army was still in the majority and doubled Mahmud's army. However, during the battle, as indicated by Hundi, Murad was betrayed and killed by a Janissary who stabbed him in the chest with a dagger. While Murad was lying on the ground no one helped him and they left him to die.

## Reign of Mahmud

Mürçi took it upon himself to inform us about the location of Mahmud's sisters once he ascended the throne, however he says nothing about the location of Hundi, but it is probable that either he was in the Türfeş Palace with his sisters or that she was heading there as soon as she learned about Mahmud's win.

Mahmud assured her a good salary and a good position for her and her children in his court. Mahmud gave her the villages of Güzelşehir and Denizily, and several properties that her children would later inherit.

## Death

Hundi died in 1308 at his residence in Işrid. Mahmud organized a state funeral for her and ordered three days of mourning, after which she was buried in the Mausoleum of Işa I.

The historian Lamar Efendi states that a black cloth with golden coats of arms representing the imperial family was placed on her tomb and that she was preserved in the Efendim Complex in the capital. The cloth was probably lost or destroyed during one of the fires or looting.

## Issue

From his first marriage he had two sons:

* Çoban Bey: named in honor of his uncle Çoban Bey. was sanjakbey of Hemêyûn
* Türmur Bey: born posthumously at his father's door, he was bey of Çirmel

From his second marriage he had two children:

* Neşlihan Hatun: she married Ahmed Pasha with whom she had three children, including a daughter called Hundi Fahkriye Hatun, named in honor of Hundi herself and Fahkriye Hatun, probably the child was born after Fahkriye's death.
* Zehran Agha: he was trained as a warrior alongside the Janissaries by his father himself. He was Agha of the Janissaries after the death of Karaman Agha, according to some Zehran and Hundi killed him so as to rise in position. He married Mihrimah Hatun with whom he had six children, including one called Mehmed, one Orhan and one Anna