Şehzade Kasim (son of Murad I)

## Güzel Kasım

Şehzade Kasim and Cürbi Hatun being pierced by a spear

**Şehzade Kasim** (1670, Katmir - 1293). He was Sanjakbey of Bilçikek. Also called **Güzel Kasım** (Kasım the beautiful) he was the son of Murad the Terrible and an unknown concubine. He was executed at the age of 23 by his uncle Mahmud Bey when he won the War of Redsons in 1293.

## Governor of Bilçikek

Due to the scarcity of sources, caused by the fact that historians of the time focused more on Murad I himself and his sisters, we know very little about Kasim. He is named as Sanjak-bey of Bilçikek during the reign of his father Murad. He was described by Bayezid Davud Pasha and Mürçi as "the beautiful", "the attractive".

## War of Red Sons

His uncles, Mahmud Bey and Mehmed Bey returned to the borders of the empire after Murad signed the Treaty of Açukşu, gathering together with some provinces (the coastal ones and that of Çaışık) which offered their army and their economic help. Once they entered the borders of the empire they settled in Furdanı north of the province of Küturma. When Murad learned of their return he wanted to reach them and execute them, however once he learned of their army he withdrew and asked his younger sister, Hiriban Hatun to act as an intermediary between the two, thus becoming the first female ambassador of the Yoman Empire. However, diplomacy failed to calm the waters and Murad declared war on his brothers in 1291.

### Battle of Barsa

Kasim, like all his brothers participated during the Battle of Barsa alongside the Janissaries, however, although in the majority, the Murad's army had a high rate of betrayal on the part of the Janissaries and Mehmed and Mahmud won the battle. It is said that Kasim and his brothers noticed that something was wrong with the army, yet even though they communicated it to Murad, due to his haste he did not pay attention to it and swallowed it.

### Battle of Red River

Kasim and the Janissaries reached Şehzade Mustafa and Murad and together they reached Mahmud's army which was near the Nur river, also called Red River. According to legend Kasim, however, did not participate in the final battle but rather remained in the tent together with one of his concubines.

## Death and burial

When Mahmud won the war, Murad's most loyal men ran towards the retreating camp, however they were followed by Mahmud's men.

Kasim was in the tent, naked with his concubine when one of the Janissaries loyal to Mahmud entered the tent and stabbed them both with a spear.

Kasim's body was taken by Mahmud to the capital where he was buried in the Murad Mausoleum together with his father and his other brothers.

## Private life

Bayezid Davud Pasha describes him as beautiful and kind, furthermore he states that he was full of concubines and loves. Bayezid and subsequently Mürçi reiterates that some of Kasim's concubines voluntarily asked to enter the prince's harem. However, we know the name of only one of these concubines:

* "Cürbı" Hatun: Mürçi takes it for granted that she was a free woman and suggests the occurrence of a marriage. The name Cürbi derives from the Aizirian verb "ürb" which then declines into *ürbı*. The C was then added only much later due to a bad tradition on the part of Jearmy Çelebi, a historian of 1889 who noticed an extra *c* near to the word "*cariye*" (concubine), he therefore thought that it was the initial of the girl's name.

### Sons

Also through Aslihan Hatun's stories, Mürçi was able to tell us something about Kasim's children. He had six sons all executed by Mahmud when he ascended the throne. We know the name of two of these principles:

* Şehzade Selman: Mürçi saw him as very faithful and responsible, he was Kasim's firstborn. Selman had a daughter called Aslihan and a Mihrimah, the two girls were then looked after by Aslihan Hatun after Selman's death;
* Şehzade Hüveys: according to Mürçi he was the exact copy of his father, at least in behavior. He had a daughter called Fatma who remained in the care of Aslihan Hatun.

### Daughters

* Salça Hatun: she was the eldest, she is named by Mürçi in his book "the difficult history";
* Aslıhan Hatun (died in 1342): he outlived all his brothers. She was a very cultured donan, it was she who invited the young Mürçi to her court in Uskar. Mürçi greatly appreciated her and often cites her to honor her.