Şehzade Hamid

**Şehzade Hamid** (Yoman; سه زاده حمید; Maşami Palace 1548 - murder 20 January 1571) was the son of Sultan Selim I of Yoman Empire. He served as governor of Holy-Honya from 1565 until the end of 1570 when his step brother Kasim ascended to the throne.

## Biography

Şehzade Hamid was born in Ladrisa Palace, Usbul in 1548. His father was the Şehzade Selim, who at the time was sanjakbey of Ladrisa. The mother's name has been lost over time, only a few mention the name of the concubine who gave birth to the prince but in all the name has been lost along with other events that occurred on that day. It is believed that there was another party after the birth of the prince but there is no certainty.

Hamid grew up in Ladrisa with his mother until 1558 when Bayezid the Great died and his father, Selim ascended the throne. He is believed to have had at least one another sister or - even if less possible - another brother but there is no certainty. Hamid was sent at the age of 17 to Holy-Honya province, his mother accompanied him. Hamid took charge of the management of Holy-Honya in a serene way, limited himself to surrounding himself with a few faithful pashas and is known to have executed a man for not respecting his father's rules.

Once appointed sanjakbey he made him participate in the accession to the throne, however his claim was not strong, in fact he already had three older brothers : Şehzade Suleyman, Şehzade Orhan and Şehzade Kasim; who had been appointed sanjakbeys many years ago. However, Hamid had a chance since none of them had a son themselves, Hamid's claim would only become "real" when he conceived a son. Hamid managed to have his first son in 1566, this made Selim happy who organized a party in honor of the child, Şehzade Cihangir. The concubine's name began with *H*.

Hamid, however, lost relevance over time and failed to ascend the throne. Hamid appears in the list of princes executed by Kasim once he became sultan, together with him his four sons all murdered. He was buried in his father's Selim I Mausoleum.

## Information about his mother

The only thing we know about Şehzade Hamid's mother is that she bore a son in 1548, who accompanied her son as governor of Holy-Honya where she commissioned Suggic readings of prayers in the Prophet's mosque in Aesa. After the death of her son she was never mentioned again, probably was sent to the Old Palace where she died.

Her name has been lost over time, only a few mention the name of the concubine who gave birth to the prince but in all the name has been lost. It is believed that she was an influential woman who somehow clashed with the Haseki Mahidevran Sultan; given that the systematic way in which her name was canceled suggests that she or one of the two principal consorts, or other important women such as sisters of the sultan, decided to have her name eliminated by directors and canceled by whoever wrote it, probably not it was Roxana but Mahidevran who decided to delete her name from the registers once she became valide sultan. Probably this woman threatened the figure of a high-ranking woman in the harem or something similar.

She is named as Şehzade Hamid's mother in the records where they describe the death of Selim I and his sons executed by Kasim in January 1571. She then died fallen into disgrace.

## Family

Şehzade Hamid had a harem which included between 6 and 11 concubines. He had 7 sons and 2 daughters. In a much later description he is described as enjoying the pleasures of the harem along with other Yoman princes.

### Consorts

* Çiçekbahar Hatun; she was his only known consort, she was the mother of Şerah Sultan. She and Kasim I had a good relation.

### Sons

* Şehzade Cihangir (1566 - murdered 28 January 1571) firstborn, son of a concubine whose name begins with "H";
* Şehzade Osman (after 1566 - before 1568);
* Şehzade Osman (1568 - murdered 28 January 1571);
* Şehzade *Fülan,* the son of Çiçekbahar who was stillborn;
* Şehzade *Fülan* murdered 28 January 1571;
* Şehzade Abdüllah murdered 28 January 1571.

### Daughters

* Şerah Sultan (1568 - 1593) with Çiçekbahar. She married Mahmud Pasha beylerbey of Servit in 1584. Her marriage was a matter of fights between her mother and the Valide Sultan Mahidevran, the pasha was killed accused of corruption at gunpoint by Egyptian commoners. The sultan also attended the funeral of the men to make an apology for killing his father Şehzade Hamid. She was against the relationship between her mother and the sultan whom she resented for executing her father. Later she married Koca Mustafa Mehmed Pasha in 1597 he died 5 years after the marriage, they had a son Mustafa Pasha. Later she thirdly married Iskender Pasha, they had 2 sons and a daughter; one of these was Mehmed. She predeceased her husband who died 3 years later in 1596;
* Fülane Sultan; she died before the death of her father but she was a child.