Because Roxelana managed to marry Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent, against all odds, as Princess Hurrem she did well by her daughter as well, who was also now eligible to marry.
The rules for a Moslem woman who was not enslaved for marriage in the Islamic Caliphate were that if she was a virgin, and of course that was expected, she could refuse any proposal of marriage. She could also divorce. However, I do think there was pressure on these women to accept the matchmaking that was done on their behalf and to remain married, just as there is today. Mihrumah was married at seventeen to a man of Croatian origin, Rustem, who was a statesman in Istanbul. I find it interesting that this man also came from a culture that was mostly Christian, but do not know if he was Christian or Moslem. A little more research revealed that there were people of other religions such as Christians and Jews in the Ottoman Empire He was twice her age. (Page 207)
Roxelana as Princess Hurrem also rose to the responsibility and authority of matchmaking slave women. Interestingly, they were allowed to marry and a good Moslem was to free a slave after seven years of service. A newly freed woman was also allowed to have her own slaves. Not to defend slavery, but this seems a bit like 16th century internships!
Another surprise I found in Leslie Pierce's book was that eunuchs were allowed to marry and also could reproduce. I thought eunuchs were men who had been castrated and thus trusted to be around the harem without having sex with the women or interfering in this breeding program. However a little more research revealed that the term could simply mean that these were trusted slaves who protected the women in their bedchambers.
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Empress of the East by Leslie Pierce is the reference for this post.
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