The Ottoman Empire was one of the most powerful imperial realms in history. Founded in 1299, it lasted for 623 years, during which the dynasty was ruled by no less than 36 sultans. The sultans of the Ottoman Empire wielded immense power through much of its existence, often functioning as absolute rulers with an iron grip over state and government. The early 1600s, however, gave rise to an extraordinary phenomenon: the Sultanate of Women. It marked a period when some wives, mothers, sisters, and even grandmothers of the sultans exerted extraordinary political influence over the ruling elite. Furthermore, many of these women were slaves who emerged from the harem system to take their place alongside their husbands in the grand palaces of Constantinople. But who were the most influential of these imperial princesses, and what exactly was their role?
Click through the following gallery and find out more about the Sultanate of Women.