c. 1505–1558
Roksolana
Wife of Sultan Suleiman I
A woman of Ukrainian origin who rose from slavery to become the lawful wife of the Ottoman Sultan Suleiman I and the mother of Sultan Selim II. Less is known about her life than the legends tell.
Key accomplishments
- The first for whom the Ottoman title “haseki,” meaning “favorite sultana,” was created
- Won a lawful marriage to Sultan Suleiman I (probably in the 1530s)
- Mother of Sultan Selim II
- Founder of mosques, a women’s hospital, schools and soup kitchens for the poor in Istanbul, Edirne, Jerusalem, Mecca and Medina
Who she was
Roksolana (in the Ottoman Empire, Haseki Hürrem Sultan) was born around 1505. Her real name is unknown. Venetian diplomats in Istanbul wrote that she was “from Rus’,” and according to Michalo Lituanus she was taken captive by the Crimean Tatars. She was probably sold at a slave market in Istanbul, from where she came into the harem of Sultan Suleiman I.
Her story
In the harem she was given the name Hürrem (Persian for “joy”). The title “haseki,” meaning “favorite sultana,” was created for her for the first time. She bore Suleiman six children, although the dynasty’s customs allowed a concubine to have only one son. Probably in the 1530s the sultan took her as his lawful wife.
There is no direct evidence of her involvement in politics. Her daughter married Rüstem Pasha, who became grand vizier in 1544. It seems that Roksolana, together with him, convinced the sultan that Prince Mustafa, the son of another concubine, was after the throne; in 1553 Mustafa was executed. Roksolana died in 1558, and after Suleiman her son Selim II inherited the throne.
Debates and assessments
Her origin in Rohatyn is the traditional version: it was given by the Polish diplomat Samuel Twardowski in the 17th century. The names Nastia Lisovska or Oleksandra appeared only in the 19th century and have no reliable evidence behind them.
Her example began a period of influence by women of the sultan’s family on politics, which historians call the “Sultanate of Women.” The Habsburg ambassador Busbecq portrayed her as a witch and schemer, and this image long prevailed in Europe.
Ukrainian writers from the 19th century on, by contrast, portrayed her as a patriot and even a defender of Ukraine, although the sources do not confirm this. This image was reinforced by novels, a TV series (1996–2003) and a monument in Rohatyn (1999); historians criticize it as unrealistic.
Why it matters today
Roksolana’s fate is a reminder of the Ukrainians who in those times were taken captive and sold into slavery. Her story teaches us to tell facts from legends.
Interesting facts
- All known portraits of Roksolana, including the earliest, by Titian (around 1552), are products of the artists’ imagination.
