Georgian Valide of the Ottoman Empire – Bezmialem Sultan

Abstract

We can meet too many political actors having Georgian routes in the tremendous Ottoman Empire. Among them the most disti­nc­tive are several women who had left their trail not only in the polit­ical processes carried within the Sultan’s Palace, but also che­rished mem­ories of many ordinary people. One of such figures was repr­esented by Valide Bezmialem, - wife of the Mahmud II and mother of the Abd­ulmejid I, being a representative of the affluent Jakeli’s family. Desp­ite of the uniform, groundless and ungrounded opinion existing in the Turkish scientific literature, stating that the wife of Mahmud II was recognized as a resident of Сrimean and Kipchak Khanates, I can fir­mly declare that Valide Sultane had been Georgian without any doubt. This fact is confirmed by the diplomatic letters reached our ages which additionally strengthen this version.

Since the date of ascending of Abdulmejid to the throne, the Padishah’s mother was taking an active part in the process of res­olving of all key issues of the domestic (internal) and foreign politics of the Empire.  Summarizing of different historical sources and scien­tific wo­rks demonstrated that activity of the Bezmialem Sultane in the role of the Padishah’s mother cannot be assessed distinctively and linearly. Con­temporary works reflected participation of Bezm­ialem Sultan in corruptive deals and bribery. Despite of the above-menti­oned, there is no doubt in her significant contribution into the social life of the Ott­oman Empires, underlaid with rich charity funds and organizations founded by Bezmialem. Bezmialem Sultan was funding building of lib­raries, schools and hospitals, mosques, minarets and fountains. All this deserved a great love to and popularity in broad layers of the soc­iety towards this political figure, who carried her activity with a dis­tinctive intelligence, foresight and state-orien­ted thinking. The whole financial potential of the Mother Sultan was accumulated on building, prog­ressing, and developing of the Empire.