The Chief Eunuch of the Ottoman Harem: From African Slave to Power-Broker

Makers of the Muslim World

by Jane Hathaway

Eunuchs were a common feature of pre- and early modern societies that are now poorly understood. Here, Jane Hathaway offers an in-depth study of the chief of the African eunuchs who guarded the harem of the Ottoman Empire. A wide range of primary sources are used to analyze the Chief Eunuch's origins in East Africa and his political, economic, and religious role from the inception of his office in the late sixteenth century through the dismantling of the palace harem in the early twentieth century. Hathaway highlights the origins of the institution and how the role of eunuchs developed in East Africa, as well as exploring the Chief Eunuch's connections to Egypt and Medina. By tracing the evolution of the office, we see how the Chief Eunuch's functions changed in response to transformations in Ottoman society, from the generalized crisis of the seventeenth century to the westernizing reforms of the nineteenth century.

Genres: History, Islam, Nonfiction, Africa, Academic

338 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[Ila · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been wanting to read a comprehensive study on eunuchs in the Ottoman Empire for a while because it is difficult to keep track of the tumultuous changes in their fortunes and the roles they played in running the government.

While Jane Hathaway presupposes that you have a basic understanding of the Empire, her explanations are lucid and easy to understand. She begins with why eunuchs were even necessary (a cruel word) for empires such as the Ottoman or the Chinese - an explanation I found quite convincing. Although I had some idea about the influence of the position of the Chief Harem Eunuch, I had no idea just how much power they held, from holding the careers (and often lives) of important officials to ensuring that donations and endowments throughout the empire and annual quotas grain from Egypt reached Mecca and Medina. In this aspect, the crisis of the seventeenth century was particularly illuminating and deadly.

Hathaway also explores aspects that I previously never thought much about - such as what happened to the eunuchs after their exile to Egypt. She also succeeds in bringing (at least some) eunuchs to life such as Habeshi Mehmed, Gazanfer Aga, Haji Mustapha Aga, and Beshir Aga. You really could visualize them and their unique sociopolitical background. A must-read to understanding the eunuchs and the Ottoman Empire.

[Elif Derin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Osmanlı tarihinde çok fazla ele alınmayan bir aktörü, hadım ağaları ele alan oldukça az eser var. başlıkta da dediği gibi en ünlüsü, büyük olasılıkla da en güçlüsü olması itibariyle Hacı Beşir Ağa bu hadım ağalar için yükselebilecekleri uç noktanın örneği. Ama bir hadım ağanın ne kadar güçlenebileceğini gördüğünüzde, tarihi aktör olarak önemlerini daha iyi anlayarak, bu kadar az çalışılmış olmalarına daha fazla şaşırabilirsiniz. çalışma oldukça objektif, oryantalize edilmemiş, akademik bir şekilde ele alınmış.

[Tucker · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is rare to find a biography of a eunuch! Beshir (c. 1657-1746) was significant because he held the position of Chief Harem Eunuch in Istanbul for the last thirty years of his life, while it was more typical for people in his position to be deposed by new sultans and be forced to retire outside the city. A native of Ethiopia, he completed a pilgrimage to Mecca, kept a large library, and was influential among intellectuals. Subsequent chief eunuchs were named Beshir after him. The author draws from a familiar bibliography of primary sources and modern scholars.

[Caglar Tukel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kitap ince olmasına rağmen 17.ve18.yy Osmanlı dünyasını çok iyi anlatıyor. Harem ağalığının aklımıza gelen o fantezi konumundan devlet yapısı ile ilgili ne kadar kilit bir yapı oluşturduğunu çok güzel özetlemiş kitap. 17.yy başında zayıf sultanlık güçlü veziriazamlık ile dengeleniyor. Bu denge de 30 seneye yakın görev yapmış Hacı Beşir Ağa gibi güçlü en üst harem ağası tarafından sağlanıyor. Beşir Ağa bugün Sudan olan Habeşistan'da alınıp, Mısır'da iğdiş edilip İstanbul'a satılıyor. Ve oradan da uzun yıllar görev yapacak çok başarılı bir devlet adamı olarak tarihe ismini yazdırıyor.

[Eressea · Rating 5 out of 5]

雖然挺厚的一本精裝，但讀起來並不是很費力
雖說標題是奧斯曼的宦官
但其實內容都著墨在後宮黑人太監
蘇丹寢宮的白人太監只稍微介紹了一下

之前也看過幾本奧斯曼通史
但都沒多說奧斯曼的太監
看完本書才知道在西化改革前
奧斯曼的太監是帝國官僚中很重要的存在
於是本書補足了許多之前沒看過的面向
等我多讀幾本奧斯曼史之後，再來跟本書對照~
(是說有看過也不一定記得
像是本書提到的卡扎什德利運動
其實在我看過的別本書中也有提到
但我現在完全沒有印象Orzz)

讀的過程中一直想到紫禁城裡的太監
但除了都服侍皇帝之外
奧斯曼的後宮總管太監跟中國的頗不相同

後宮總管太監可以控制皇帝的性生活
總管帝國的宗教捐獻事業
還有負責皇子的教育
感覺起來像是伊斯蘭世界裡的一種特殊馬穆魯克奴隸
負責皇子教育這點，中國皇帝是不可能讓宦官代勞的
雖然書中沒這樣說，但可能解答了我之前的疑問
為啥奧斯曼不在處死繼位蘇丹的兄弟，改為軟禁在後宮之中
還是能教出能力不差的備位皇儲呢?
原來是有教育水平很高的後宮總管太監在教育皇子啊

滿有趣的書，但簡中版命運多舛
早在兩年多前就有風聲要出譯本
結果左等右等就是等不著
還好終究是讓我等到了

[Youssouf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspiring! Glad to have come across such personality, to further understand the Ottomans empire.

[Okan Ergul · Rating 4 out of 5]

En uzun süre darüssaade ağalığı yapmış etkin ve nüfuzlu bir haremağasının biyografisi, ilişkiler ağı ve geride bıraktığı vakıf, eser ve kütüphaneler üzerinden bu müesseseye, Osmanlı sarayının ilişkiler ağına bir bakış sağlayan bir çalışma. Öğretici.