Suleiman the Magnificent was the only surviving son when his father, Selim I, died. His only known brother, Prince Salih, died young. Of his sisters, the names of six and of the statesmen they married are known. In this article we examine, with reference to the sources, the siblings of Suleiman the Magnificent, the names that are often confused with them and the reasons he came to the throne unopposed.
Quick Summary
- Suleiman was born in Trabzon on 6 November 1494; some sources give a different date of birth. His mother was Hafsa Sultan.
- His brother Salih and his sister Kamerşah died as children in Trabzon.
- His six sisters whose names are known were married to important pashas.
- Korkut, Mahmud, Musa and Orhan were not his brothers but his uncles and cousins.
- As the sole heir, he came to the throne unopposed in 1520.
Contents
- The short answer and a table of siblings
- His brother, Prince Salih
- His sisters and their marriages
- Names that are often confused
- The Kefe and Manisa years
- His milk brother Yahya Efendi
- Why was he unopposed for the throne?
- His own sons and the struggle for the throne
- Frequently asked questions
How Many Siblings Did Suleiman the Magnificent Have? The Short Answer
According to the entry “Selim I” in the TDV Encyclopedia of Islam, Suleiman was the only son of Selim I still alive when his father died. The siblings named in the sources are gathered in the table below. According to these records, Suleiman had at least eight siblings whose names are known. Two of them died in childhood.
| Sibling | What is known |
|---|---|
| Prince Salih | Born in Trabzon, died young (1499) |
| Kamerşah | Born in Trabzon, died young (1503) |
| Beyhan | Married Ferhad Pasha |
| Fatma | Married first Kara Ahmed Pasha, then Hadım İbrahim Pasha |
| Hafsa | Married İskender Pasha |
| Hatice | Married İskender Pasha, who was executed in 1515 |
| Şah | Married Lutfi Pasha |
| Hanım Hatun | Married Çoban Mustafa Pasha |
The sources show small differences in names and numbers. That is why the answers given to the question “how many siblings” vary from site to site. The table above is based on the names recorded by the encyclopedia.
The Brother of Suleiman the Magnificent: Prince Salih
Suleiman was born in Trabzon while his father was the sancakbeyi (district governor) there. According to the entry “Süleyman I” in the TDV Encyclopedia of Islam, his date of birth is 6 November 1494, although some sources give a different date. His mother was Hafsa Sultan. The encyclopedia states that the reports claiming his mother was the daughter of the Crimean khan or came from the Dulkadiroğulları family are not correct.
Prince Salih, born during the Trabzon years, died young in 1499, and his sister Kamerşah in 1503. Suleiman thus became the only male child of the family to reach adulthood. This directly determined his future.
The Rumor of a Hidden Brother: Üveys Pasha
The historian Mustafa Âli writes that Selim I, while still a prince, concealed a son born to a concubine and that this son was Üveys Pasha. According to this account, Suleiman knew about it as well. However, this information is a story, not a record confirmed by other sources.
His Sisters and Their Marriages
Daughters of the dynasty were usually married to the leading pashas of the state. These marriages were a way of building strong ties between the palace and the ruling class. The husbands of Suleiman’s sisters, too, were among the important viziers and beylerbeyis of the period.
For example, Şah’s husband Lutfi Pasha later became grand vizier. Fatma married two different statesmen. These ties ensured that family relationships played an important role in government throughout the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent. For the grand viziers of the period, see our list of Ottoman grand viziers.
The Debate over Hatice and Pargalı İbrahim Pasha
In popular accounts and TV series, Suleiman’s sister Hatice is known as the wife of Pargalı İbrahim Pasha. However, the TDV Encyclopedia of Islam records Hatice as the wife of İskender Pasha, who was executed in 1515. Whom İbrahim Pasha married is still debated among historians. It is therefore not correct to pair the two names definitively.
Names That Are Often Confused: Korkut, Mahmud, Musa and Orhan
Some sources also count Korkut, Mahmud, Musa and Orhan among Suleiman’s siblings. This is a mix-up. Korkut and Mahmud were sons of Bayezid II and therefore Suleiman’s uncles.
Musa and Orhan were sons of Prince Mahmud, that is, Suleiman’s cousins. According to the TDV Encyclopedia of Islam, after coming to the throne Selim I eliminated these nephews on the grounds of the security of the sultanate. He then also fought his brothers Korkut and Ahmed. For the details of these events, see our article on the Ottoman state under Selim I.
Raising the Sole Heir: The Kefe and Manisa Years
Ottoman princes learned how to govern as governors of sancaks (districts). A prince was expected to go out to a sancak when he turned ten. Suleiman’s departure, however, was delayed by the tensions over the throne in the reign of his grandfather Bayezid II. According to the TDV Encyclopedia of Islam, after changing his mind several times, Bayezid gave his grandson the sancak of Kefe (July–August 1509).
Kefe (Caffa) was an important port city in Crimea and one of the centers of Black Sea trade. Here the young prince gained experience both in administration and in relations with the Crimean Khanate in the region. After his father came to the throne, he stayed in Istanbul for a short time.
Once Selim I had eliminated his rivals for the throne, Suleiman, as the sole heir, was sent as sancakbeyi to Manisa in April 1513. According to a document cited in the encyclopedia, he was accompanied by his mother, one of his sisters, his tutor Hayreddin Efendi, his lala (guardian) Kasım and 458 attendants. The Manisa years were Suleiman’s longest period of preparation for the sultanate. The same list also included Mahidevran, the mother of his first son Mustafa, and İbrahim, whom he would later make grand vizier.
The Milk Brother of Suleiman the Magnificent: Yahya Efendi of Beşiktaş
A little-known relationship in the matter of siblings is milk kinship. According to the TDV Encyclopedia of Islam, Yahya Efendi was born in Trabzon in 1495; his father, Şami Ömer Efendi, was the kadı of Trabzon at the time. A few days after Yahya’s birth, Suleiman, the son of Prince Selim, was born. When Suleiman’s mother did not have enough milk, Yahya’s mother, Afife Hatun, also nursed the prince, and the two children became milk brothers. Yahya’s father, Ömer Efendi, later returned to Damascus and died there.
According to the encyclopedia, while in Trabzon Suleiman learned goldsmithing from a Greek master together with his milk brother Yahya. After Selim I came to the throne, Yahya Efendi went to Istanbul in the retinue of Prince Suleiman. He advanced in the ilmiye, the scholarly hierarchy, and in 1553 became a müderris (professor) at the Sahn-ı Seman.
The bond between Suleiman the Magnificent and his milk brother was shaken after the execution of Prince Mustafa. According to the encyclopedia, when Yahya Efendi wrote a petition to the sultan asking that Mahidevran, who had been removed from the palace, be taken back, he was dismissed from his post and retired. Although the sultan removed him from office, according to the encyclopedia he did not interfere much in his later activities.
Why Did Suleiman the Magnificent Come to the Throne Unopposed?
Selim I’s struggle for the throne had largely eliminated the other male members of the dynasty. Of his own sons, only Suleiman had survived. That is why there was no rival for the throne after his father’s death in 1520.
According to the TDV Encyclopedia of Islam, Suleiman set out from Manisa when he received the news of his father’s death. He reached Üsküdar on 30 September 1520 and, going to the palace the same day, ascended the throne. The next day he met his father’s body at Edirnekapı. This calm transition is remarkable compared with the many turbulent accessions in Ottoman history.
For an overall assessment of his reign, you can read our article on the Ottoman Empire under Suleiman the Magnificent. Detailed biographies of the siblings are in our article Who were the siblings of Suleiman the Magnificent?
The Struggle for the Throne among the Sons of a Sultan Without Brothers
Suleiman himself did not experience rivalry among brothers, but the rivalry among his sons overshadowed the last years of his reign. Prince Mustafa was executed on his father’s orders in 1553. Prince Bayezid, having lost his struggle for the throne against his brother Selim, took refuge in Iran and was killed in 1561.
These tragedies show the harshness of the Ottoman succession system. For the story of Prince Mustafa, see our article Who was Prince Mustafa?
Frequently Asked Questions
How many sisters did Suleiman the Magnificent have?
The sources name six adult sisters: Beyhan, Fatma, Hafsa, Hatice, Şah and Hanım. One more sister died young.
Who was the mother of Suleiman the Magnificent?
His mother was Hafsa Sultan. According to the TDV Encyclopedia of Islam, she went with her son first to Kefe and then to Manisa. When Suleiman came to the throne she was brought to Istanbul and lived as valide (queen mother) until her death in 1534. In Manisa she had a complex built, consisting of a mosque, a madrasa, a school and an imaret, which was completed in 1523.
Was there a struggle for the throne among Suleiman’s siblings?
No. Because his brother died young, Suleiman came to the throne unopposed. The struggles for the throne took place in the time of his father and of his sons.
Conclusion
Suleiman the Magnificent came to the throne not as a prince without siblings, but as the only male heir, one with strong family ties to his sisters. The early death of his brother and his father’s struggle for the throne gave him an unopposed start. Korkut, Mahmud, Musa and Orhan, who are often confused with his siblings, were not his brothers but his uncles and cousins.
Sources
- TDV Encyclopedia of Islam, entry “Selim I”
- TDV Encyclopedia of Islam, entry “Süleyman I”
- TDV Encyclopedia of Islam, entry “Hafsa Sultan”
- TDV Encyclopedia of Islam, entry “Yahyâ Efendi, Beşiktaşlı”
- Feridun M. Emecen, Yavuz Selim (in Turkish).
- Halil İnalcık, The Ottoman Empire: The Classical Age 1300–1600.
