THE SULTAN'S HAREM.

Inangahua Times, 10 May 1909, Page 2

THE SULTAN'S HAREM.

The Sultan's harem is a State inI stitution, and all children borrowithin j its walls, whether the offspring of free | women or slaves, are legitimate and of equal lineage. The harem is ad ministered by the Valideh Sultin (sometimes called the Sultan), who is I the mother or foster mother of Abdul I Hamid, The harem is oiganised into a hierarchy, at the head of which ; stand the kadine consotts or first four wives of the Sultan. The kadines come next. They are treated with the same consideration as the kadine consorts, but they can only obtain the latter dig-iity when vacancies occur among the first four wives. The ikbal, or favourites, come next. Ihe moment an ikbal gives birth to a child she is elevaed 10 the rank of a kadine. The ged.klis or "young women who are pleasant to the ty:" are next. All the women of the imperial harem are of slave o igin, and they come chiefly ftom the Circassian and Georginian peasantry. During the reign of previous bu'lans the harem sometimes reached the enormous size of 1500 or 1600 women. Abdul Hamid, however, has never maintained a harem of more than 300 or 400, His family numbers thirteen children, five ; of whom are boy?. <—""" ■ iimißii 111 1 111 mii m