Sultan II. Selim’in Kızları İsmihan Sultan, Gevherhan Sultan ve Şah Sultan’a Verilen Çeyizler
Semiha NurdanEvlilik, hediye-çeyiz toplumların kültürünü yakından tanımamızı sağlayan yaşayan bir gelenektir. Tarih boyunca dünya toplumlarının hemen hemen hepsinde görülen çeyiz geleneği evlenecek olan genç kızların aileleri tarafından hazırlanan ve evlilik sonrası kullanılacak eşyaların tamamını kapsayan bir gelenektir. Çeyiz, genellikle yatak takımları, mutfak eşyaları, ev tekstili ürünleri, cam eşyaları, diğer ev eşyaları ve bazen de bir toprak parçası olarak verilebilir. Geline veya damada verilen çeyiz, hediye kabilinde değerlendirilebilir. Hediyeleşme toplumdan topluma ve kültürden kültüre farklılık göstermiş olsa da özünde hediyeleşmek her kültürde özel bir yere sahiptir. Hediyeler kimi zaman diplomatik iletişim kurmak için bir vesile olurken kimi zaman da bir gelin ve damada verilen çeyiz olarak karşımıza çıkmaktadır. Hediye sosyal iletişimin, sosyalleşmenin ve yardımlaşmanın bir parçası olmuştur. Dolayısıyla hediye ve çeyiz konusuyla ilgili bir çalışma yapabilmek için ekonomik, sosyal ve kültürel yapıları bilmek gerekmektedir. Hediyeler aynı zamanda tören ve kutlamaların da vazgeçilmez bir parçasıdır. Bu makalede farklı toplumlardaki evlilikler sırasında verilen hediyelere (çeyizlere) kısaca değinildikten sonra Sultan II. Selim’in kızlarına ve damatlarına verdiği hediyeler (çeyizler) ele alınacaktır. Topkapı Sarayı Koleksiyonu içerisinde yer alan müfredat defterine göre Sultan II. Selim’in kızları olan Sokullu Mehmed Paşa zevcesi İsmihan Hanım Sultan, Piyale Paşa zevcesi Gevherhan Hanım Sultan ve Hüseyin Paşa zevcesi Şah Sultan’a hazırlatılan çeyizler, müfredat ve hesap defterlerinde yer alan, bilgiler ışığında kalem kalem yazılan, çeyizin cinsi, miktarı ve kıymeti hakkında bilgi verilecektir.
Sultan Selim II’s Wedding Gifts to His Daughters Ismihan sultan, Geverhan Sultan, and Shah Sultan
Semiha NurdanWedding, gifts are a surviving traditions that allows one to closely understand societal cullture. The tradition, is seen in almost all societies in the world throughout history,- and are prepared by the families of the engaged couple. The gifts includes all the items to be used after the marriage. And usually can take the form of beds, kitchenware, home textiles, glassware, other household items, and sometimes a piece of land. The gifts given to the bride or groom can from one society and culture to another, but giving and receiving gifts has an essentially special place in every culture. While gifts are sometimes an opportunity to establish diplomatic communications, the can appear as gifts given to a bride and groom at other times. Gifts have become a part of social communication, socialization, and cooperation. Therefore, knowing the economic, social and cultural structures is neccessary n order to conduct a study on issue of gift givings and wedding gifts. Gifts are also an indispensable part of ceremonies an celebrations. This article, first briefly mentions wedding gifts in different societies before discussing the wedding gifts Sultan Selim II gave to his daughters and sons-in-law. Acoordingly, the curriculum notebook in the Topkapı Palace Collection-contains information about the wedding gifts sultan Selim II. had prepared for Sokullu Mehmed Pasha’s wife, Ismihan Hanim Sultan, Piyale Pasha’s wife, Gevherhan Hanim Sultan, and Huseyin Pasha’s wife, Shah Sultan, these brides all being his daughters. Using the information given in curriculum and accounting books, the article will detail the types, amounts, and values of the different wedding gifts.
Gift giving culture varies according to social and economic structure. In terms of culture, gift giving is seen to be a tradition as old as the history of humanity and to have survived to the present day. Gift can be said to sometimes be a means of communication and sometimes a means of diplomatic initiative. Wedding gifts not only have economic, cultural, and ceremonial dimensions -at the same time-, they have some legal consequences could the marriage union end, whether in the event of divorce or death. This study, looks at wedding gifts as given to the ride or groom. However, a brief evaluation will be made about the understanding of marriage in the discussed period. In founding years of the Ottoman Empire, marriage are seen to have mostly been made for political purposes. And many states in the world at that time can be said to have been warmly attracted to such marriages in order to find allies for themselves. Especially in Europe, political marriages are seen to have been arranged between the princes and princesses of Spain, England, France, and Germany too.
The notebook discussed in this study is an important source about the practice of wedding gift giving in Ottoman Empire. The book was issued on Dhu al-Hijjah 29,969 (August 9, 1562 CE). This book, -contains information about the wedding gifts Selim II prepared and gave to his daughters, Sokullu Mehmed Pasha’s wife Ismihan Hanim Sultan, Piyale Pasha’s wife Gevherhan Hanim Sultan, and Huseyin Pasha’s wife Shah sultan. From the history of curriculum book, Sultan Selim II’s daughters can be deduced to have been married during the time of Kanuni redundant. This information is a good source of data to see what the understanding regarding wedding gifts during the Kanuni period was and to follow the wedding gift fashions of period.
When examining the commodities that make up these wedding gifts within the scope of the study, commodities such as precious books, real estate, jewelry, household appliances, breed horses, silk and wool fabrics are seen to have been given”. When appraising these gifts, this can be divided into two parts. The first involves the items that had been prepared for setting up the house where the bride and groom would live. The second involves being able to evaluate gifts presented to relatives or intermediaries for marriage during the wedding preparations.
The quantity, type, and amount of money spent on a wedding gift can be understood from the records in the book. Looking at the brides wedding gifts, these are seen consist of clothes and fabrics, rings, earrings, utensils for use in the kitchen, and cleaning tools Because the order in original of the notebook was adhered to, no classifications were made on this subject of usage type. However, if one were to make classifications, these would be tools and equipment to be used at home, jewelry and money, and clothes. Of course, these classification, have overlap, fabrics can be considered as a commodity used in quilts, pillows, and upholstery found at home, as well as, a commodity used in the clothes prepared for the bride. Fabrics are very important with regard to wedding gifts. Investing in types and quantities of fabrics constitutes an important data source for determining the textile prices of the period. Importance is also had in presenting the amounts and types of fabrics that were purchased for brides. These data allow one to learn about which kinds of fabrics were used in 1562. Some records, state values, which is an important element, as well as how many pieces made up a prepared wedding gift. These amounts allow one to find the amount of gifts that were prepared for each bride. Therefore, one can make an approximate inventory regarding the wedding gifts that were given to the brides of the period.
When looking in the records at the tools and equipment, one can reach a lot of information about the food, table culture, and presentation of the period. Household items made of copper, silver, and brass are found. When examining the contents of the wedding gifts, many copper vessels are found. This is an indication that the utensils used for cooking in particular generally involved vessels made of copper. Meanwhile, the items made of silver and brass mostly involved trays, pitchers, and candlesticks. Containers were seen to have been gifted not only for cooking, but also for presentation. Therefore, those who want to do research on table and food culture in the Ottoman Empire can obtain very good data from these records.
As a result, wedding gifts for a bride and groom are a tradition that has remain unchanged for centuries and continues into the present in different societies according to their own methods and conditions. Wedding gifts are an element that show the dignity of not only the bride and groom but also their family. To ev aluate wedding gifts as only a culture or tradition would be wrong. Wedding gifts have had significant costs, and thus also have an economic dimension. Wedding gifts also provide information about the condition and legal status of the woman in the marriage union, as well as the man. Based on the notebook that has been discussed within the framework of the study, what wedding gifts had been prepared and given to the three Hanim Sultans during the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent in accordance with the will of Sultan Selim II has been revealed regarding the clothing, money, and copper utensils Sultan Selim II gave to his daughters and grooms. The study also shows another issue was that the grooms and groomsmen were given money as gifts.
