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[memoredes]

Three Rivalries, One Fall From Grace

Jia Li Lan vs. Consort Yu and Consort Chun: As a Noble Lady, she brought down Consort Yu by exposing her for obsessively taking bribes. Her primary target then became Consort Chun, the Emperor's former favorite, who was protected by a powerful family. When Jia experienced a medical crisis involving a "dying fetus" in her womb, she did not inform the Emperor; instead, she framed Consort Chun for pushing her and causing a miscarriage. This resulted in Chun’s execution and a six-generation ban on her clan from entering the imperial harem.

Maiao Xiulang vs. Pure Consort Leiang and Virtuous Consort Xieing: Noble Lady Maiao was originally recruited by Pure Consort Leiang to help scheme against Xieing. However, as Maiao’s own favor grew through unconventional tactics—such as making the Emperor chase her through gardens—she and Leiang became "frienemies". Maiao used "passion-poem kites" and "singing lanterns" to lure the Emperor away from other concubines, causing deep resentment. Maiao utilized her attendant to testify against Virtuous Consort Xieing regarding poisoned ginseng, leading to Xieing’s demotion to the Cold Palace. The sources imply Maiao eventually orchestrated Xieing’s violent death via a broken kite string.

Gu Xinyue vs. Consort Hui: Xinyue openly mocked higher-ranking consorts for having "empty" wombs. Xinyue’s carriage nearly collided with Consort Hui, shattering a precious jade hairpin; Xinyue dismissed the incident, offering to replace the treasure with pins from her own superior collection. Xinyue’s behavior placed a "large target on her back," leading her rivals to collaborate with the Empress Dowager. She was eventually framed using a "witch doll" found in her chambers—an accusation of dark magic—which resulted in her being stripped of her title and confined to her palace for over a year.

[memoredes]

4 Climbers of Rank

In the context of the Zhong Dynasty, "climbers" refers to the women of the imperial harem who successfully navigated the rigid and dangerous hierarchy to ascend to higher titles.

Cui Xiulan: She entered the harem as a Cǎinǚ (Selected Lady), which was the official eighth-grade entry-level rank for apprentices. She achieved a "steady but rapid" ascent through every subsequent rank—including attendant, Noble Lady, and Consort—to eventually become Empress and Empress Dowager.

Ruing Xuein: Her ascent was even more unconventional, as she began her life in the palace as a palace maid serving Empress Xiaong Shufeng. She transitioned from a servant to a Bǎolín (Lady of Treasure), a sixth-grade junior tier rank, and climbed through nearly ten different titles to eventually depose her former mistress and become Empress Ruing.

Miaoying Hongong: She started her journey as a Yùnǚ (Lady of His Majesty), a seventh-grade rank responsible for managing items like lanterns and candles. Her rise was "unusually rapid"; notably, she once jumped two ranks in a single day (from Bǎolín to Cáirén) after the Emperor demoted a rival. She eventually reached the position of Imperial Noble Consort and Empress.

Meng Jingyi: She entered the palace at the level of Cáirén (Lady of Talent), a fifth-grade mid-tier rank. She was initially selected for her poetry, which was said to feel like a "lullaby," and she eventually climbed the ranks of Virtuous Consort and Pure Consort to become Empress.

[memoredes]

The Selwyn Family Aesthetic Part One

The Selwyn's are a British Pure-blood Wizarding family that has some of its roots based in early Southern France. The Selwyns grew to prominence and took over the manor house in the fifteenth century before the building fell into disrepair. They took their wealth from lands and managed to gain lordship over the lands in the late fifteenth century. Family commonly attend Hogwarts and are sorted in Slytherin and Ravenclaw. The Selwyns have multiple branches Esmeralda is part of the main branch. The secondary branches are mostly Slytherin when they are in school and then Death Eaters after graduation. But the some branches of the family are not big on murder or hating Muggles. Selwyns are prideful of their history and even with the early questionable use of their magic tend to produce witches and wizards that are more passive and open-minded. They do believe that they are superior and practice dark magic. The main branch avoids crude blood prejudice (it's gauche), but they'd never let a Muggle-born marry in. The secondary branches, they'll hiss it in the streets and Crucio anyone who objects. Their manors are pristine, draped in Black Family-level opulence, funded by centuries of landed wealth, cursed artifacts, and discreetly vanishing inconvenient Muggles. They don't experiment with Dark Magic-they curate it. Unforgivables are parlor tricks to them. They are mainly cursed artifact collectors, not Death Eaters. Taught that knowledge = power.

[awkward-sultana]

"She will be named Mihrimah. Like her name, may the sun and moon light her future."

[ottomanladies]

Ottoman Imperial consorts who had influence over their spouses – requested by anon

[memoredes]

mc

[ottomanladies]

Murad III + harem and children

Consorts:

Haseki Safiye Sultan: Albanian concubine presented to him by his cousin Hümaşah, she was his only consort for 20 years, when Murad III started sleeping with other women.

Şemsiruhsar Hatun: mother of Rukiye Sultan, she made a vakif for the reading of the Quran in the Mosque of the Prophet in Medina. She died before 1613.

Nazperver Hatun: appears in Ahmet Refik’s book Kadınlar Saltanati as one of Murad III’s consorts.

Şahıhuban Hatun: according to Ahmet Refik, she was buried in Yenibahçe with another consort.

Fakriye Hatun: according to Alderson, she was one of Murad III’s consorts.

Mihriban Hatun: again, according to Alderson she was one of Murad III’s consorts.

Unnamed consort: presented to Murad III by his son Mehmed, it could be one between Fakriye or Mihriban.

Children:

Ayşe Sultan (before 1565 - 15.5.1605): Murad and Safiye’s eldest child. She married Damad Ibrahim Paşa on 20 May 1586, who would serve as Grand Vizier three times. After the death of Ibrahim Paşa on 10 July 1601, she married Yemişçi Haşan Paşa in 1602, but he was executed in October 1603 by her brother Mehmed. In 1603 she built a fountain in honour of her first husband, located outside the Şehzade Mosque. Subsequently, she married her lover Güzelce Mahmud Paşa but she died soon later, on 15 May 1605. She was buried in the mausoleum of her father Murad. In her will, most of her wealth was left to the poor, orphans and sick; to the poor women in Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem and as ransom for Muslim female captives.

Fatma Sultan (before 1565 - ??): Murad and Safiye’s second child. On 8 December 1593 she married Kaptanıderya Halil Paşa in a magnificent ceremony. The marriage was described as very happy and they had a child together: Sultanzade Mahmud Bey (died in 1598). Halil Paşa died in 1603 and she subsequently married Vizier Cafer Paşa, though not according to Evliya Celebi.

Mehmed III (16/26.5.1566 - 21.12.1603): son of Safiye Sultan, he was the 13th Ottoman Sultan. (consorts and children here)

Şehzade Selim (1567 - 28.1.1595): executed by Mehmed III. Son of Safiye Sultan? (his date of birth would suggest this, but no source spoke of a second son of Safiye’s being alive at Murad III’s death)

Şehzade Mahmud (1568 - in or before 1581): son of Safiye Sultan

Unnamed prince (6.1582 - 6.1582): according to Alderson, he was born and died during the circumcision fest for prince Mehmed.

Şehzade Cihangir (2.1585 - 8.1585)

Şehzade Süleyman (2.1585 - 1585)

Şehzade Abdullah (1585 - 28.1.1595): executed by Mehmed III

Şehzade Mustafa (1585 - 28.1.1595): executed by Mehmed III

Şehzade Bayezid (1586 - 28.1.1595): executed by Mehmed III

Şehzade Cihangir (1587 - 28.1.1595): executed by Mehmed III

Şehzade Abdurrahman (?? - 28.1.1595): executed by Mehmed III

Şehzade Ahmed (?? - ??)

Şehzade Alaeddin Davud (?? - 28.1.1595): executed by Mehmed III

Şehzade Alemşah (?? - 28.1.1595): executed by Mehmed III

Şehzade Ali (?? - 28.1.1595): executed by Mehmed III

Şehzade Hasan (?? - 28.1.1595): executed by Mehmed III

Şehzade Hüseyin (?? - 28.1.1595): executed by Mehmed III

Şehzade Ishak (?? - 28.1.1595): executed by Mehmed III

Şehzade Murad (?? - 28.1.1595): executed by Mehmed III

Şehzade Osman (?? - 28.1.1595): executed by Mehmed III

Şehzade Ömer (?? - 28.1.1595): executed by Mehmed III

Şehzade Yusuf (?? - 28.1.1595): executed by Mehmed III

Hüma/Hümaşah Sultan (?? - ??): she may have been a daughter of Safiye’s, since she was born in Manisa. She married Lala Kara Sokoloviç Mustafa Paşa (cousin of Sokollu Mehmed Paşa), who died in 1580, and then Nişar Mustafazade Mehmed Paşa, who died in 1586. Nothing else is known about her. [here]

Fahriye Sultan (?? - after 1641): she married Çuhadar Ahmed Paşa in 1604, who died in 1618. According to Uluçay, she was married instead to the governor of Bosnia Sofu Bayram Paşa.

Fethiye Sultan (?? - ??): she does not appear in Sicill-i Osmani.

Rukiye Sultan (?? - ??): daughter of Şemsiruhsar Hatun, she was buried in the mausoleum of her father.

Mihrimah Sultan: she married Mirahur Ahmed Paşa in 1604.

Mihriban Sultan: she was buried in the mausoleum of Murad III.

17 unnamed daughters: died of smallpox in 1598.

Hatice Sultan: no information about her

sources:- A. D. Alderson - The Structure of the Ottoman Dynasty

- Leslie P. Peirce - The Imperial Harem: Women and Sovereignty in the Ottoman Empire

- Necdet Sakaoğlu - Bu Mülkün Kadın Sultanları

- M. Çağatay Uluçay - Padişahların Kadınları ve Kızları

[memoredes]

mc

[ottomanladies]

Wedded wives of the Ottoman Sultans

“[I]t is unclear whether an Ottoman prince underwent a wedding ceremony with a woman he took as a concubine or, if he acceded to the throne, whom he elevated to the rank of Kadın. The subject of weddings with imperial concubines requires further study, but given the present state of our knowledge we can say that until the mid-nineteenth century, such marriages formed the exceedingly rare exception in the House of Osman. […] After the mid-nineteenth century, however, marriages with concubines became more frequent as part of the Ottoman monarchy’s increasing adoption of European royal practice.” – Douglas Scott Brookes, The Concubine, the Princess, and the Teacher: Voices from the Ottoman Harem

*I stopped at Abdülmecid I, as it is not clear if subsequent weddings had the same value as these above or if they were just ceremonies to welcome the new concubine in the harem

[memoredes]

mc

[memoredes]

Nurbanu and Selim part 1

[memoredes]

[memoredes]

Nurbanu and Selim episode 110