Nefise Melek Sultan Hatun^[a] (Ottoman Turkish:نفیسہ خاتون;c. 1363 -post 1403) was anOttoman princess, daughter of SultanMurad I. She was the wife ofAlaeddin Ali Bey of Karaman and mother ofMehmed II of Karaman andAlaeddin Ali II of Karaman. She is known as the first politically active Ottoman princess.

Nefise Melek Hatun was born inBursa around 1363. Her father was the Ottoman sultanMurad I, while it is unknown who her mother was.^[1][2][3][4]

In 1378, Nefise's brotherBayezid marriedDevletşah Sultan Hatun, princess ofGerminiyan. During the wedding reception, Nefise's father Murad I negotiated with the representatives ofKaraman, Ali Bey and Davud Bey, to give her in marriage toAlaeddin Ali (ruler of Karaman, grandson of Ali and brother of Davud). Karaman was one of the most powerfulbeyliks and, at the time, the main opponent of the Ottomans. The marriage was supposed to be the basis of an alliance between the two states, that were at that time adversaries.^[5][4][6]

Nefise's dowry included 100,000 gold coins, one hundred horses, ten herds of camels, nine carpets, nine chests of jewels, gold, and precious stones, and more than fifty rolls of silk, velvet, and gold fabrics from France, Syria, Egypt, and Turkey. Her dowry in case of divorce consisted of the territories ofAksehir andAksaray, including the neighboring villages and all income. At that point, the marriage was announced in both the states duringFriday prayers.^[7]

The wedding ceremony was held in Bursa, withCandarli Kara Halil as the bride's representative and Mevlana Muslihiddin as the groom's.^[7] Soon after, Nefise set out forKaraman. During the journey, the procession was attacked byMongol raiders, who were, however, put to flight by the cavalry units escorting the princess. In Karaman, the wedding ceremony was repeated, this time in the presence of both bride and groom. Among the guests were the rulers ofSaruhan,Aydin,Menteşe andEshrefoglu. In Karaman, Nefise became known as Sultan Hatun (Lady Sultana) in reference to her birth status.^[8][4][3] By their marriage was birth at least three children, three sons.^[5][4]

Contrary to expectations, the marriage between Nefise and Alaeddin did not produce any lasting peace, but thanks to Nefise's intercession Alaeddin managed to obtain forgiveness several times first from Murad I and then from Bayezid I.^[7]

In 1386, while Murad was busy elsewhere, Alaeddin occupied the territories along the Ottoman-Karaman border, which were considered Ottoman protectorates. Murad reacted to this faster than expected and forced Alaeddin to retreat to a besiegedKonya. For twelve days, Alaeddin sent Murad peace proposals, which were rejected.^[7][6][9] At that point, Nefise secretly left Konya with her three sons and went to her father, pleading on behalf of her husband. Nefise's embassy was successful and Alaeddin was pardoned in exchange for a formal act of submission and the cession of the territories ofBeysehir.^[7][6][9]

Alaeddin rebelled a second time between 1390 and 1391, immediately after the death of Murad and the accession of his sonBayezid I. Once again, he was defeated within a few weeks and again only managed to save his life through the mediation of Nefise.^[10]

Alaeddin's third and final rebellion was in late 1396, when he occupiedAnkara and took the governor, Sari Temirtash Pasha, prisoner. This time, Nefise remained in Karaman with her sons. Bayezid was fighting inNicopolis, but he reached Ankara in a very short time, with an army of 150,000 men, more than double that of Alaedddin. Alaeddin released the governor and sent him to Bayezid with an offer of peace, which was rejected. Alaeddin died in 1397, but versions differ: according to one, Bayezid declared that he would spare anyone who would deliver Alaeddin's head, who was then betrayed by his own army. According to others, Alaeddin was delivered alive and Bayezid himself executed him. Finally, other sources say he died in battle, during the last attempt to break the siege.^[6][11][12]

Bayezid sent Alaeddin's head to Karaman with orders to wait and open the gates to the Ottoman army. While the people, the government and Alaeddin's sons wanted to resist, Nefise, who was entrusted with the regency, decided to surrender. She then went to Bayezid with her sons and surrendered unconditionally, on the condition that he spare the city. Bayezid accepted, but imposed that Nefise and her sons return to live in Bursa, where mother and sons lived in luxury but strictly separated.^[10]

Mustafa Çelebi, son of Bayezid, became governor of Karaman in place ofMehmed, eldest son of Alaeddin and Nefise.^[10]

Nefise remained inBursa until, in 1403, she was reached by the news of the death ofBayezid I (who died inAkşehir as a prisoner ofTimur). At that point, she and her sons immediately returned toKaraman, where she lived at the court of her sonMehmed, who became the new Karamanids ruler (Mustafa Çelebi fought with his father and disappeared after the battle). She died on an unknown date and was buried in themausoleum that she built in the city, now lost, although it is believed to have been located in the Khatuniyemadrasa, built by Nefise herself.^[10]

By her marriage, she had at least three children, three sons:^[8][13]

• Nasiraeddin Mehmed II of Karaman (1379 - 1423), ruler of Karamanids after his father;
• Bengi Alaeddin Ali II of Karaman (1381 - 1424), ruler of Karamanids after his brother;
• Oğuz Bey.

In 1388, inKaraman, Nefise established the Theological College. She also founded the Khatuniyemadrasa (today a museum) and ahammam, the revenues from which were used to finance the construction of hermausoleum.^[1]

Nefise Hatun was the first Ottoman princess known to have actively participated in politics. She was defined as "a predatory bird" and "in everything equal to a man". Much has been written about her unswerving loyalty to her husband and sons rather than to her father (Murad I) and brother (Bayezid I), but judgments on this are matter of speech, ranging from praise to blame.^[1]

• Uluçay, Mustafa Çağatay (2011).Padişahların kadınları ve kızları. Ankara, Ötüken.
• Sakaoğlu, Necdet (2008).Bu mülkün kadın sultanları: Vâlide sultanlar, hâtunlar, hasekiler, kadınefendiler, sultanefendiler. Oğlak Yayıncılık.ISBN 978-9-753-29623-6.

• 1360s births
• 1400s deaths
• 14th-century Ottoman princesses

• CS1 Turkish-language sources (tr)
• Articles with short description
• Short description matches Wikidata
• Articles containing Ottoman Turkish (1500-1928)-language text