Ikbal (Ottoman Turkish:اقبال) was the title given to the imperial consort of thesultan of theOttoman Empire, who came below the rank ofkadın.[1][2][3][4][5]
The word ikbal (اقبال) is an Arabic word, which means good fortune,[6] or lucky.[7] Historians have translated it either 'fortunate one' or 'favorite'.[8][9]
Anikbal was a titled consort, and recognised as such by the sultan.[10] The number ofikbals varied. They were ranked asbaş ikbal ('seniorikbal, senior favourite, senior fortunate one'),ikinci ikbal ('secondikbal, second favourite, second fortunate one'),üçüncü ikbal ('thirdikbal, third favourite, third fortunate one'),dördüncü ikbal ('fourthikbal, fourth favourite, fourth fortunate one'), and so on,[9][8][4] according to the order in which they had caught the sultan's eye,[2] and elevated to that position.[11]
Theikbals usually held the prefix titles ofiffetlü[12] ('honest, virtuous'),[13] andismetlü[12] ('the virtuous'),[14] and the suffix titles ofhanım,[12][15]hatun,[16][17] andkadın.[18][19]
The rank first appeared toward the end of the seventeenth century,[4] during the reign of SultanMustafa II (reigned 1695 — 1703).[20] Two eighteenth century sultansMahmud I (reigned 1730 — 1754), andMustafa III (reigned 1757 — 1773), also hadikbals.[8]
However, in the eighteenth century, theikbals held the titlekalfa which means 'assistant master, mistress'.[21][5] This suggests that at that time they were eligible for both kinds of high level harem career.[5] They also appeared in the list ofcariyes, which did not include the sultan'skadıns, or theketkhüda kadın, ordaye hatun, emphasizes their identity as part of the household rather than family in the eighteenth century. In the nineteenth century the termkalfa appears to have been used exclusively for members of the household staff.[22]
In the eighteenth century, theikbals had personal servants,[23] and were paid 250kuruş every three months.[24]
This tradition of takingikbals continued until the nineteenth century.[4] Theikbals were chosen from among thegediklis.[25] Eachikbal had her "night turn" (nöbet gecesi).[2] Their stipend[26] was 20,000kuruş.[27] They had personal servants.[4] As clothing reflected a woman's positions in the harem hierarchy, theikbals wore rich fabrics and in winter they wore stuffed dresses,[28] which was indicative of their high status.[4]
Eachikbal resided in her own apartment,[29] or sometimes isolated kiosks.[30] In the nineteenth century, they had two rooms on the second floor of the palace, one facing theBosphorus Strait and serving as a saloon, and the other facing the palace gardens and serving as a bedroom.[31] The sultans came to visit anikbal namely if she was sick or if she had children.[2]
Although previously it was thought that after anikbal became pregnant she was promoted to the rank ofkadın, this was not the case.[32](Eric Newby states that after anikbal gave birth she was elevated to the title ofhaseki, and that thekadinefendis were 4 favourites who had each given birth to a male heir.[33]) She could only take the position of thekadıns if one of thekadıns had died[34] or was divorced.[15] If a vacancy arose among thekadıns, the seniorikbal was moved up tokadın status.[4] Upon the death of a sultan, any of hisikbals who had either not borne a child or who had borne a child who had then died, was married to a statesman. The others retired to the Old Palace.[35]
Theikbals were subjected to the same law of inheritance as the other women in the harem. However, they were usually buried in places of honour.[36]
Imperial consorts who were traditionally addressed asikbal include: