The Harem Politics of the Ottoman Empire: Power Behind the Throne – Episode 117: Hürrem Sultan's Diplomatic Letters

We've talked a lot about Hürrem Sultan — her rise from slave to haseki sultan, her rivalry with Mahidevran, her influence over Suleiman. But one of her most underappreciated tools was the pen. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore Hürrem's extensive correspondence with foreign monarchs and statesmen, including a remarkable exchange of letters with Sigismund II Augustus of Poland and a secret correspondence with the Safavid Shah Tahmasp I. They discuss how Hürrem navigated diplomacy as a woman in a male-dominated world, using carefully crafted language and gifts to advance Ottoman interests and her own political standing. The episode also examines the physical manuscripts themselves — where they are kept today, who has studied them, and what they reveal about Hürrem's literacy, education, and network. This is Hürrem not as the scheming Roxelana of legend, but as a shrewd diplomat in her own right. #HürremSultan #Roxelana #OttomanDiplomacy #SuleimanTheMagnificent #SafavidEmpire #PolandLithuania #SigismundIIAugustus #ShahTahmaspI #TopkapıPalace #HaremLetters #DiplomaticCorrespondence #16thCentury #OttomanEmpire #HasekiSultan #WomenInDiplomacy #History #FexingoHistory #EarlyModern Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo