The Harem's Political Prison: The Kafes System

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the kafes, or 'the cage' — the secluded princely prison that replaced Ottoman fratricide. They trace its origins after Mehmed the Conqueror's law of fratricide, its first use under Ahmed I, and how it transformed the empire. They discuss the psychological toll on princes like Mustafa I and Ibrahim, the role of the kızlar ağası in managing the kafes, and how the system led to incompetent sultans like Ibrahim. The episode also covers the rebellion of Abaza Mehmed Pasha against the kafes and janissary interference, and ends by reflecting on how this system of sequestration inadvertently preserved the dynasty but eroded imperial governance. #Kafes #Fratricide #AhmedI #MustafaI #IbrahimI #OttomanSuccession #KizlarAgasi #TopkapiPalace #Janissaries #AbazaMehmedPasha #SultanateOfWomen #Harem #OttomanEmpire #Seclusion #MehmedIII #History #FexingoHistory #PowerAndPolitics #HurremSultan #KosemSultan Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo