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Müşfika Kadın

Müşfika Kadın
Musfika kadinefendi.jpg
Born 10 December 1867
Hopa, Caucasus, Ottoman Empire
Died 16 July 1961
Serencebey Yokuşu no. 53, Yıldız, Istanbul, Turkey
Burial Yahya Efendi Cemetery
Spouse Abdul Hamid II
Issue Hamide Ayşe Sultan
Full name
Turkish: Müşfika
English: Mushfika
Ottoman Turkish: مشفقه
House House of Osman (by marriage)
Father Mahmud Bey
Mother Emine Hanım
Religion Sunni Islam
Full name
Turkish: Müşfika
English: Mushfika
Ottoman Turkish: مشفقه

Müşfika Kadın (Ottoman Turkish: مشفقه قادين‎; born Ayşe Ağırba; 10 December 1867 – 16 July 1961; meaning "the compassionate one") was a consort of the Ottoman Empire as the eighth wife of Sultan Abdul Hamid II. She was the mother of Hamide Ayşe Sultan, who was famed for publishing her memoirs by the name of Babam Sultan Abdülhamid (Turkish for "My Father, Sultan Abdul Hamid") in 1960. In 1934 Müşfika took the surname Kayısoy pertaining to Abdul Hamid's descendance from the Kayıhan tribe.

Müşfika Kadın was born on 10 December 1867 to an Abkhazian noble family in Hopa, Caucasus, Ottoman Empire. Her personal name was Ayşe Ağırba. Her father was Gazi Şehid Ağır Mahmud Bey and her mother was Emine Hanım. She had a sister named Fatma Hanım one year younger than her, as well as a brother named Şahin Bey seven years older than her. Mahmud Bey volunteered for service in the Ottoman-Russian war of 1877–78, entrusting his wife and children to the care of Hüseyin Vasfi Pasha, an army officer posted in the area.

Hüseyin Vasfi Pasha's wife Bezminigar Hanım was Mahmud Bey's cousin, hence a close relative, and moreover had been in service to valide sultan Pertevniyal Sultan before her marriage, so for these reasons the pasha sent Mahmud Bey's family to live with his wife in Istanbul. At that time Ayşe was eight years old, Fatma was seven and Şahin Bey fifteen. In those days Pertevniyal Sultan was despondent over the death of her son Sultan Abdulaziz. Her only pleasure and distraction lay in passing time by training young and lovely children, gathering them about her and finding consolation in the things they and their sweet behavior. Pertevniyal Sultan had another habit between the dust and the night time prayer. She would prostrate herself in worship, weeping loudly. Afterwards in her room she would have the whole Quran recited and then have the children say "Amen".

Knowing these things Bezminigar Hanım decided to present Mahmud Bey's family to Pertevniyal Sultan. With difficulty she won over Emine Hanım, then she took the two girls round. Pertevniyal Sultan was enchanted by Emine Hanım's beautiful face, blue eyes and blonde hair and by the sweet aspects of Fatma's head of curls. She adopted the two girls and ordered Nâvekyar Kalfa to look after Ayşe and Şevkidide Kalfa to look after Fatma, under the protection of her own high Hazinedar Şemsicemal Kalfa, and changed their names, as palace tradition had it, calling Ayşe Destizer (Ottoman Turkish: دست زر‎) and Fatma Destiper. Their mother Emine Hanım and older brother Şahin Bey remained in the home of Bezminigâr Hanım, but when the word arrived that Mahmud Bey had been killed in the war, despite all attempts to dissuade them they returned to the palace which they had come. After this nothing further was heard of them.


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