Ketank10

The term “harem” brings to mind an image of a room full of beautiful women whose sole purpose in life was to please their captor sexually. This image may have been inspired by the 16 th and 17 thcentury harems of the Ottoman empire. However, the harem were more than just sexual playthings for the Sultan. Existing between 1299 and 1920 AD, the Ottoman sultan’s harem was comprised of wives, male and female servants, female relatives of the sultan, and concubines. Not only did the women in the harem play a role in entertaining the sultan, but they also helped run the household and even had a hand in governing the Ottoman empire. A period known as the “Reign of Women” or the Kadinlar Sultanati saw the harem of women playing an important role within the Ottoman government, leading them to gain more power than ever before. "https://www.ancient-origins.net/history-ancient-traditions/imperial-harem-ottoman-empire-more-just-beautiful-women-007835 "