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Concubine is ... What differentiated concubines in different cultures

Probably everyone has heard about the concubine girls, but very few people know what is really hidden under this word. What responsibilities girls were supposed to perform, what rights they had and how concubines differed in different countries of the world - this is what today's conversation will be about.

Concubine - who is this?

So who is this concubine? This is a girl who held a special place at the court of the ruler. Her status was lower than the status of an official wife, but she had much more advantages than all other women. And although the content of harems and concubines in different countries was somewhat different, for most girls to fall into the harem and become a concubine was a great success. So what are the differences between concubines in the countries of the east and, for example, in Europe?

Concubine of the Sultan

When it comes to concubines, Turkey is most often recalled. Tradition to keep the harems and start concubines existed there for more than seven centuries. What was the concubine of the Sultan?

Unlike the generally accepted opinion that developed, most likely, thanks to modern cinema, concubines often became not slaves, captives or girls from the street. In the harem there was a kind of restriction, how many blondes girls should be, and how many brunettes or redheads.

Most often, parents sold their daughters to the harem. Thus, they wanted to provide them with a good future, which, according to generally accepted standards, was considered life in a harem. Russian concubines, as, indeed, any girls of Slavic origin, were valued in the harem most.

What was the place of the concubine in the sultan's harem

The Sultan could hold 700-800 concubines at the same time. Among them there was a rigid hierarchy. Naturally, all 800 could not have "access to the body" of the ruler. Most often, the sultan had one or more wives, as well as several favorite concubines. The other girls could not see their master for years. The Sultan's favorites had more rights than the other girls. The child, born of a beloved concubine, naturally could not claim to take his father's place. However, the ruler arranged all of his children in life. The exclusive right to succession to the throne was enjoyed only by children born in an official marriage. But given the constant struggle for power, it is not known who was more fortunate: the child of a concubine who was not threatened, or a small heir who every day risked becoming a victim of someone's plans.

In addition, the position of the official wife was not much different from the position that the concubine occupied. This means that they were all the property of their master and lived, even in a golden, but a cage.

Girls who could not get into the ranks of favorites, performed a lot of other duties. First of all, economic. Since the entrance to the harem to strangers was strictly forbidden, all work "around the house" was completely entrusted to the shoulders of unsuccessful concubines. One could follow the purity, another - for the routine, the third - for the health of the whole "family", the fourth - for the process of making coffee ... and so on ad infinitum. Duties, as well as hands, were enough.

Concubines in Europe

If someone thinks that a concubine is a phenomenon that spread only in the East, he is very mistaken. Virtually all European monarchs had concubines, but they were only called favorites. However, the name does not change who they really were.

Almost always the emperor chose his wife, guided exclusively by political considerations. However, very soon a court appeared at the court, which the emperor recognized as his official favorite. Often, the relationship with such a girl the emperor maintained long before he entered into an official marriage. In addition, the favorites could be several.

In fact, European emperors can be called polygamists. Both the wife and the favorite lived in the same house, and the monarch was the biological father of their children. As in the east, the right to succession to the throne was born to children born of a legal wife, but history knows many cases when it was the bastards who occupied the place of their fathers. In addition, the concubine in Europe had much more rights than in the East, and it was often the imperial concubines that influenced the fate of the whole state.

Concubines of the pharaoh

If you recall the story, the tradition to keep concubines appeared in ancient Egypt. In addition, Pharaoh had not one harem, but several that were scattered all over the country. Therefore, going on the next trip, there was no need to take your wives with you. After all, in every city he was waiting for another favorite concubine. This provision gave Pharaoh many advantages. The fact that the pharaoh had a large number of harems, was another advantage. If the girl fell into disfavor or left the young age, she was sent to a distant harem.

The girls lived in the harem not themselves, but together with their children and distant relatives of the pharaoh. Thus, the number of its inhabitants could exceed one thousand. Many concubines had their own estates, manufactures, workshops, which brought them a good income.

Also in the harem could live the daughter of the kings of other states. They came to Pharaoh with rich gifts from their fathers. Between them and the ruler an illusion of equality was created, but in fact these girls did not have more rights than concubines from uncommunicative families.

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