Fehime Sultan

Fehime Sultan (, "intelligent"; 2 July 1875 – 15 September 1929) was an Ottoman princess, the daughter of Sultan Murad V and his fourth consort Meyliservet Kadın. Early life Fehime Sultan was born on 2 July 1875 in the Dolmabahçe Palace. Her father was Murad V, son of Abdulmejid I and Şevkefza Kadın, and her mother was Meyliservet Kadın. She was the fifth child, and second daughter born to her father and the only child of her mother. Her birth was kept secret until his father became sultan, the Ottoman princes being forbidden to have children at the time. After Murad's accession the throne on 30 May 1876, after the deposition of his uncle Sultan Abdulaziz, her family settled in the Dolmabahçe Palace. After reigning for three months, he was deposed on 30 August 1876, due to mental instability and was imprisoned in the Çırağan Palace. Fehime and her mother followed him into confinement. Life in confinement At the time of her family's confinement, Fehime Sultan was one years old and she grow up without knowing any other life. Receiving her education in the palace, like her father, Fehime was interested in the arts and music, and learned piano and composed songs. According to Filizten Hanım, who not loved her, Fehime had too simple, haughty and proud personality and she thought herself terribly important. She was not particularly pretty but she fancied herself so and wanted everyone else to think so too. Above all she loved to be praised. She showed little inclination to read books despite the fact that she could read and write both Turkish and French. Instead she spent most of her time gazing into the mirror. Filitzen constantly and negatively compared her to Fehime's older sister Hatice, whom Filitzen loved and judged instead beautiful, intelligent, cheerful and full of quality. Fehime lost her mother at around 16, due to a brief illness that got worse due to an accident. At the time of death, Meyliservet recommended Fehime to her father's care.