The life and vakfs of Selim I's daughter Şah Sultan

This study aims to analyze an Ottoman female dynasty member, known by different names such as Şah Sultan, Şahi Sultan, Şahi Hûban Sultan, Devlet Şahi Sultan, who came to the fore with her relations with Selim I, Süleyman I and Lütfi Pasha, a statesman of devshirme origin, through the foundation she established with philanthropic and religious motivations. The foundation's endowment, the accounting records of the foundation, and various parâkende documents are used as sources. In the first two chapters of this study on the life and foundations of Shah Sultan, an attempt has been made to introduce Shah Sultan based on the information about the whole process from her birth to her death and the data in the foundation of the work she established. In the other parts of the study, by focusing on the revenues, expenses and management structure of the foundation, the services provided, the size and status of the foundation, the effects of the foundations on the city structure, their contributions to social life, and how the foundation was affected by the Ottoman socio-economic life were discussed. Based on the view that social and individual creations bear traces of their makers, an in-depth analysis was conducted to reveal the traces of Şah Sultan's foundations. These investigations have led to some conclusions not only about Shah Sultan, but also about the socio-economic and religious context of the Ottoman Empire. The findings reveal the extent to which Shah Sultan's foundations were influenced by and had an impact on society.