Reftarıdil Kadın


Reftarıdil Kadın was the second wife of Sultan Murad V of the Ottoman Empire.

Early life

Reftarıdil Kadın was born on 5 June 1838 in North Caucasus, her father was Hatkoyuko Hato, a Abzeh notable. Her family used to live at the coast of Black Sea. She had two sisters Terandil Hanım and Ceylanmelek Hanım who were also given to the palace along with her and were later married to other high officials. She was a lovely lady with a pink skin, large blue eyes, straight nose, and a round face. She was also honest and goodhearted.

Marriage

Reftarıdil married Murad on 4 February 1859 in the Dolmabahçe Palace when she was twenty and he was eighteen. Two years later, She gave birth to her only son Şehzade Mehmed Selaheddin on 12 August 1861 in the Dolmabahçe Palace.
Murad ascended the throne on 30 May 1876, after the deposition of his uncle Sultan Abdulaziz, Reftarıdil was given the title of "Second Consort". After reigning for three months, Murad was deposed on 30 August 1876, due to mental instability and was imprisoned in the Çırağan Palace. Reftarıdil settled in the Çırağan Palace.
After the death of Murad in 1904, they were still imprisoned. In 1910 her son, Şehzade Mehmed Selaheddin bought a mansion at Ortaköy.

Widowhood

Since 1915, since the union and the Progress Association cut the wages of femininity, other dynasty members were in need of assistance.
According to Harun Açba, Reftarıdil was an honest and kind person. While her other fellow consorts were overweight, she always remained weak and thin. She had beautiful blue eyes. She loved reading books. She had attached to music with a separate relevance. She had a knowledge in culture, she always remained happy even in arduous days.
Reftarıdil took the surname "Hatgil" after the Surname law passed on 21 June 1934. She had her niece, Cemile Dilberistan Hanım, married to her son, Şehzade Mehmed Selaheddin.

Death

In 1924, when the imperial family was exiled, Reftarıdil Kadın as being a adjunct member of the dynasty decided to stay in Istanbul, the third wife of her husband Şayan Kadın came to live with her in her palace. She died in Ortaköy Palace, Istanbul on 3 March 1936 at the age of ninety-eight having outlived her son by twenty one years.

Issue

Together with Murad, Reftarıdil had one son: