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Journals / KADEM Kadın Araştırmaları Dergisi / 2025 / Cilt: 11 Sayı: 2

Sayyida Hurra: The Conceptual Representation of Femininity, Nobility, Freedom, and Authority in Islamic History

Seyyide Hürre: İslam Tarihinde Kadınlık, Asalet, Hürriyet ve Otoritenin Kavramsal Temsili

Nihal Şahin Utku(MARMARA UNIVERSITY, FACULTY OF THEOLOGY)0000-0003-2998-4026
Pages
291–328
Publication Date
2025-12-29
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AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

Ultimately, this study draws attention to ideological biases in historical writing about women and suggests that the concept be considered through its multilayered meanings in its specific historical contexts, rather than the connotations attached to it in modern times.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

🎯
Objective & Hypothesis:This article explores the conceptual, historical, and sociopolitical dimensions of the title Sayyida Hurra through the lives of two exceptional women in Islamic history: Queen Arwa bint Ahmad (d. 532/1138) of the Sulayhid dynasty in Yemen and Aisha bint Ali (d. 970/1562), the ruler of Tétouan in Morocco.
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Key Findings & Data:Rather than offering a purely biographical account, the study analyzes these figures within the social, cultural, and sectarian dynamics that shaped their political legitimacy.
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Conclusion & Impact:Ultimately, this study draws attention to ideological biases in historical writing about women and suggests that the concept be considered through its multilayered meanings in its specific historical contexts, rather than the connotations attached to it in modern times.
🔬Design:Araştırma Makalesi
📍Scope:Comprehensive Sample
⚙️Variables:Seyyide hürre · Kadın liderliği · Siyasal meşruiyet

Abstract

This article explores the conceptual, historical, and sociopolitical dimensions of the title Sayyida Hurra through the lives of two exceptional women in Islamic history: Queen Arwa bint Ahmad (d. 532/1138) of the Sulayhid dynasty in Yemen and Aisha bint Ali (d. 970/1562), the ruler of Tétouan in Morocco. Rather than offering a purely biographical account, the study analyzes these figures within the social, cultural, and sectarian dynamics that shaped their political legitimacy. It examines the historical conditions under which women gained visibility in public and political spheres, with a particular focus on widowed, noble women who possessed a basis of social legitimacy. The title Hurra is interpreted not merely as a marker of personal liberty but possibly as an expression of nobility, competence, and representative authority. The article also critically investigates how these figures have been represented in historiography. Ultimately, this study draws attention to ideological biases in historical writing about women and suggests that the concept be considered through its multilayered meanings in its specific historical contexts, rather than the connotations attached to it in modern times.

Özet

Bu makale, İslam tarihinde “Seyyide Hürre” unvanıyla anılan Yemenli Süleyhî melikesi Ervâ bint Ahmed (ö. 532 / 1138) ile Fas’ın Tıtvân şehrinin yöneticisi Âişe bint Ali’yi (ö. 970 / 1562) merkeze alarak, bu unvanın kavramsal, tarihsel ve sosyopolitik bağlamlarını tartışmakta ve aralarında 450 senelik bir zaman dilimi olan bu iki istisnai kadının yaşam öykülerini biyografik detaylarının ötesinde, onları çevreleyen toplumsal, kültürel ve mezhebî dinamiklerle birlikte ele alarak temsil ettikleri siyasal meşruiyet modellerini analiz etmektedir. Kadınların kamusal ve siyasi alanda görünürlük kazandıkları tarihsel şartlar ortaya konulurken, özellikle dul, asil ve toplumsal meşruiyet zemini bulabilen kadınların bu rolleri hangi koşullarda üstlendikleri irdelenmektedir. “Hürre” unvanının, yalnızca bireysel özgürlük anlamında değil; asalet, yeterlik ve temsil gücünü içeren bir siyasal kimlik göstergesi olarak kullanılmış olması hususu değerlendirilmektedir. Ayrıca, bu figürlerin tarih yazımında nasıl yansıtıldığı da eleştirel bir biçimde incelenmektedir. Çalışma, tarihyazımında kadınlara dair ideolojik önyargıların etkisine dikkat çekmekte ve “hürre” kavramını bugünün çağrışımları yerine tarihsel bağlamlardaki anlamları üzerinden yorumlamak gerektiğini teklif etmektedir.

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Cite This Article

Utku, N. Ş. (2025). Sayyida Hurra: The Conceptual Representation of Femininity, Nobility, Freedom, and Authority in Islamic History. KADEM Kadın Araştırmaları Dergisi, Cilt: 11 Sayı: 2, 291–328. https://doi.org/10.21798//kadem.2025.185

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