CHAPTER XIII
THE IMPERIAL HAREM IN TURKEY
The plural system of marriage arose in Turkey among the mixed Caucassian races that came to be known as Turks. Descendants of a wandering Tartar horde, the founders of Turkey brought with them the customs of ancient Asia. Very early in their history they were polygamous; but to-day the Turks are said to be the least addicted to polygamy of any of the nations under the dominion of Islam.[1]
Ancient marriage in Turkey was a matter of negotiation and arrangement, and not of capture, as among the Arabs and some other Eastern tribes. To this day marriage is largely under the direction of a third person, or several persons, besides the contracting partners. The matrimonial agency is an old institution of the Ottoman Empire.
Although the great majority of Turks are married to one woman only, there are numerous harems in Constantinople and other towns. The sultans have
- ↑ "Diary of a Turk," Halib Halid, 1903.
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