Amina Hanim (; ; 1770 – 1824) was the first princess consort of

Muhammad Ali Muhammad Ali (; born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.; January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer and social activist. A global cultural icon, widely known by the nickname "The Greatest", he is often regarded as the gr ...

, a former Ottoman ''

Wāli ''Wāli'', ''Wā'lī'' or ''vali'' (from ''Wālī'') is an administrative title that was used in the Muslim world (including the Rashidun, Umayyad and Abbasid caliphates and the Ottoman Empire) to designate governors of administrative divis ...

'' (governor) turned ruler of Egypt and later the first monarch of the

Muhammad Ali dynasty The Muhammad Ali dynasty or the Alawiyya dynasty was the ruling dynasty of Egypt and Sudan from the 19th to the mid-20th century. It is named after its progenitor, the Albanians, Albanian Muhammad Ali of Egypt, Muhammad Ali, regarded as the fou ...

Early life

Amina Hanim was born in 1770 at Nikiforos,

Rumelia Rumelia (; ; ) was a historical region in Southeastern Europe that was administered by the Ottoman Empire, roughly corresponding to the Balkans. In its wider sense, it was used to refer to all Ottoman possessions and Vassal state, vassals in E ...

. She was the daughter of Nusretli Ali Agha, the governor of

Kavala Kavala (, ''Kavála'' ) is a city in northern Greece, the principal seaport of eastern Macedonia and the capital of Kavala regional unit. It is situated on the Bay of Kavala, across from the island of Thasos and on the A2 motorway, a one-and ...

, and relative of the

Chorbaji Chorbaji (sometimes variously transliterated as tchorbadji, chorbadzhi, tschorbadji) (Turkish: çorbacı) ( English: Soup Seller) was a military rank of the corps of Janissaries in the Ottoman Empire, used for the commander of an '' orta'' (regi ...

. She had two brothers, Mustafa Pasha, and Ali Pasha, and three sisters, Meryem Hanim, Pakize Hanim, and Iffet Hanim.

First marriage

Amina Hanim had been earlier married to Ali Bey. However, their marriage was never consummated as her husband had died before the pair had cohabited.

Second marriage

Amina Hanim married

in 1787, long before he became the

Viceroy A viceroy () is an official who reigns over a polity in the name of and as the representative of the monarch of the territory. The term derives from the Latin prefix ''vice-'', meaning "in the place of" and the Anglo-Norman ''roy'' (Old Frenc ...

Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...

, and rising to the rank of

Pasha Pasha (; ; ) was a high rank in the Ottoman Empire, Ottoman political and military system, typically granted to governors, generals, dignitary, dignitaries, and others. ''Pasha'' was also one of the highest titles in the 20th-century Kingdom of ...

. She gave birth to four sons who survived to adulthood, Ibrahim Pasha, Ahmad

Tusun Pasha Tusun Pasha (, , ; 1794 – 28 September 1816) was the younger son of Muhammad Ali Pasha, Wāli of Egypt between 1805 and 1849, by Amina Hanim. He was the father of Abbas I of Egypt (1812–1854) by princess Pembe Qadin. He is buried in Ho ...

, Isma'il Kamil Pasha, Abd al-Halim Bey, and two daughters, Tawhida Hanim, and Khadija Nazli Hanim. Muhammad Ali had a fondness for her, and treated her with respect. Amina Hanim did not accompany Muhammd Ali to

, and after his appointment as viceroy in 1805, she and her daughters resided for a period of some two years in

Istanbul Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...

, where they became thoroughly acquainted with imperial palace culture. Upon her arrival and installation in the Harem of the Muhammad Ali dynasty of the Citadel Palace in

Cairo Cairo ( ; , ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Egypt and the Cairo Governorate, being home to more than 10 million people. It is also part of the List of urban agglomerations in Africa, largest urban agglomeration in Africa, L ...

in 1808, Amina Hanim became estranged from Muhammad Ali due to the many slave concubines he had acquired. In 1814, Amina Hanim made a pilgrimage, moving from

Jeddah Jeddah ( ), alternatively transliterated as Jedda, Jiddah or Jidda ( ; , ), is a List of governorates of Saudi Arabia, governorate and the largest city in Mecca Province, Saudi Arabia, and the country's second largest city after Riyadh, located ...

Mecca Mecca, officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, is the capital of Mecca Province in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia; it is the Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. It is inland from Jeddah on the Red Sea, in a narrow valley above ...

with a train of 500 camels carrying her servants, entourage and goods. She was met by Muhammad Ali at Mina, a stage in the pilgrimage, in a public acknowledgment of her status as first consort. Due to the grandeur of her train and guard, and the sumptuous of her tent, the local inhabitants are said to have called her "the Queen of the Nile." When her son Tosun Pasha died of plague at the age of 23 in 1816, Amina Hanim took his wife, Bamba Qadin, and her son

Abbas Abbas may refer to: People * Abbas (name), list of people with the name, including: **Abbas ibn Ali (645–680), popularly known as ''Hazrat-e-Abbas'', the son of Ali ibn Abi Talib (the first imam in Shia Islam) **Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib (567 ...

, to live with her, and refused to be parted from him.

Death

Amina Hanim died in 1824, and was buried at

Hosh al-Basha Hosh al-Basha (), also Hosh el-Basha, Hawsh al-Basha, or Hosh el-Pasha), is a mausoleum of the royal family of Muhammad Ali Pasha at road al-Imam Al-Shafi‘i in the Southern Cemetery of Cairo, Egypt. Description Hosh al-Pasha was built in 185 ...

, the mausoleum of Imam-i Shafi'i in Cairo.

References

Sources