The guard and order of the palace of the harem was committed to forty or more black eunuchs,[437] under an official known as the _Kizlar Aghasi_, or, literally, the “general of the girls.” This _Agha_ was held in great honor, and was made administrator of many religious endowments for the benefit of various mosques, and particularly of the _vakfs_ of the Holy Cities of Mecca and Medina. His importance in Suleiman’s time bears no comparison with what it became later. Other black eunuchs held official positions in the service of the principal ladies, and had the oversight of the education of the young princes.[438] The greatest lady of the harem, while life was spared to her, was the sultan’s mother, the _Sultana Valideh_. Not only did she receive great respect and deference from her son, but she had a general oversight and authority over all his women. The next lady in importance was the mother of the sultan’s first son; and after her came the mothers of other sons. Mothers of daughters enjoyed much less consideration. Each of these favored ladies had her own suite of apartments, her business staff under a woman known as her _Kiaya_, which may here be translated as steward or housekeeper, and her group of personal and domestic servants. The _Kiaya_ of the queen mother enjoyed great importance. The group of slave girls who were the sultan’s personal and domestic servants when he visited the harem were also under a _Kiaya_ with assistants. Sons of the sultan lived with their mothers during their tender years. They were carefully educated in letters and arms, much as were the pages, but with greater deference.[439] At a suitable age they were sent out, with carefully selected little courts, to the governorship of provinces. Daughters were married at an early age to high officials of the sultan.[440] In later generations infant sons who might be born to them were not allowed to live, lest they might become a menace to the throne. This seems not to have been the case in the time of Suleiman, who avoided danger by excluding them carefully from office.[441] Information about Suleiman’s harem and family comes guarded with explanations of the difficulty found in obtaining trustworthy reports. Some facts are known, and probabilities exist as to others. Suleiman’s mother lived until far along in his reign. The mother of his eldest son, Mustapha, held, according to custom, the next place in his harem. After the year 1534 she divided her time between the palace at Magnesia, where her son was _Sanjak Bey_, and the harem palace in Constantinople.[442] Khurrem, usually called Roxelana, had supplanted her in favor at some previous date, and, being legal wife of the Sultan, held a position superior to hers in some respects. Suleiman seems not to have visited his harem very often.[443] Mihrmah, his daughter by Roxelana, who became the wife of Rustem, was very dear to him. THE INSIDE SERVICE