Slavery in the Ottoman Empire
Many of the sultan's slaves were better cared for than the common people. Many of them valued the positions they held and refused to trade them in for their freedoms because of the insecurity and fragility of the free people. Some people even volunteered for service. For them, slavery was a way for people to escape danger and misery. Under the responsibility of the owners, they are provided with the basic necessities (housing and food). For the sultan's slaves, they would even be given the status and opportunity to get close to the elite of society. The slave "Hurrem" even went on to marry the sultan and become queen of the empire.