(pictured) A wealthy Jewish tradeswomen from Istanbul, painted by Jean Baptiste van Moor in 1719. Jewish women attained political power through their dealing with the harem women. The international contacts of these enterprising women afforded them access to the Sultan, and many became trusted advisors. Such was the influence of theKiras, as these women became known, that in the late 16th century the age became known as "The Sultanate of the Women." 
They were variously referred as "Kiera,""Chiera,""Chierara,""Chirazza," or "Chiarazza." The name "Kiera" is of Turkish origin from TR kari EN women. «özüm karıg boldum ulug boldum [yaşlı oldum ulu oldum\I got old and revered]» Orhun Yazıtları [732-735], ed. Talat Tekin, TDK 2008.
Jewish women entrepreneurs were a dynamic factor in the economic development of Islamic society, albeit they are given little recognition for their significant contribution. Jewish women had a unique advantage over men in doing business with the Islamic hierarchy - access to the harems. Jewish women attained notable diplomatic and political power as a result of their activities in the courts of the Ottoman Sultans. The special relationship between the Turkomen and the Jews afforded Jewish women an opportunity to exercise considerable influence on the course of events. The influence of the Jews at the Ottoman court was threatened by an attempt of a Greek political party to to eradicate Jewish influence at the court by replacing the Sultan with his half brother, Prince Beyizid. This attempt to usurp the throne was supported by the Grand Vizier Mehmed Sokolly.
See also:
The JPS Guide to Jewish WomenCHAPTER 7
A Different Voice: Jewish Women in the Lands of Islam (1492–1750) and Jewish Women Through The Ages
text image from: The JPS Guide to Jewish Women: 600 B.C.E.to 1900 C.E. by Emily Taitz, Sondra Henry, Cheryl Tallan Jewish Publication Society, Feb 1, 2003 - 354 pages.
Esther Handali (died 1590) was an Ottoman Jeweler and secretary and intermediary of Hürrem Sultan (Roxelana). She was also the kira (economic agent) of Nurbanu Sultan. Esther Handali is often confused with a later powerful Jewish Kira, Esperanza Malchi
Esperanza Malchi [1] (d. 1600) was the kira(kiera), or economic agent, of the Valide Sultan Safiye.
Due to the secluded life demanded of harem women, they carried out their financial dealings through Jewish women (kira). As non-Muslims, Jewish women were allowed much more freedom of movement and acted as commercial agents for the harem dwellers. Esperanza Malchi was appointed as Safiye's kira, and became very wealthy. Malchi and Safiye had a close relationship; she even wrote to Queen Elizabeth I of England on her mistress' behalf, mentioning discreet exchanges of items. In 1600, the imperial cavalry revolted because of the devaluation of the currency. Malchi became the target of their discontent and was killed, together with her son.
Kiera Esther Jewish favorite of the sultana Baffa, who was the wife of Murad III. and the mother of Mohammed III. (not, as Graetz designates her, the mother of Mohammed IV.); died 1600. The widow of one Elias Chandali, Esther gained great influence in the palace as the protégée of Baffa. In a firman of Osman II. issued in 1618 the privileges granted to Esther by his predecessors are confirmed and secured to her grandchildren. From this firman it appears that Esther was first rewarded by Sultan Sulaiman II. in 1548 for services rendered by her to his mother.
The extent of Kiera's influence with Baffa may be seen from the following facts, undoubtedly authentic: When Catherine de Medici wrote in 1584 to Baffa asking her support for the promotion of the waywode of Wallachia, Esther was employed by Baffa to see that the Turkish translation accompanying the Italian text of the letter was correct. Again in 1587 Baffa wrote a letter of recommendation and approval in regard to a certain lottery started by Kiera. The favorable attitude of the Venetian republic toward this lottery was the cause of the issuance of seven firmans granting certain privileges to the republic. This shows that the business transactions carried out by Esther were made possible by the cooperation of the harem through the personal influence of Baffa.
Many important diplomatic transactions and many appointments to military and administrative offices were made through Kiera; and her long career under three sultans testifies to her ability and ingenuity. The representatives of the European powers often applied to Kiera and secured concessions through her. Kiera's Jewish name being Esther; and it appears that toward the end of her life she adopted the Mohammedan faith and was then given the name "Fatima," as she is so styled in the firman of Osman II. Her sons were not converted with her, as is shown by the statement that one of them later saved his life by becoming a Mohammedan (he was called "Aksak Mustafa," and he died in the reign of Ibrahim I. [1640-49]); and her grandchildren also are styled Jews in the firman referred to.
Kiera was not always scrupulous in her dealings. Many of the appointments made through her involved bribery and created bitter animosity. The Turkish soldiers known as the Spahis resented the appointment through her of some military officers, and plotted to kill her. Gathering near the palace they demanded her surrender to them, and the deputy grand vizier Khalil, wishing to save her life, ordered her and her sons to be brought to his own palace. The mob, led by the Spahis, overcame the guard, and taking Kiera and her sons (Aksak Mustafa excepted) from the very steps of the palace killed them (1600). Cutting off Kiera's limbs they nailed them to the doors of the dwellings of those officials who had obtained positions through her influence. The sultana Baffa was very indignant and accused Khalil of unwillingness to protect her favorite, and in consequence he was removed. The historian Katib Tshelebi, in his "Pheslike" (ed. Constantinople, i. 128), gives a somewhat different version of the affair. According to him, Khalil Pasha had Kiera brought to his palace and with his own hand thrust a dagger into her and killed her. Her entire fortune (estimated at about 100,000 ducats) was confiscated by the Turkish government. The contemporary Jewish historians speak highly of Kiera for her readiness to help her coreligionists. While there was a considerable number of well-to-do Jewish merchants in Constantinople in those days, they were always subject to the greed of the sultan's body-guard, which plundered the Jewish houses in times of municipal disorder and at fires. At such times Kiera came to the aid of the sufferers. She also very generously aided Hebrew writers in publishing their books. The Spanish physician Samuel Shulam published Zacuto's chronicle "Yuḥasin" at Kiera's expense. Kiera became the heroine of European fiction. Thus she undoubtedly appears in "Byegly Vzglyad na Nastoyashchi i Prezhni Seral" in Chistyakov's "Zhurnal Dlya Dyetei," 1864, Nos. 5 and 6.
Bibliography: Vostochnyya Zamyetki, Sbornik Statei i Izslyedovani, p. 35, St. Petersburg, 1895; Hammer, Gesch. des Osmanischen Reiches, iv. 156, 159; Akrish, Preface to Commentaries on the Song of Solomon; Samuel Shulam, Preface to Yuḥasin, Constantinople, 1566.
[1] MALCHI, ESPERANZA (d. 1600), kiera who served Safiye, favorite consort of Sultan Murad III (1574–95) and mother of Sultan Mehmed III (1595–1603). Both Esperanza and her contemporary Esther *Handali served in a period known as "The Women Sultanate," when the strong ladies of the harem were involved in a variety of internal and external intrigues and became very influential in the Ottoman court. Besides being the main supplier of jewels and other luxury items to the harem, Esperanza was Safiye's most trustworthy contact with the outside world. She influenced important nominations, mediated in diplomatic conflicts, supplied diplomatic intelligence, and communicated with foreign envoys on Safiye's behalf. In a letter in Italian, dated November 16, 1599, addressed to Queen Elizabeth I of England, Malchi described herself as "a Hebrew by law and nation." She mentions a previous gift that was presented to her mistress, the Queen Mother, by the English ambassador, and lists the gifts which are being delivered to Queen Elizabeth through the ambassador who is soon to depart to England. In return she requests the Queen of England to send "distilled waters of every description for the face and odoriferous oils for the hands […] clothes of silk or wool, articles of fancy suited for so high a Queen as my Mistress." The "articles for ladies" should be delivered discreetly through Esperanza's hands only (Kobler, Letters, 393–94). As a reward for her longtime services, Esperanza and her sons received various profitable concessions, among them the control of customs in Istanbul. Her great wealth and special privileges, as well as her undisguised influence on the Sultan's mother and her interference in state matters gained her many enemies. On April 1, 1600, she was publicly stabbed to death by rebellious soldiers and her eldest son was killed the next day. Esperanza's second son converted to Islam in order to save his life and a third son managed to escape. The family's enormous fortune and estates were confiscated.
BIBLIOGRAPHY: F. Kobler, Letters of Jews through the Ages, 2 (1953), 391–92; M. Rozen, A History of the Jewish Community in Istanbul: The Formative Years (1453–1566) (2002), 205–7.