Alevi Identity in Turkish Historiography

Alevilik-Bektaşilik Araştırmaları Dergis, 2018

Alevi-Bektashi is one of the significant orders which was formed in Anatolia in 13th AD. Haj Bektash Veli, as the founder of the order, migrated to Anatolia from the focal point of Sufism, Khorasan. Probably Haj Bektash Veli was the caliph of Baba Elyas Khorasani, who was the leader of the Baba’i uprising that shook the foundations of the Seljuks in Anatolia in the first half of the 13th century. Eventually, the Seljuks could defeat them by the Frankish forces aid. Loss of his brother in the battle was enough for Haj Bektash to avoid a new military confrontation with the Seljuks, however, followed the intellectual path of the Baba’is in the rest of his life. Many factors such as the religious beliefs of Turks in the pre-Islamic era, the prevailing Sufi thoughts in Anatolia and Christianity affected the Bektashis during their long history. The backbone of the order was the cultural and religious tolerance that found several adherents in Anatolia. In Ottoman era Bektashiya became the official order that spiritually led the Jannissaries. Alevi-Bektashi also was influenced by other streams of thoughts such as Hurufis and the shi’i propaganda of the Safavid sheikhs. This article by historical approach examine the formation of Alevi-Bektashi order and clarifies how they were influenced and then had their impact on the history of Iran and Turkey. Anahtar Kelimeler: Alevi-Bektashi, Anatolia, Haj Bektash Veli, Seljuks, Safavid.

National Identities, 2017

Alevism has been regarded as a contested identity which is difficult to define because of its 'syncretic' character. Attempts at definition have been overwhelmed by essentialist approaches as well as different political agendas since the fifteenth-century Ottoman period. This paper aims to trace the history of Alevism with a particular focus on historical sources such as the Velāyetnāmes and the organization of ocaks and dergahs. The paper argues that we shall see Alevism as an ethno-religious identity which is formed under different social conditions and emerged through the complexities of the organization of ocaks in a vast territory encompassing different ethnic groups.

e-makâlât Mezhep Araştırmaları Dergisi, 2020

The Alevis/Kızılbaş and Bektaşis, two of the most prominent religious groups of the Ottoman dynasty, in modern times, have unusually come to be called the Alevi-Bektaşis. This way of use gives the impression that these two religious institutions as though reflect the same group of people despite differences in historical development and growth. With the influence of the popular writings of Fuad Köprülü and later Irène Mélikoff much of the current scholarship held to the belief that these two entities originated from the same root, the Bābā’ī movement. While acknowledging the historical connection between the two groups, few scholars have taken an interest in clarifying how and when such an association started. This article aims to uncover the historical link of the Alevi- Bektaşi alliance. It further explores the possible benefits that the two entities obtained through their interaction with one another. It will then focus on how the two have affected each other’s religious stance. In doing so the following questions will guide this research: How and why did a Sufi order, recognized and advocated by the Ottoman state, come into contact with a harshly criticized religious group which was identified as an enemy to the Ottoman unity? How did the Kızılbaş-Bektaşi interaction affectthe social, political, and religious experience of the Kızılbaş over the course of its transformation into the Alevi belief system? In what sense did both sides benefit or not benefit from such a link?