RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONALIZATION AND THE CHARISMATIC AUTHORITY OF SHAH ISMAIL

Ayşe Duygu Tanrıverdi

Article Details

RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONALIZATION AND THE CHARISMATIC AUTHORITY OF SHAH ISMAIL

Authors:

Ayşe Duygu Tanrıverdi

Publisher:

Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli University

Main Topics:

Türk Siyasal Hayatı | Siyaset Sosyolojisi | Dinler Tarihi

Journal:

Türk Kültürü ve Hacı Bektaş Veli Araştırma Dergisi Issue 113, pp.227-246

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

3/2025

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2001343229

pISSN:

1306-8253

Keywords:

Abstract:

 Many leadership structures in different fields, which are believed to have extraordinary qualities by their supporters and established their legitimacy on this basis, have been examined within the context of the concept of charismatic authority put forward by the German sociologist Max Weber. The appearance of the first Safavid Shah Ismail on the stage of history also corresponds to the definition of charismatic authority. Starting from the 15th century, the sheikhs of the Safavid sect, based in Ardabil, broke away from their traditional Islamic teachings and following and became the holy warrior-sheikhs of the masses with messianic beliefs, mostly of Anatolian and largely nomadic origin, who were reactive to the socio-economic applications and official religious understanding of the existing administrations. These groups, called Qizilbash, also sanctified Sheikh Ismail as their savior leader. Sheikh Ismail entered Tabriz in 1501 with his army of Qizilbash disciples and declared the establishment of the Safavid State, which was one of the rare occasions in history for a religious movement to become a state. The attempt of Ismail, now Shah, to construct a state organization that would establish his authority corresponds to the process that Weber defines as the routinization of charisma.Weber states that in this process, the charismatic leader who begins to rely on daily institutions and routine practices would lose the appeal based on his extraordinary qualities. Moreover, Shah Ismail declared Ithna ʿAshariyya the official religion of the new state in the context of religious institutionalization. Resorting to Ithna ʿAshariyya, which considers the Hidden Imam as the real possessor of political and religious authority, was a very risky step for the political and religious legitimacy of a ruler who rose with the messianic expectations of his supporters. However, despite these, Shah Ismail was able to maintain his charismatic authority based on the cult of holy Shah. The reason for this must be searched in the unique routinization process of Shah Ismails charisma, based on the Qizilbash religious ideology. This study aims to reveal the basic features of the routinization process that ensured the continuity of Shah Ismails charismatic authority. These features provide important clues as to how the loyalty of the independent Qizilbash tribes was ensured during the establishment of the state, despite Ithna ʿAshariyya, and how the charismatic authority of Shah Ismail was able to maintain its influence, which has reached todays Turkey.

 Many leadership structures in different fields, which are believed to have extraordinary qualities by their supporters and established their legitimacy on this basis, have been examined within the context of the concept of charismatic authority put forward by the German sociologist Max Weber. The appearance of the first Safavid Shah Ismail on the stage of history also corresponds to the definition of charismatic authority. Starting from the 15th century, the sheikhs of the Safavid sect, based in Ardabil, broke away from their traditional Islamic teachings and following and became the holy warrior-sheikhs of the masses with messianic beliefs, mostly of Anatolian and largely nomadic origin, who were reactive to the socio-economic applications and official religious understanding of the existing administrations. These groups, called Qizilbash, also sanctified Sheikh Ismail as their savior leader. Sheikh Ismail entered Tabriz in 1501 with his army of Qizilbash disciples and declared the establishment of the Safavid State, which was one of the rare occasions in history for a religious movement to become a state. The attempt of Ismail, now Shah, to construct a state organization that would establish his authority corresponds to the process that Weber defines as the routinization of charisma.Weber states that in this process, the charismatic leader who begins to rely on daily institutions and routine practices would lose the appeal based on his extraordinary qualities. Moreover, Shah Ismail declared Ithna ʿAshariyya the official religion of the new state in the context of religious institutionalization. Resorting to Ithna ʿAshariyya, which considers the Hidden Imam as the real possessor of political and religious authority, was a very risky step for the political and religious legitimacy of a ruler who rose with the messianic expectations of his supporters. However, despite these, Shah Ismail was able to maintain his charismatic authority based on the cult of holy Shah. The reason for this must be searched in the unique routinization process of Shah Ismails charisma, based on the Qizilbash religious ideology. This study aims to reveal the basic features of the routinization process that ensured the continuity of Shah Ismails charismatic authority. These features provide important clues as to how the loyalty of the independent Qizilbash tribes was ensured during the establishment of the state, despite Ithna ʿAshariyya, and how the charismatic authority of Shah Ismail was able to maintain its influence, which has reached todays Turkey.

 Many leadership structures in different fields, which are believed to have extraordinary qualities by their supporters and established their legitimacy on this basis, have been examined within the context of the concept of charismatic authority put forward by the German sociologist Max Weber. The appearance of the first Safavid Shah Ismail on the stage of history also corresponds to the definition of charismatic authority. Starting from the 15th century, the sheikhs of the Safavid sect, based in Ardabil, broke away from their traditional Islamic teachings and following and became the holy warrior-sheikhs of the masses with messianic beliefs, mostly of Anatolian and largely nomadic origin, who were reactive to the socio-economic applications and official religious understanding of the existing administrations. These groups, called Qizilbash, also sanctified Sheikh Ismail as their savior leader. Sheikh Ismail entered Tabriz in 1501 with his army of Qizilbash disciples and declared the establishment of the Safavid State, which was one of the rare occasions in history for a religious movement to become a state. The attempt of Ismail, now Shah, to construct a state organization that would establish his authority corresponds to the process that Weber defines as the routinization of charisma.Weber states that in this process, the charismatic leader who begins to rely on daily institutions and routine practices would lose the appeal based on his extraordinary qualities. Moreover, Shah Ismail declared Ithna ʿAshariyya the official religion of the new state in the context of religious institutionalization. Resorting to Ithna ʿAshariyya, which considers the Hidden Imam as the real possessor of political and religious authority, was a very risky step for the political and religious legitimacy of a ruler who rose with the messianic expectations of his supporters. However, despite these, Shah Ismail was able to maintain his charismatic authority based on the cult of holy Shah. The reason for this must be searched in the unique routinization process of Shah Ismails charisma, based on the Qizilbash religious ideology. This study aims to reveal the basic features of the routinization process that ensured the continuity of Shah Ismails charismatic authority. These features provide important clues as to how the loyalty of the independent Qizilbash tribes was ensured during the establishment of the state, despite Ithna ʿAshariyya, and how the charismatic authority of Shah Ismail was able to maintain its influence, which has reached todays Turkey.

 Taraftarlarınca olağanüstü özelliklere sahip olduklarına inanılan ve meşruiyetlerini bu temelde inşa eden farklı alanlardaki birçok liderlik yapısı, Alman sosyolog Max Weberin öne sürdüğü karizmatik otorite kavramı bağlamında incelenmiştir. İlk Safevi Şahı İsmailin tarih sahnesine çıkışı da, karizmatik otorite tanımına uymaktadır. Erdebil merkezli Safevi tarikatı şeyhleri, 15. yüzyıldan itibaren geleneksel İslami öğretilerinden ve tabanlarından koparak, mevcut yönetimlerin sosyo-ekonomik uygulamalarına ve resmi din anlayışına tepkili, mesiyanik inançlara sahip, çoğunlukla Anadolulu ve büyük ölçüde göçebe kökenli kitlelerin kutsal savaşçı-şeyhleri haline gelmişlerdir. Kızılbaş olarak adlandırılan bu kesimler, Şeyh İsmaili de kurtarıcı liderleri olarak kutsallaştırmışlardır. Şeyh İsmailin, Kızılbaş müritlerinden oluşan ordusuyla 1501de Tebrize girerek Safevi Devletinin kuruluşunu ilan etmesi, dinsel bir hareketin devletleşmesi açısından tarihte ender rastlanan durumlardan biri olmuştur. Artık Şah olan İsmailin otoritesini yerleştirecek bir devlet teşkilatı kurmaya girişmesi ise, Weberin karizmanın rutinleşmesi olarak tanımladığı sürece tekabül etmektedir. Weber, bu süreçte, gündelik kurumlara ve rutin uygulamalara dayanmaya başlayan karizmatik liderin, olağanüstü görülen niteliklerine dayanan cazibesini kaybedeceğini belirtmektedir. Üstelik Şah İsmail dinsel kurumsallaşma bağlamında Onikiciliği yeni devletin resmi dini ilan etmiştir. Gaib İmam ı siyasi ve dini otoritenin asıl sahibi olarak gören Onikiliciliğe başvurmak, taraftarlarının mesiyanik beklentileriyle yükselen bir hükümdarın siyasi ve dini meşruiyeti açısından oldukça riskli bir adımdı. Ancak bunlara rağmen, Şah İsmail, kutsal Şah kültüne dayanan karizmatik otoritesini koruyabilmiştir. Bunun nedenini, Şah İsmailin karizmasının, Kızılbaş dinsel ideolojisine dayanan, kendine özgü rutinleşme sürecinde aramak gerekmektedir. Bu çalışma, rutinleşme sürecinin, Şah İsmailin karizmatik otoritesinin devamlılığını sağlayan temel özelliklerini ortaya koymayı amaçlamaktadır. Söz konusu özellikler, Onikiciliğe rağmen, başına buyruk Kızılbaş aşiretlerin devletin kuruluş döneminde sadakatinin nasıl sağlandığına ve Şah İsmailin karizmatik otoritesinin, günümüz Türkiyesine kadar ulaşan etkisini nasıl koruyabildiğine dair önemli ipuçları sunmaktadırlar.

Article Details

RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONALIZATION AND THE CHARISMATIC AUTHORITY OF SHAH ISMAIL

Authors:

Ayşe Duygu Tanrıverdi

Publisher:

Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli University

Main Topics:

Türk Siyasal Hayatı | Siyaset Sosyolojisi | Dinler Tarihi

Journal:

Türk Kültürü ve Hacı Bektaş Veli Araştırma Dergisi Issue 113, pp.227-246

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

3/2025

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2001343229

pISSN:

1306-8253

Charismatic Authority

Shah Ismail

Max Weber

Routinization of Charisma

Safavids

QizilbashKarizmatik Otorite

Şah İsmail

Max Weber

Karizmanın Rutinleşmesi

Safeviler

Kızılbaş

Issues

Article Details

Authors: Ayşe Duygu Tanrıverdi

Publisher: Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli University

Main Topics: Türk Siyasal Hayatı | Siyaset Sosyolojisi | Dinler Tarihi

Journal: Türk Kültürü ve Hacı Bektaş Veli Araştırma Dergisi Issue 113, pp.227-246

Document Type: Article

Publication Date: 3/2025

Document Language: Turkish

Document ID (Org No.): 2001343229

pISSN: 1306-8253

Issues

Authors:

Ayşe Duygu Tanrıverdi

Publisher:

Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli University

Main Topics:

Türk Siyasal Hayatı | Siyaset Sosyolojisi | Dinler Tarihi

Journal:

Türk Kültürü ve Hacı Bektaş Veli Araştırma Dergisi Issue 113, pp.227-246

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

3/2025

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2001343229

pISSN:

1306-8253