ORDER SHEIKHS AS A TOOL OF INFLUENCE IN OTTOMAN-IRAN RELATIONS: THE CASE OF SHEIKH MARUF

Zekeriya Işık

Article Details

ORDER SHEIKHS AS A TOOL OF INFLUENCE IN OTTOMAN-IRAN RELATIONS: THE CASE OF SHEIKH MARUF

Authors:

Zekeriya Işık

Publisher:

Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli University

Main Topics:

Yakınçağ Osmanlı Tarihi | Yakınçağ Yenileşme Tarihi

Journal:

Türk Kültürü ve Hacı Bektaş Veli Araştırma Dergisi Issue 108, pp.455-474

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

12/2023

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2001305683

pISSN:

1306-8253

Keywords:

Abstract:

 The fact that the eastern part of the Ottoman Empire was physically mountainous and its demographic structure consisted of different religions, sects, sects and ethnicities made it difficult to control it in terms of politics, military and security. This structure of the region, the fact that the borders are shared with a politically, religiously and sectarian opposition state like Iran has encouraged the existence and longevity of organized structures such as tribes and orders here. While the Kurdish Emirates and tribes played an active role in the historical course of the region and the development of Ottoman-Iranian relations since the 16th century, the situation changed towards the middle of the 19th century, and the sheikhs of the orders began to become more influential. The centralist and administrative reforms implemented as a result of the Ottoman modernization efforts in the region had a great impact on such a change. With the reforms, the Emirate system was abolished, and bureaucrats who did not know the region were appointed from the center to the administrative staff. These bureaucrats were insufficient in solving traditional problems such as fights for supremacy, pasture-pasture problems, village raids, and blood feuds among the tribes. The resulting chaotic situation led to the political empowerment of the order sheikhs, who were in a position above the tribes. The increasing pressure of Western countries on the Islamic world and missionary activities were also effective in the importance of the orders in the region. The provocation of the Christian minorities against the Muslim tribes with nationalistic feelings caused the religious feelings of the Muslim people to rise and gather around the order sheikhs. All these developments resulted in the Ottoman-Iran border becoming even more uncertain, the increase of problems, and the increase in mutual migration and crossing events, which brought the order sheikhs to the fore in the course of the relations between the two countries. It has now become a political goal for the Ottoman-Iranian governments to attract the sheikhs who cross the political borders of the countries, who have many supporters among the tribes, to gain strategic gains by taking advantage of their influence. This study has been prepared in order to reveal the role played by the sects as a tool of influence in the Ottoman-Iranian relations, in the example of the immigration incident of Sheikh Maruf, which took place in the said process.

 The fact that the eastern part of the Ottoman Empire was physically mountainous and its demographic structure consisted of different religions, sects, sects and ethnicities made it difficult to control it in terms of politics, military and security. This structure of the region, the fact that the borders are shared with a politically, religiously and sectarian opposition state like Iran has encouraged the existence and longevity of organized structures such as tribes and orders here. While the Kurdish Emirates and tribes played an active role in the historical course of the region and the development of Ottoman-Iranian relations since the 16th century, the situation changed towards the middle of the 19th century, and the sheikhs of the orders began to become more influential. The centralist and administrative reforms implemented as a result of the Ottoman modernization efforts in the region had a great impact on such a change. With the reforms, the Emirate system was abolished, and bureaucrats who did not know the region were appointed from the center to the administrative staff. These bureaucrats were insufficient in solving traditional problems such as fights for supremacy, pasture-pasture problems, village raids, and blood feuds among the tribes. The resulting chaotic situation led to the political empowerment of the order sheikhs, who were in a position above the tribes. The increasing pressure of Western countries on the Islamic world and missionary activities were also effective in the importance of the orders in the region. The provocation of the Christian minorities against the Muslim tribes with nationalistic feelings caused the religious feelings of the Muslim people to rise and gather around the order sheikhs. All these developments resulted in the Ottoman-Iran border becoming even more uncertain, the increase of problems, and the increase in mutual migration and crossing events, which brought the order sheikhs to the fore in the course of the relations between the two countries. It has now become a political goal for the Ottoman-Iranian governments to attract the sheikhs who cross the political borders of the countries, who have many supporters among the tribes, to gain strategic gains by taking advantage of their influence. This study has been prepared in order to reveal the role played by the sects as a tool of influence in the Ottoman-Iranian relations, in the example of the immigration incident of Sheikh Maruf, which took place in the said process.

 The fact that the eastern part of the Ottoman Empire was physically mountainous and its demographic structure consisted of different religions, sects, sects and ethnicities made it difficult to control it in terms of politics, military and security. This structure of the region, the fact that the borders are shared with a politically, religiously and sectarian opposition state like Iran has encouraged the existence and longevity of organized structures such as tribes and orders here. While the Kurdish Emirates and tribes played an active role in the historical course of the region and the development of Ottoman-Iranian relations since the 16th century, the situation changed towards the middle of the 19th century, and the sheikhs of the orders began to become more influential. The centralist and administrative reforms implemented as a result of the Ottoman modernization efforts in the region had a great impact on such a change. With the reforms, the Emirate system was abolished, and bureaucrats who did not know the region were appointed from the center to the administrative staff. These bureaucrats were insufficient in solving traditional problems such as fights for supremacy, pasture-pasture problems, village raids, and blood feuds among the tribes. The resulting chaotic situation led to the political empowerment of the order sheikhs, who were in a position above the tribes. The increasing pressure of Western countries on the Islamic world and missionary activities were also effective in the importance of the orders in the region. The provocation of the Christian minorities against the Muslim tribes with nationalistic feelings caused the religious feelings of the Muslim people to rise and gather around the order sheikhs. All these developments resulted in the Ottoman-Iran border becoming even more uncertain, the increase of problems, and the increase in mutual migration and crossing events, which brought the order sheikhs to the fore in the course of the relations between the two countries. It has now become a political goal for the Ottoman-Iranian governments to attract the sheikhs who cross the political borders of the countries, who have many supporters among the tribes, to gain strategic gains by taking advantage of their influence. This study has been prepared in order to reveal the role played by the sects as a tool of influence in the Ottoman-Iranian relations, in the example of the immigration incident of Sheikh Maruf, which took place in the said process.

 Osmanlı Devletinin doğu sınırları fiziki olarak dağlık olması, demografik bakımdan farklı din, mezhep, tarikat ve etnisitelerin birlikte yaşaması hasebiyle siyasi, askeri ve güvenlik açısından kontrolü zor bir yapıya haizdir. Bölgenin dağlık yapısı, yaşanagelen tarihi hadiseler ve sınırların İran gibi siyasi olduğu kadar dini ve mezhebi bakımlardan da muhalif olan bir devletle paylaşılıyor olması gibi hususlar, bölgede aşiret ve tarikat gibi örgütlü yapıların varlığını ve uzun ömürlülüğünü teşvik etmiştir. Bölgenin tarihsel seyrinde ve Osmanlı-İran ilişkilerinin gelişiminde 16. yüzyıldan itibaren daha çok Kürt Emirlikleri ve aşiretler etkin rol oynarken 19. asrın ortalarına doğru durum değişmiş tarikat şeyhleri ön plana çıkmaya başlamıştır. Böylesi bir değişimin yaşanmasında bölgede Osmanlı modernleşme çabalarının bir neticesi olarak hayata geçirilen merkeziyetçi, idari reformların etkisi büyük olmuştur. Yapılan reformlarla Emirlik sistemi kaldırılmış, yerine ihdas edilen idari kadrolara merkezden bürokratlar atanmıştır. Bölgeyi tanımayan halkın gözünde meşruiyet sorunu da yaşayan bu bürokratlar, aşiretler arasında zuhur eden üstünlük kavgaları, otlak-yaylak sorunları, köy baskınları, kan davaları gibi geleneksel sorunların çözümünde yetersiz kalmıştır. Bölgedeki bu kaotik durum aşiretler üstü bir konumda bulunan tarikat şeyhlerinin giderek siyasi ve politik olarak güç ve nüfuzlarını artırmalarında etkili olmuştur. Bundan sonraki süreçte Osmanlı-İran ilişkilerinde de yer yer mezhebi farklılıklarına dahi bakılmaksızın tarikat şeyhleri önemli bir aktör halini almıştır. Bölgede tarikatların yükselmesinde reformlardan başka Batılı ülkelerin İslam dünyası üzerinde giderek artan baskıları da etkili olmuştur. Misyonerlik faaliyetleriyle bölgedeki Hristiyan azınlıkların milliyetçilik doğrultusunda teşvik edilerek Müslüman aşiretlere karşı kışkırtılmaları Müslüman ahali de dini duyguların yükselmesi, tarikat şeyhlerinin etrafında toplanılması şeklinde karşılık bulmuştur. Böylece reformlarla kadim dengelerin, Batılıların müdahaleleriyle de asırlardır süregelen düzenin bozulduğu bir dönemde Osmanlı-İran sınırında tarikat şeyhlerinin nüfuzundan yararlanmaksızın sorunları çözmek, sınırların güvenlini sağlamak nerede ise imkânsız bir hal almıştır. Tüm bu hadiseler iki ülke arasındaki sınırları daha da belirsiz bir hale sokmuş, nihayetinde karşılıklı göç ve geçiş hadiseleri artmıştır. İşte bu çalışma söz konusu süreçte cereyan eden Şeyh Marufun göç hadisesi örnekliğinde Osmanlı-İran ilişkilerinde tarikatların bir nüfuz aracı olarak oynadıkları rolü ortaya koymak amacıyla hazırlanmıştır.

Article Details

ORDER SHEIKHS AS A TOOL OF INFLUENCE IN OTTOMAN-IRAN RELATIONS: THE CASE OF SHEIKH MARUF

Authors:

Zekeriya Işık

Publisher:

Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli University

Main Topics:

Yakınçağ Osmanlı Tarihi | Yakınçağ Yenileşme Tarihi

Journal:

Türk Kültürü ve Hacı Bektaş Veli Araştırma Dergisi Issue 108, pp.455-474

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

12/2023

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2001305683

pISSN:

1306-8253

Ottoman

Iran

Order

Nakshi Khalidi

Sheikh MarufOsmanlı

İran

Tarikat

Nakşî Halidîlik

Şeyh Maruf

Issues

Article Details

Authors: Zekeriya Işık

Publisher: Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli University

Main Topics: Yakınçağ Osmanlı Tarihi | Yakınçağ Yenileşme Tarihi

Journal: Türk Kültürü ve Hacı Bektaş Veli Araştırma Dergisi Issue 108, pp.455-474

Document Type: Article

Publication Date: 12/2023

Document Language: Turkish

Document ID (Org No.): 2001305683

pISSN: 1306-8253

Issues

Authors:

Zekeriya Işık

Publisher:

Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli University

Main Topics:

Yakınçağ Osmanlı Tarihi | Yakınçağ Yenileşme Tarihi

Journal:

Türk Kültürü ve Hacı Bektaş Veli Araştırma Dergisi Issue 108, pp.455-474

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

12/2023

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2001305683

pISSN:

1306-8253