Ahi Evran, the Sage of Tradesmen and Craftsmen and the Ahi-Order From Past to Present
Erol Ülgen“Wisdom, Morals, Science, Work”
The Ahi-Order organization draws attention as a socioeconomic, political, and military power during the Seljuk and Ottoman Empire(s). The structure of this organization comprising tradesmen and craftsmen was shaped by both Turkistan and Iranian Turks. With the victory of Malazgirt, the doors of Anatolia were opened to the Turks. Then, the great Turkish migrations began from Asian lands into Anatolia. Mongolian attacks also had an effect on this migration. The Turks, who settled in villages, towns, and cities in Anatolia, established bazaars and markets with new names. In these bazaars, they provided employment and production and constituted markets to sell their produce. With the rules they set, the members of the Ahi-Order organization tried to ensure the stability of socioeconomic life. They fulfilled the food, beverage, and other needs of the people with the products they had produced in bazaars and markets. The Ahi-Order organization was founded all over Anatolia during the period of the Beyliks that were formed after the Seljuk state. This organization also played an active role in the establishment of the Ottoman Empire. The Ahi-Order organization turned into a guild beginning from the 16th century. Then, it continued its activities as a “gedik.” Later, it lost its authority over the tradesmen and the public, ending up with no effect on them at the beginning of the 20th century. In this study, the structuring of the Ahi-Order organization in Anatolia will be described. In addition, Ahi Evran, the founder of the organization and the sage of tanners, the roles of the Ahi community during the establishment of the Ottoman state, the loss of their functions afterward, and the formation of the tradesmen and craftsmen guilds in the Republican period in Turkey are expounded in this study. Last, research about the Ahi culture from the 1950s until this day will also find mention.
Esnaf ve Sanatkârların Pîri Ahi Evran ve Geçmişten Günümüze Ahilik
Erol Ülgen“Akıl, Ahlâk, Bilim, Çalışma”
Ahilik teşkilâtı, Selçuklu ve Osmanlı Devleti zamanında sosyo-ekonomik, siyasî ve askerî bir güç olarak dikkat çeker. Bu teşkilâtın esnaf ve sanatkâr yapılanması Türkistan ve İran Türkleri arasında şekillenir. Malazgirt zaferiyle Anadolu’nun kapıları Türklere açılır. Asya topraklarından Anadolu içlerine büyük Türk göçleri başlar. Bu göçe Moğol saldırılarının da etkisi olur. Anadolu içlerinde köy, kasaba ve şehirlere yerleşen Türkler, yeni adlarla çarşılar, pazarlar kurarlar. Bu kurdukları çarşılarda istihdam, üretim ve ürettiklerini satacak pazar oluştururlar. Ahilik teşkilâtının mensupları, koydukları kurallarla sosyo-ekonomik hayatın düzene girmesini sağlarlar. Çarşı ve pazarlarda ürettikleriyle halkın yiyecek, içecek ve diğer ihtiyaçlarını karşılarlar. Ahilik teşkilâtı, Selçuklu Devleti sonrası oluşan Beylikler devrinde Anadolu’nun her yerinde teşkilâtlanır. Bu teşkilât Osmanlı Devleti’nin kuruluşunda da aktif bir rol oynar. Ahilik teşkilâtı, XVI. yüzyıldan itibaren Loncaya dönüşür. Sonra “gedik” olarak faaliyetlerini sürdürür. Daha sonra esnaf ve halk üzerindeki otoritesini yitirir. Yirminci yüzyılın başında hiçbir etkisi kalmaz. Bu çalışmamızda, Ahilik Teşkilâtının Anadolu’da yapılanmasından, teşkilâtın kurucusu ve debbağların pîri Ahi Evran’dan, Ahilerin Osmanlı Devleti’nin kuruluşu sırasındaki rollerinden, daha sonra fonksiyonlarını yitirmesinden, Cumhuriyet dönemindeki Esnaf ve Sanatkârların oluşumundan ve 1950’li yıllardan günümüze kadar yapılan Ahilik kültürü araştırmalarından bahsedilecektir.
The Ahi-Order organization draws attention as a socioeconomic, political, and military power during the Seljuk and Ottoman Empire(s). The structure of this organization consisting of tradesmen and craftsmen was shaped by both Turkistan and Iranian Turks. With the victory of Malazgirt, the doors of Anatolia were opened to the Turks. Then, the great Turkish migrations began from Asian lands into Anatolia. Mongol attacks also had an effect on this migration. The Turks, who settled in villages, towns, and cities in Anatolia, established bazaars and markets with new names such as “bedesten” (covered Turkish bazaars), “arasta” (Ottoman bazaar), and “uzun çarşı” (long bazaar). In these bazaars, they provided means of employment and production and constituted markets to sell their produce. The Ahi community organized these bazaars. The members of this community were called “Ahi.” The original word “ahi” means brother in Arabic. The same word appears as “aki” in Diwan Lughat-al Turk, which is one of the original sources of the Turkish language. The dictionary meanings of the word are “generous,” “openhanded,” and “helpful.” The futuwwa understanding played a big part in the organization of the Ahi-Order in Anatolia. The futuwwa, which was seen in every community, was an ideal of valor. After the Seljuks settled in Anatolia, they adopted this ideal, which were enriched by their own concepts of generosity, valor, and heroism. The principles of this organization were written in the “futuwwatname,” which was considered the constitution of the Ahi community, and in the Ahi secerename(s). In order for an Ahi to enter the Ahi organization, he had to be trained by a master and have a skill. The Ahi community had great influence in towns, villages, and frontiers, as well as in cities. They kept city life under control both economically and politically, especially when the state authority was weakened. With the rules they set, the members of the Ahi-Order organization tried to ensure the stability of socioeconomic life. During the time of the Anatolian Seljuk State, well-known sufis, such as Evhaduddin-i Kirmanî, Muhyiddin İbnü’l-Arabî, and Sheikh Nasuriddin Mahmud el Hoyî, came to Anatolia from Baghdad. Ahi Evran, the sage of tanners stayed in the capital city of Konya for a while. Then, he settled in Kayseri, which was a trade center at that time. There, he married a lady named Fatma (Bacı) Hatun, daughter of his teacher Sheikh Evhaduddin-i Kirmanî. Later, he settled in Kırsehir, an important Turkish city. There, he established an Ahi zawiya and made it a center of Akhism. Ahi Evran visited many cities and towns in Anatolia. He stayed for a while in some of the places he visited. He united Turkish tradesmen, craftsmen, and merchants around the principles of morality, generosity, and hospitality. Ahi Evran stayed for 14 years in Kırsehir, and he died there in 1261 at the age of 93. The Ahi-Order organization continued to be organized all over Anatolia during the period of the Beyliks who came to the fore after the Seljuk state. This organization also played an active role in the establishment of the Ottoman Empire. During the foundation of the Ottoman Empire, Osman Ghazi, the founder of the Empire, had his father-in-law Sheikh Edebali, the leaders of the Ahi community, and tribal chieftains gathered around him. Osman Ghazi, Orhan Ghazi, Alaeddin Pasha, Murat I, also Sheikh Mahmud Ghazi, Ali Hasan, son of Ahi Semseddin, and Kara Halil from Cendere (Candarli), had all put on a special belt, named “sed” during a master ceremony of the Ahi-Order and thus became members of the Ahi-Order organization. The leaders stated in the foregoing text had benefited from the Ahi community’s military power in conquests. The famous traveler Ibn-i Battuta from Tangiers gave first and important information about the Ahi-Order organization in his “seyahatname” (travel book), indicating the serious presence of this order in Anatolia. Evliya Celebi also mentioned in his “seyahatname” about the personality of Ahi Evran, the professional ethics of the Ahi community, their workplaces, and their daily lives too. A young person’s professional life in the Ahi-Order organization begins as an assistant (yamak) at the first stage. This period starts with bringing children, who are not younger than 10 years old, to a master by their parents in order for them to be trained to learn an art. In addition to their vocational trainings in lodges, the assistants were given religious, social, and moral knowledge for the purpose of educating them to become well-behaving, good persons. Those who had spent 2 years at the lodges free of charge were promoted to the apprenticeship (çırak) with a special ceremony. The apprenticeship period usually lasted 1001 days. After completing this period, and having been trained by his foreman and master, the apprentice had to take an exam. If he succeeded in the exam, he would be promoted to a higher stage and became a foreman. To be a master, a foreman had to successfully complete all of his necessary training, which took 3 years for all professions, and then, he had to participate in a ceremony that included an exam as well. The foreman brought all the handicraft works he had prepared and presented them to the council of masters headed by the representative of the Head of Ahi-Order. If the works of the young foreman were appreciated by these masters, then he was promoted to the level of mastership. At the end of the ceremony, the master who trained the foreman tied the mastership loincloth (sed) to the foreman with his own hands. The ceremony was called as “Sed Kusatma,” and it ended with the new master’s kissing the hands of those present at ceremony and receiving their prayers. The Ahi-Order organization turned into a guild beginning from the 16th century. Then, it continued its activities as “gedik.” Later, it lost its authority over the tradesmen and the public, ending up with no effect at the beginning of the 20th century.
In this study, the structuring of the Ahi-Order organization in Anatolia will be described. In addition, Ahi Evran, the founder of the organization and the sage of tanners, the roles of the Ahi community during the establishment of the Ottoman state, the loss of their functions afterward, and the formation of the tradesmen and craftsmen guilds in the Republican period in Turkey are expounded in this study. Last, research about the Ahi culture from the 1950s until this day will also find mention.
