Sarı Saltuk’tan Seyyid Ali Sultan’a Rumeli: Dervişlerle yazılan tarih

The connection between "sultans and dervishes" or "the central power and Sufism" has a special place in the Ottoman History. This is especially true for the Ottoman Empire’s foundation period. We know that Sarı Saltuk Gazi and the warrior dervishes, which we can call as his successors, were served during this period, were supported by the Sultans during the Ottoman conquests of Rumelia, and they were even rewarded with land to establish their own Waqfs. In the Ottoman Empire's effort to build itself, we see the "Rum Abdals" community, which will be later known as Bektashism, in the understanding of "sufism" kneaded with the love of the Ahl al-Bayt. This tradition, which started with Sari Saltuk Gazi even during the Seljuk period, was also transferred to the foundation period of the Ottoman Empire, and the sheikhs and dervishes, who came to the fore with their Kalenderi characteristics before the rise of Bektashism and took part in the Ottoman service with names such as Seyyid Ali Sultan and Otman Baba, later known as Bektashis. Although its name was known as Bektashism after the 16th century, in the works belonging to aforementioned period, we encountered with names such as "love of the Ahl al-Bayt, Vefaism, Yesevism, Haydarism or Kalenderism" for this culture and it is important to understand what did this culture mean for the Ottoman State and the issues of to whom and how the first settlements and post-conquest security measures were entrusted with are important. In this study, the role and importance of the dervishes from Sarı Saltuk to Seyyid Ali Sultan, who wrote history in this tradition, will be discussed.