The Power of a Legend: Examining the Historical Development of the Relationship Between the Janissaries and Bektashi

Abstract

This article discusses the relationship between the Janissary and Bektashism, one of the most interesting topics in Ottoman history. Based on archival records and the works of Ottoman writers, the study first reveals how the bond between the Janissaries and Bektashism was established and developed, then under the third heading attempts to show how Bektashi soldiers evaluated the manifestations of the relationship in the context of the literature, and finishes by examining the conditions that led to the prohibition of Bektashism right after the abolition of the Janissary organization. As a result, the bond was revealed to have developed as a legend that manifested itself at the end of the 16th century and became the official order of the Janissary Army at the beginning of the 17th, with the acceptance of the organization and Janissaries. It took a form that would be reflected in the entire history of the janissary in their customs and traditions. Some Bektashi and Janissary were concluded to have been on the same front under the conditions that developed again in the second half of the 18th century, which caused them to suffer the same fate in 1826. Based on this, the legend of the relationship still continues. © 2022 by the Author(s).