TURKOMANS BETWEEN TWO EMPIRES: THE ... - Bilkent University

One should also note that the Janissary corps was the only standing army using
firearms. Consequently, contrary to the piecemeal organization of provincial cavalry, the
Janissary corps held a great accumulation of military power. Thus they always had
eminent influence on the Palace, and thus on the Ottoman politics. One should mention
the fact that in the course of time some Janissary garrisons were stationed in the fortress
of provincial cities to strengthen the central control on the provincial administration. 269
The liaison of Janissary corps with the Bektashis constitutes one of the most
controversial topics of early Ottoman historiography. Earliest references to the
connection between Janissary corps and Hacı Bektaş date back to the mid-fifteenth
century. The Divan of the fifteenth-century Bektashi poet Sadık Abdal, who most
probably died during the mid-fifteenth century 270 , is the earliest source indicating Hacı
Bektaş’s spiritual patronage on the corps. Sadık Abdal states that Hacı Bektaş turned his
courageous auspices on Janissaries and because of that they had a great opportunity. 271
A poetic work on the legendary prophet Hızır, namely Hızırnāme, written in 1476 by a
shaykh near Isparta, which had just become part of Ottoman territory, also indicates the
association between Hacı Bektaş and the Ottomans. Alongside with many other shaykhs
from several orders, the author mentions Hacı Bektaş as well, referring to him as the
269 See, for example, Đnalcık, “Ottoman Methods of Conquest”, p. 107.
270 Sadık Abdal was apparently a disciple of Seyyid Ali Sultan and grew up the latter’s tekke in Dimetoka.
His dīvan is the only source about Sadık Abdal. The unique available manuscript of this work is copied by
certain Rüstem Abdal in 1155/1742-3 and preserved in Konya Bölge Yazmalar Kütüphanesi, Hacı
Bektaş’tan gelen kitaplar, no. 255. In his dīvan, Sadık Abdal explains how he became a disciple of Seyyid
Ali Sultan, by giving valuable details. Most of the verses in this work are devoted to phrase Hacı Bektaş
Veli and Seyyid Ali Sultan, the former is referred to as pir while the latter as mürşid. The transliterated
text of the dīvan is being prepared for publication by Dursun Gümüşoğlu. I thank him for sharing with me
a copy of this manuscript.
271 “Şecâ’atle nazar kılmış Yeniçeri kullarına ol / Sezâ oldı ânınçün anlara ol fırsat-ı kübrâ”, Dîvan-ı
Sâdık Abdal, manuscript, fol. 4a.
102