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

Eberhard suggest, it seems more appropriate to use the term ‘folk Islam’ 742 or ‘popular
religion’ 743 for their religious orientation. 744
4.3.6. ‘Gazā’ as a Tool of Legitimization and Propaganda
By reminding us of Wittek’s gazā thesis, Mazzaoui rightfully argues that the role of
gazā in the foundation of the Safavid State is comparable to its role in the foundation of
the Ottoman State under Osman and Orhan Begs. 745 It is true that, in both cases gazā
appeared as an immensely useful and influential ideological tool both in mobilizing the
war-like Turkoman masses 746 and in providing legitimate ground for their claims for
sovereignty. 747 However, Mazzaoui draws attention to three essential differences
between the two cases. Firstly, the distance to the infidel territories was different.
Ottomans were just at the frontier and could raid infidel territories without the
permission of any Muslim rulers while Safavid had to first pass through the lands of
Shirvanshah. Secondly, Safavid gazis, unlike the Ottomans, had no freedom of action for
the regions they moved in were formally under other legitimate rulers. And lastly, the
Ottoman begs and sultans had only temporal claims, i.e. they were only leaders of gazis
on the battlefield. Safavid shaykhs, on the other hand, had the dual capacity combining
742
Roemer, p. 196. Roemer, however, does not differenciate the crucial change both in theological phrame
and disciple stereotype of the Order which appeared under Junayd. Rather he deems the religiosity of the
Order from the time of Shaykh Safī to Ismail’s seizure of power in the framework of ‘folk Islam’, without
ever having consciously or overtly going over to the Shi’a. To him some seemingly shi’ite indications in
several Safavid shaykhs, including Haydar, do not necessarily constitute clear signs of shi’ite faith for they
had always had a stronger or weaker presence in folk Islam.
743
Elke Eberhard, Osmanische Polemik gegen die Safawiden im 16. Jahrhundert nach arabischen
Handschriften, Freiburg: Klaus Schwarz Verlag, 1970, p. 26.
744
For a similar account also consider Roemer, “The Qizilbash Turcomans”, p. 31.
745
Michel M. Mazzaoui, “The Ghāzī Backgrounds of the Safavid State”, Iqbāl Review, …., 79-90;
Mazzaoui, p. 76.
746
For these Turkomans, as Mazzaoui says, “ghazāh was always an attractive patime!” SeeMichel M.
Mazzaoui, “The Ghāzī Backgrounds of the Safavid State”, p. 89.
747
Compare Roemer, “The Safavid Period”, pp. 203-4.
241