One of the Lush Springs of Turkish Culture: Ahilik

Turks, who developed non-stop movement as a way of life, migrated in a systematic and planned order, and while doing so, they carried their cultures in their saddlebags, on their backs, in their hearts and with them. Unlimited examples of these, without realizing it, have fed each other in the vast heart geography called the Turkish World and reached today. Ahilik, which we want to address, is just one of them.

The nerve endings of the organization established by Ahi Evran as a tradesmen's solidarity organization extend to Khorasan, where Turkishness was kneaded with Islam. Here, the mention of Hodja Ahmet Yassawi and his teacher Arslan Bab and underlining their names is an essential duty that cannot be neglected. 

Following the range opened by the double-headed eagles who attempted to open the gates of Anatolia once again on behalf of the Turks, the Ahilik, which trained the enthusiastic, excited and determined Oghuz Turkmens who pursued the Red Apple in fields such as arts, crafts, trade and economy, and provided economic, moral and social gains on the one hand and social gains on the other, was organized on the basis of good, right and beautiful human virtues in the professional sense.

It started from Dabbaklık (leatherworking) and extended to other business lines. They started from leather because Turks have been engaged in this business since the past. They started with leatherworking because its founder is the master of this occupation. With its own rules and committees, it has clearly demonstrated both self-control and ethical lines. Both their words and deeds have been the same, and they have engraved the Turkish seal on Anatolia indelibly.

It is a socio-cultural and economic system that combines good morals, truthfulness, brotherhood, benevolence and all good virtues and constantly updates itself. Although there are allegations that it is derived from Arabic and was founded by Muslim Arabs, it is clear that it is the work of an idea that Turks, Turkish and Turkish culture have brought from the past to the present.

It was formed as a result of the word "Akı", which has been used by Turks since ancient times, taking the form of "Ahi" at the end of the changes it has undergone over the centuries. According to the Divan-ı Lügati't-Türk, one of the oldest written works of Turkish culture that has survived to the present day, the word "akı", which means "open-handed, open-hearted, generous, valiant, young man", finds its exact counterpart in the two homelands of Turkishness.

When the Oghuz Yabgu State, which ruled for a while in the power flag race of the Turks, was shaken and the members of the Kınık tribe, who broke away from them, established the Seljuk State, they first carried the Oghuz tribes to the top and turned to brand new ideals. Ideals are not realized only with the power of the compass. Anatolia, which "became a homeland" after the Malazgirt Victory, became a target geography for the Oghuz masses.

After the Battle of Miryokefalon, the Oghuz tribes, most of whom were nomadic Oghuz tribes, had the whole world recognize the new geography as "Turkia" with names or lifestyles that they likened to the steppes of Turkestan, from whose bosom they had come.

Anatolia, whose borders were only reached despite the campaigns that had set the hearts of Muslims on fire for three centuries with the blessed glad tidings of the Prophet Muhammad, was crossed by the Turks in just three years, and Iznik was established as the capital opposite Constantinople.

Cities were rapidly Turkified and Islamized. As Islam became a state with urbanization after the Hijra, this situation was inevitable in Anatolia. Among the nomads, the Ahi Organization was established with the recommendations of Hacı Bektaş Veli with the idea of rapidly owning Anatolia and competing with non-Muslim merchants in the cities. It would not be wrong to say that the organization, which extended to the villages of the second homeland, was established under the influence of the central administration and socio-economic conditions.

Although there are claims that the organization was founded in Kırşehir or Kayseri, this is of no serious importance. Eight centuries of professional accumulation stands as the brightest face of Turkish culture. Another point is the reflection in Anatolia of the fact that in Turkish culture, every unit, everyone has a right to the whole and the ability to act independently of each other. In this way, Muslim Turks joined the art and trade businesses that were in the hands of non-Turkish elements. Islamization also gained momentum. Another aspect of the Turkish culture is the assumption of responsibility for the emerging void. Ahilik attracted hearts with its cooperation, solidarity and solidarity, which was formed and developed among the tradesmen and artisans of the Turkmen. It became one of the leading powers in Anatolia, continued its development, and did not hesitate to establish its own authority when order broke down. Thus, they tried to overcome power vacuums with minimal damage and facilitated the re-establishment of central authority after extraordinary situations.

The principles of both Turkish culture and Islamic civilization were adhered to, and the religious, moral and cultural fabric of the local population was not forcibly interfered with. The intervening centuries have not been able to change this situation, and the preference for "Ottoman Serpuş in Constantinople" has not been hesitated.

In order to become an Ahi, to be able to wear a loincloth, one needs the recommendation of the organization or a member. In order to gain membership, it is necessary to turn negativity into positivity. In the words of those times, it is expected to "bind bad actions and open beautiful ones". It is essential for them to move from stinginess to grace; from oppression and cruelty to mildness; from greed to contentment and consent; from satiety and taste to asceticism; from the people to Haqq; from delusion to marifat; from falsehood to truthfulness.

There are inevitable conditions for Ahmadism: Non-Muslims, those who were not well known, adulterers, those who were worried about bringing bad word of mouth, those who committed murder, thieves, dellal, profiteers were not accepted into this organization. In this way, it ensured the social order that the basic rules of law aimed to ensure in theory, and aimed to reinforce social trust.

Just as women in Turkish culture are on the side of their men in society and in the common line, there is a deep element in the Ahi organization called Bacıyan-ı Rum, which still preserves its mystery.

It is known that this organization was not limited to economic and commercial activities during the Seljuk period of Turkey. It was fully involved in political and military activities. They were at the forefront of the decisive forces of all principalities without exception in the shaking and disintegration of the central authority and the establishment of new principalities, and they prevented the complete destruction of the society.

The transformation of the Osmanoğulları, who came from the Kayı tribe, which was in a rather weak position compared to extremely powerful principalities such as Karamanoğulları, Hamitoğulları and Germiyanoğulları, from a principality to a state was also possible with the contributions of the Ahi organization. The information that takes this away from a simple claim can be found in the work of Aşıkpaşazade, an important writer of the period of Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror. As he clearly writes, one of the effective elements in the establishment of the State-i Ali Osmaniye and the assertion of its power was the Ahi organization mentioned here. More importantly, many of the first Ottoman rulers and viziers were members of the Ahi.

For nearly five centuries, that is, until the XVIIth century, the ahilik remained limited to Muslim Turks. From 1727 onwards, a similar Gedik Organization, which does not observe this condition, appears. It undertook the task of examining the entry to the tradesmen and craftsmen within the state. If it was operated in a similar way to Ahilik, it was abolished with the application of the 1838 Treaty of the Axe Port and the Gedik Organization was disbanded.

The Ahi Organization reinforced the individual's place and status in the society by advancing step by step.

- Yigit

- Yamak

- Apprentice

- Kalfa

- Master

- Ahi

- Caliph

- Sheikh

- Sheikh-ul-Mashayikh

In terms of communication sciences, Turks living in distant geographies have not only ensured their continuity with their cultural unity, but also easily realized the transfer of good qualities from generation to generation in the same geography, and actually showed how a person is a social value. They not only aimed for good, right and beautiful qualities, but also contributed to social peace by excluding those who went out of the main range. They offered a serious message of trust from generation to generation as well as from producer to consumer.

In short, social responsibility, excellence in service, honesty, integrity and collective life are included in our cultural draw as one of the lush springs of Turkish-Islamic Civilization.