Ahis and power the Turkish Seljuks And Principalities Period

Ahilik is one the most important institutions in the shaping of Anatolian Turkish history. Its roots go back to the pre-Islamic Arabs. Later, this organisation, which appeared as fütüvvet with Islam, gained social and political missions with the Abbasids. Again in this period, it is seen that this institution started to be institutionalised. In the years when the Turks started to dominate in Anatolia, the Ahi organisation started to appear on the stage of history in this geography. The Ahis, who were generally engaged in trade, were not far from social and political life. Although they were an organisation of tradesmen, they helped the needs of the society in structures such as tekke, zaviye and hankah. In this study, the relationship between the Ahis and the political will during the Suljuk and Principalities periods is analysed. In addition, the ahis living in the aforementioned period are also mentioned. Keywords: Seljuks, Principalities, Anatolia, Futuwwa, Ahi Organisation