From agreeable to profane: Changing state-Bektashi relation (1826-1922)

Bektashism, which represents the Janissary spirituality; It still attracts the attention of many disciplines, especially history and sociology, due to the fact that it is the only non-Sunni sect supported by the state, cannot be abolished despite being banned, and has a unique cultural structure. In recent years, many studies have been handled with this increasing interest, but the deficiencies in some areas related to Bektashism have not been filled. The first of these is the social, political, economic and religious situation of the Balkan Bektashis in the context of the changing state-lodge relationship. Within the scope of the said deficiencies, it is necessary to create a panoramic view of this long and difficult struggle, which is the pillar of religion, state and society. In this context, the relations between the state-lodge and the lodge-society were discussed, and the effects of the abolition process on the state and society were examined and tried to be revealed. In addition, the prosecutions continued until the beginning of the 20th century due to the activities of the Bektashis in the lodges and the problems of the Bektashi lodges during the withdrawal period from the Balkans were revealed. It is also seen that the Bektashism policy, which was aimed to be abolished for the policy of establishing the "official state religion", which the Ottoman Empire deemed essential for its own existence, was inherited by the republican cadres. As a matter of fact, it was seen that the Alevi-Bektashi tradition was ignored and not included in the Directorate of Religious Affairs, except for the Sunni and especially the Hanafi creed.