The Transformation of Muslim Mystical Thought in the Ottoman Empire

One of more poorly understood aspects of the history of the Ottoman Empire has been the flourishing of Sufi mysticism under its auspices. This study tracks the evolution of the Halvetî order from its modest origins in medieval Azerbaijan to the emergence of its influential Sa'bâniyye branch, whose range extended throughout the Empire at the height of its expansion. By carefully reconstructing the lives of formerly obscure figures in the history of the order, a complex picture emerges of the connections of Halveti groups with the Ottoman state and society. Even more importantly, since the Sa'bâniyye branch of the order grew out of the towns and villages of the northern Anatolian mountains rather than the major urban centres, this work has the added benefit of bringing a unique perspective to how Ottoman subjects lived, worked, and worshiped outside the major urban centres of the Empire. Along the way, it sheds light on less-visible actors in society, such as women and artisans, and challenges widely-held generalizations about the activities and strategies of Ottoman mystics.Key Features*Based almost entirely on unpublished manuscripts*Gives invaulable insights to historical primary sources*Allows Ottoman subjects to speak in their own words*The first English-language study of the Halveti order

Acknowledgments; Note on Transliteration; List of Abbreviations for Frequently-Cited Works in the Text; Introduction-On the Study of Ottoman Mystical Traditions; Part I The Rise and Spread of the Halvetî Order from its Origins through the Twelfth/Eighteenth Century: Chapter 1 Early Sufism and the origins of the Halvetî path (ca. 900-1400); Chapter 2 The Great Expansion: From Regional Organization to Far-Flung Network (ca. 1400-1600); Part II The Evolution of a Halvetî Sub-Branch: The Life and Career of ?a'bân-? Veli and his Followers in the Kastamonu Region; Chapter 3 Echoes of a distant past: ?a'bân-? Veli's early life and conversion to Sufism; Chapter 4 Genesis of a sub-branch: ?a'bân-? Veli's struggles in Kastamonu; Chapter 5 An uneven legacy: the succession to ?a'bân-? Veli to the end of the tenth/sixteenth century; Part III Defending the Cult of Saints in Eleventh/Seventeenth-Century Kastamonu: Transforming the ?a'bâniyye Order under 'Ömer el-Fu'âdî: Chapter 6 'Ömer el-Fu'âdî as Sufi aspirant and haigographer: the road to ?a'bâniyye succession; Chapter 7 Inscribing the ?a'bâniyye order onto Kastamonu's landscape; Chapter 8 The political and doctrinal legacy of 'Ömer el-Fu'âdî; Conclusion What can the ?a'bâniyye Teach Us About Transitions in the Early Modern Period of World History?; Endnotes; Bibliography; Primary Sources: Original Manuscripts; Primary Sources in Printed Texts, Translation, or Edited Editions of Manuscripts; Secondary Sources