The emergence of Alevism as an ethno-religious identity

AYDIN S.

NATIONAL IDENTITIES, cilt.20, sa.1, ss.9-29, 2018 (ESCI) identifier identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 20 Sayı: 1
  • Basım Tarihi: 2018
  • Doi Numarası: 10.1080/14608944.2016.1244521
  • Dergi Adı: NATIONAL IDENTITIES
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI), Scopus
  • Sayfa Sayıları: ss.9-29
  • Hacettepe Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

Alevism has been regarded as a contested identity which is difficult to define because of its 'syncretic' character. Attempts at definition have been overwhelmed by essentialist approaches as well as different political agendas since the fifteenth-century Ottoman period. This paper aims to trace the history of Alevism with a particular focus on historical sources such as the Velayetnames and the organization of ocaks and dergahs. The paper argues that we shall see Alevism as an ethno-religious identity which is formed under different social conditions and emerged through the complexities of the organization of ocaks in a vast territory encompassing different ethnic groups.