The Revival of the Ocak of Sheikh Ahmed Dede: The Ocak of Teslim Abdal (Written Sources)

"Man Arises from Man, Path Arises from Path"

Abstract

Although there are many studies concerning the life, art and poems of Teslim Abdal, who has an important place within Turkish literature and Alevi-Bektashi tradition, there is no comprehensive study of the ocak that carries his name. It appears that Teslim Abdal, who according to written documents descended from Sheikh Ahmed Tavil, restored around himself the veli cult-centered ocak organization and, by means of this, enabled a new ocak organization to develop with his name considering his ties with Sheikh Ahmed Tavil and his ocak. The ocak of Teslim Abdal which pursuance is kept alive by dede and talip (follower lineages) communities, members of the ocak, still maintains his influence on the talip communities.

This paper, which is a result of our fieldworks carried out among dede and talip communities, members of the Teslim Abdal ocak located in the village of Şih/ Şeyh Hasan (Tabanbuku) in the region of Baskil, in Elazig, includes our findings, evaluations and analyses about historical structuring of the Teslim Abdal ocak. In this context, we tried to clarify this historical structuring of the ocak in the light of three shajaras, one ijaza and a berat type document, dated Hijri 1206/1207 (CE 1791/1792), H. 20 Rabi al-thani 1207 (CE 5 December 1792), H. 24 Jumada al-thani 1232 (CE 11 May 1817), H. 20 Rabi al-awwal 1258 (CE 1 May 1842), and H. Rabi al-thani 1302 (CE January/February 1885).