Social, political, religious, literary and other aspects of the dervish orders in Yugoslav lands

In the present paper the author throws more light on the social, political, religious, literary, and cultural aspects of the dervish orders in the Yugoslav lands at the time of Ottoman rule (XIV – XIX century), and especially in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Kosovo, and partly in Serbia. It is well known that the dervishes participated in the conquest of Yugoslav lands by the Turks, in the founding of settlement, the spreading of Islam, and in Islamic oriental culture and literature. By way of illustration the present author discusses the first missionaries: Ayni-Dede and Shamsi-Dede, dervish Khorasani in Bosnia, and Meddah-Baba, who is considered the conqueror of Skopje. It is well known that there was a coalition of Ottoman authorities and the Orthodox Sufi orders: Mawlawi, Naqshibendi, Halveti, Qadiri, Rif’ai, and others, whose institutions were founded mostly by the wealthy Ottoman aristocracy, the chief representatives of the Ottoman authorities in these parts, as well by the others, and that they were supported by rich endowments (waqf). However, the heterodox Sufi orders, the Khurufis, Khalendaris, Khaidaris, Hamzawis, Bektashis, and others, and especially those with shii and alewi tendencies, were in opposition to the Ottoman authorities and the Ottoman social order. Some of them recognized the Shah of Iran as their lawful ruler, whom them supported, and on whose behalf they rebelled. As an example of this attitude, the present author describes the social and political situation and the rebellious character of the Hamzawi in Bosnia and Herzegovina, at the head of which Shaikh Hamza Bali stood in the 15th century (he was executed in 1573, together with his twelve caliphs at Tahtakale in Istanbul). As an order (brotherhood) the Hamzawis had an independent internal organization – courts of law, and other things, and acted as an independent body within the Ottoman Empire. In an uprising in 1582, the Hamzawis formed a government: Mehmed, son of Hassan, was to be Sultan, Hussein-agha, the vizier, Memi, son of Iskander – defterdar, Ali-Khavadja – qadi-asker, etc., and this government was supposed to take over when the time came. Therefore they were executed immediately, so that hardly any memory of them and their important representatives remained in later epochs.