Remembering the Roots of the Ottoman Empire
Sevgi Zubeyde Gurbuz
Unpublished, 2006
Unpublished, 2006
Perched upon a peak of the mountains of Bilecik like a falcon’s nest, the dergah (religious complex) of Şeyh Edebali has a striking appearance as one approaches it along narrow, winding roads overlooking the fertile valley spotted with apple, grape, and fig trees. Although today the town itself is just a saunter down the road, one can see how centuries years ago, this point was perhaps the closest one could get to the heavens, separated from daily life by cliffs on three sides, with the minarets of its mosques rising fiercely into the sky as though they were trying to reach out to God. Today, it is the site of the tomb of the 13th century religious leader Şeyh Edebali, his wife, daughter, and other relatives. Not far away, in the village of Söğüt, lies the great Ertuğrul Gazi, father of the first Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, Osman Gazi. The warrior (alp) and the dervish (eren) – together they made Anatolia a Turkish homeland, and laid the foundations for the establishment of the Ottoman state.Ertuğrul Gazi was a courageous warrior dedicated to the spreading the word of Islam. He became the leader of his tribe of Kayi Turkmen after the death of his father, Süleyman Şah. In the year 1230, Ertuğrul Gazi was awarded the administration of land west of Ankara, adjacent to Byzantine territories, by the Seljuk Sultan Alaattin due to his services in a victory against a Mongol unit near Sivas. He then turned his attention to the conquest of the territories around his province, and by the time of his death expanded to include the regions between Bursa and Kütahya, including Eskişehir and the town of Söğüt, where he passed away in the year 1281 at an age of about 92 or 96.
Şeyh Edebali, originally from Horasan, migrated with other Türkmen tribes to Karaman, where he received his religious education. He later settled down near Eskişehir, where he established his dergah and began the education of students in Islam and gave religious advice to the local people. In time he became known as a great Islamic scholar, and many came to him for advice, including Ertuğrul Gazi and his son, Osman, who was a frequent visitor.
On one of these visits, Şeyh Edebali’s daughter, Rabia Bala Hatun, caught the eye of Osman Gazi, who fell in love and asked Şeyh Edebali for her hand in marriage. However, Şeyh Edebali did see fit this union, and rejected Osman Gazi’s request.
However, Osman Gazi continued to pay visits to Şeyh Edebali, and on one of these visits saw a very peculiar dream in which he saw a moon rise from the chest of Şeyh Edebali and enter his own chest, from which a great tree of many branches grew and encompassed the entire world and under which many rivers sprung which were passed by people.
In the morning, Osman Gazi explained this dream to Şeyh Edebali, who interpreted this dream as a sign of greatness: “Osman, son of Ertuğrul Gazi, after your father you will be a great leader. You will marry my daughter Bala Hatun - this is the light that comes from me into you. From your lineage many Sultans will come, and many states will unite as one. Your family will be a path for many people to know Islam.”
As foretold by this dream, the state established by Osman Gazi, the Ottoman state, grew to be a great empire spanning three continents, from the eastern Europe and the Balkans, to North Africa, the Middle East, and the Caucasus. Before passing away in 1326, Şeyh Edebali gave the following testament to Osman Gazi:
Son!
Now, you are the leader.
From now on wrath is for us, and calmness is for you.
Vexation is for us, and contentment is for you.
Impeachment is for us, and endurance is for you.
Incapacity is for us, and tolerance is for you.
Disagreement is for us, and justice is for you.
Unfairness is for us, and forgiveness is for you.
Son!
Be patient, the flower does not bloom before the time is ripe.
Never forget that as long as your people live, the state lives.
Son! Your duties are heavy, your work is hard,
your power is attached to a single strand of hair.
May God be your saviour.
It is upon these principles that the Ottoman state was built, and which made it great: justice, tolerance, and morality. The Ottomans did not grow out of the desire of conquest for personal gratification – the Sultan fought for the justice and well-being of all his people, regardless of religion, race or creed. The people were not the slaves and servants of a King; rather, the state existed for the benefit of the people, to serve the people. It is because of these high values that on the eve of the conquest of Istanbul by Fatih Sultan Mehmet, the advisor to the Byzantine King Constantine, Notaras, stated “I would rather see the turban of the Ottomans, rather than the tasseled hat of a Catholic Cardinal.”
Thus, when Osman Gazi died in Bursa in the same year as Şeyh Edebali, he left more than his few physical possessions: he left a legacy of justice and tolerance that would serve as an example to all subsequent Sultans and Turkish leaders to follow. The Prophet Muhammad has a saying, “You should work for his world as though you are never going to die, but prepare for the next world as though you are immediately going to die.” The Ottomans grew and prospered as long as this balance between the spiritual and material was maintained.
Today, the caskets of Ertuğrul Gazi and Şeyh Edebali, enrobed in green cloth covered with a golden script of Arabic letters, remain as a reminder of this noble tradition from which Turkey was born. When in 1921 the Greek army entered Söğüt and sought to destroy the tomb of Ertuğrul Gazi, lacing the walls and windows with bullet holes, they attacked not just one of our forefathers, but the entire Turkish presence in Anatolia and the values that made the Ottomans great. Our victory in the Turkish Independence War saved the tomb of Ertuğrul Gazi from further desecration, and preserved Anatolia as a Turkish homeland, but it will not be until we can re-establish spiritual and material balance, with a firm grasp of our identity, loyal to our roots, that we will be able to truly prosper once more.
Şeyh Edebali, originally from Horasan, migrated with other Türkmen tribes to Karaman, where he received his religious education. He later settled down near Eskişehir, where he established his dergah and began the education of students in Islam and gave religious advice to the local people. In time he became known as a great Islamic scholar, and many came to him for advice, including Ertuğrul Gazi and his son, Osman, who was a frequent visitor.
On one of these visits, Şeyh Edebali’s daughter, Rabia Bala Hatun, caught the eye of Osman Gazi, who fell in love and asked Şeyh Edebali for her hand in marriage. However, Şeyh Edebali did see fit this union, and rejected Osman Gazi’s request.
However, Osman Gazi continued to pay visits to Şeyh Edebali, and on one of these visits saw a very peculiar dream in which he saw a moon rise from the chest of Şeyh Edebali and enter his own chest, from which a great tree of many branches grew and encompassed the entire world and under which many rivers sprung which were passed by people.
In the morning, Osman Gazi explained this dream to Şeyh Edebali, who interpreted this dream as a sign of greatness: “Osman, son of Ertuğrul Gazi, after your father you will be a great leader. You will marry my daughter Bala Hatun - this is the light that comes from me into you. From your lineage many Sultans will come, and many states will unite as one. Your family will be a path for many people to know Islam.”
As foretold by this dream, the state established by Osman Gazi, the Ottoman state, grew to be a great empire spanning three continents, from the eastern Europe and the Balkans, to North Africa, the Middle East, and the Caucasus. Before passing away in 1326, Şeyh Edebali gave the following testament to Osman Gazi:
Son!
Now, you are the leader.
From now on wrath is for us, and calmness is for you.
Vexation is for us, and contentment is for you.
Impeachment is for us, and endurance is for you.
Incapacity is for us, and tolerance is for you.
Disagreement is for us, and justice is for you.
Unfairness is for us, and forgiveness is for you.
Son!
Be patient, the flower does not bloom before the time is ripe.
Never forget that as long as your people live, the state lives.
Son! Your duties are heavy, your work is hard,
your power is attached to a single strand of hair.
May God be your saviour.
It is upon these principles that the Ottoman state was built, and which made it great: justice, tolerance, and morality. The Ottomans did not grow out of the desire of conquest for personal gratification – the Sultan fought for the justice and well-being of all his people, regardless of religion, race or creed. The people were not the slaves and servants of a King; rather, the state existed for the benefit of the people, to serve the people. It is because of these high values that on the eve of the conquest of Istanbul by Fatih Sultan Mehmet, the advisor to the Byzantine King Constantine, Notaras, stated “I would rather see the turban of the Ottomans, rather than the tasseled hat of a Catholic Cardinal.”
Thus, when Osman Gazi died in Bursa in the same year as Şeyh Edebali, he left more than his few physical possessions: he left a legacy of justice and tolerance that would serve as an example to all subsequent Sultans and Turkish leaders to follow. The Prophet Muhammad has a saying, “You should work for his world as though you are never going to die, but prepare for the next world as though you are immediately going to die.” The Ottomans grew and prospered as long as this balance between the spiritual and material was maintained.
Today, the caskets of Ertuğrul Gazi and Şeyh Edebali, enrobed in green cloth covered with a golden script of Arabic letters, remain as a reminder of this noble tradition from which Turkey was born. When in 1921 the Greek army entered Söğüt and sought to destroy the tomb of Ertuğrul Gazi, lacing the walls and windows with bullet holes, they attacked not just one of our forefathers, but the entire Turkish presence in Anatolia and the values that made the Ottomans great. Our victory in the Turkish Independence War saved the tomb of Ertuğrul Gazi from further desecration, and preserved Anatolia as a Turkish homeland, but it will not be until we can re-establish spiritual and material balance, with a firm grasp of our identity, loyal to our roots, that we will be able to truly prosper once more.
