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VI. Alevis, Haji Bektash, and Bektashism
Somewhat
distinct from but quite similar
to
Anatolian Alevism
is a religious
order
or sect (tarikat) called
the
Bektashis,
named after Haji Bektash (Hunkar
Haci Bektaş
Veli),
who
lived
in the
13th
century.
There have historically
been
two groups of Bektashis. One, called the
Celebis,
claimed
that
they were direct
physical
descendants
of Haji Bektash (bel evladi). A larger group of
Bektashis, called
the
Dedes or Dedebabas, claimed that Haji Bektash had no natural sons
but only had spiritual
disciples
(yol
evladi). Bektashis
are
found throughout
Anatolia and the
Balkans,
particularly
in
AlbaniaIt
has been commonly explained that a person only becomes
an Alevi by being born into
an
Alevi family, but a
person can become a Bektashi by joining
the
sect. In a very broad historical
generalization,
it has been said that Bektashis
were traditionally
urbanized
and educated while
Alevis
lived
in
villages
in
the Anatolian countryside.To
show that modern Alevi and Bektashi groups have
much more in common than they have differences, Alevis will
often talk
about "Alevi-Bektashi culture" (kültür)
"Alevi-Bektashi
faith" (inanç),
or
"Alevi-Bektashi philosophy"
(felsefe).
Many
describe
the
differences
between
the groups with these statements: "There is no difference
in path, just
in
practices" (Yol farki yok, surek farki
var) and
"The way is one, the form a thousand and one"
(Yol bir, siirek bin bir).
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