On the Theological Literature of Alevis in the Ottoman Lands
Abstract Alawites or Qizilbashiyya, the origins of which go back to the Ottoman-Safavid struggle in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, were the losers of this conflict and hence they suffered from significant political and socio-cultural repercussions. They had to continue their presence on the margins through the vehicles of oral tradition. In this study, after a brief survey of the history of Alawism, we examine the theological aspects of the Alawi written literature, which was strongly rooted in oral culture. Not owning their separate theological texts, the founding written works have been evaluated in the context of the series published by Turkish Diyanet Foundation under Alawite-Bektashi Series. Some other books, considered to be reliable by the Alawites, are also included.
DOĞAN KAPLAN
