Ceren Çıkın Sungur A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF SARI SALTIK AS A HERO IN SALTIKNÂME MA Thesis in Late Antique, Medieval and Early Modern Studies Central European University Budapest July 2020 CEU eTD Collection A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF SARI SALTIK AS A HERO IN SALTIKNÂME by Ceren Çıkın Sungur (Turkey) Thesis submitted to the Department of Medieval Studies, Central European University, Budapest, in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the Master of Arts degree in Late Antique, Medieval and Early Modern Studies. Accepted in conformance with the standards of the CEU. ________Dr. Grigoy Boykov_________ Chair, Examination Committee ______________________Dr. Günhan Börekçi______________________ Thesis Supervisor _________Dr. Tijana Krstić__________ Examiner ____________________________________________ Examiner Budapest CEU eTD Collection July 2020 A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF SARI SALTIK AS A HERO IN SALTIKNÂME by Ceren Çıkın Sungur (Turkey) Thesis submitted to the Department of Medieval Studies, Central European University, Budapest, in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the Master of Arts degree in Late Antique, Medieval and Early Modern Studies. Accepted in conformance with the standards of the CEU. __________________Ass. Prof. Ayfer Karakaya-Stump_____________________ External Reader Budapest July 2020 CEU eTD Collection I, the undersigned, Ceren Çıkın Sungur, candidate for the MA degree in Late Antique, Medieval and Early Modern Studies, declare herewith that the present thesis is exclusively my own work, based on my research and only such external information as properly credited in notes and bibliography. I declare that no unidentified and illegitimate use was made of the work of others, and no part of the thesis infringes on any person’s or institution’s copyright. I also declare that no part of the thesis has been submitted in this form to any other institution of higher education for an academic degree. Budapest, July 2020 _____________________ _____ Signature CEU eTD Collection Abstract The purpose of this thesis is to develop a fresh approach to Saltıknâme, the hagiographic and heroic narrative on the life and deeds of a thirteenth century warrior-saint Sarı Saltık, by directly focusing on the portrayal of the protagonist in the text, and analyzing the main characteristics which made him a hero. Searching for the reasons behind this portrayal and examining the possible connections with sixteenth century Ottoman politics is another goal of this thesis since the first completed edition of the text is dated from 1591/2. Thus, I aim to reveal the sixteenth century layer of Saltıknâme which is accepted in the scholarship as originally a fifteenth century text, although it is a highly edited text including many anachronic elements and anecdotes, and its original version is lost. I argue that the manifestations of heroism which Sarı Saltık displayed in this text show that his portrayal, as well as the sixteenth century copy of Saltıknâme were reconstructions built in accordance to the Ottoman Sunnitization process conducted by the Ottoman state and ulama to serve the political needs of the Ottoman state in the sixteenth century. I also argue that Saltıknâme reflects the ongoing rivalries between the Ottomans, the Safavids, and the Habsburgs, and mirrors the apocalyptic atmosphere of the period with its anecdotes on shared prophecies across the Mediterranean, and millennial fears, and in response, includes soothing and encouraging messages to its audience against those concerns. Besides, in Saltıknâme Alid legacy is contested by the Hanafi-Sunni Ottoman ideology claiming that they are the “true” heirs of his heritage contrary to the Safavids. CEU eTD Collection i Acknowledgements First, I owe special debt to Dr. Sarah Nur Yıldız for having time for me and my questions, gently answering all of them, and encouraging me to carry out this thesis. I met Dr. Yıldız in a symposium at ANAMED in İstanbul, and although I was not her actual student, she was so kind to pay attention to me, and accepted me to her classes in Boğaziçi University and then, to be the external reader of my first draft. At that symposium, I also met with Ass. Prof. Marianne Sághy. She was the one who encouraged me to apply to the CEU. She was a beautiful soul, and I am sure my gratefulness will reach to her. I am thankful to Ass. Prof. Tijana Krstić, first for her studies for enlightening me in many ways and inspiring me to write this thesis, and secondly the interview she made with me. It was like a personal class I took from her. I also thank Dr. Günhan Börekçi for making me ask broader questions, and for taking pains with such a long thesis. I am deeply indebted to Ass. Prof. Ayfer Karakaya-Stump for accepting to be the external reader of my thesis and sparing her precious time to analyze it. I am also grateful to Johanna Tóth, Zsófia Göde and Zsuzsanna Reed for all their careful and gentle help, labor, and kindness they paid to the students. I am grateful to the CEU in general, and the Department of Medieval Studies for creating such a student-friendly academic environment and providing us satisfying classes. Besides this, I want to express my gratitude to UKID for publishing the Saltıknâme and Şefik Kantar who generously provided me its volumes. I am also grateful to Zeynep Aydoğan and Helga Anetshofer for kindly sharing me their research. CEU eTD Collection My special thanks to Can Sungur for being such a kind and supportive husband. My dear friends Nida Nebahat Nalçacı, Ozan Ceyhan and Utku Güngör always inspired and heartened me whenever I needed. They were always there. Thank you for being so nice and smart. I am indebted to you all. ii CEU eTD Collection iii Table of Contents Table of Contents ...................................................................................................................... iv Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 1 Saltıknâme, A General Overview .......................................................................................... 3 Saltıknâme’s Editions ............................................................................................................. 5 Contents ................................................................................................................................. 6 Literature Review ................................................................................................................... 8 CHAPTER I: THE HEROIC AGE OF ANATOLIA AND SARI SALTIK AS A HISTORICAL AND LEGENDARY HERO.................................................................................................... 37 I.1. The Heroic Age of Anatolia .......................................................................................... 37 I.2. Sarı Saltık as a Historical and Legendary Hero ............................................................. 46 CHAPTER II: A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF SARI SALTIK AS A HERO IN SALTIKNÂME .................................................................................................................................................. 64 II.1) A Hero Above All ........................................................................................................ 94 II.2) A Champion of Sunni-Hanafi Islam .......................................................................... 110 II.3) A Symbol of Superiority ............................................................................................ 145 II.4) An Adviser and Legitimizer for the Sultans .............................................................. 180 CHAPTER III: SOME ARGUMENTS ON SALTIKNÂME AND THE HEROISM OF SARI SALTIK ................................................................................................................................. 218 Reading Aloud ................................................................................................................... 220 Genre .................................................................................................................................. 222 Audience ............................................................................................................................ 224 CEU eTD Collection Patronage ............................................................................................................................ 226 Written Sources .................................................................................................................. 231 Why Sarı Saltık? ................................................................................................................ 235 A Special Relation with the Lands of Rum ....................................................................... 238 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................. 240 iv BIBLIOGRAPHY .................................................................................................................. 246 Primary Sources ................................................................................................................. 246 Secondary Sources ............................................................................................................. 246 CEU eTD Collection v Introduction Saltıknâme is a hagiographical heroic prose recounting the life and deeds of a popular saint who lived in 13th century Anatolia and the