Sufi orders, khojas and tombs in East Turkestan according to the Tarih-i Hamidi

Abstract

This article will evaluate the religious orders, religious scholars, and shrines reflected in Molla Musa Sayrami’s book “Tarih-i Hamidi”. Molla Musa Sayrami wrote his work, Tarih-i Hamidi, in 1908, dedicating it to Sultan Abdülhamid Han. In his work, which covers his own lineage, Sayram, and the history of East Turkistan, Molla Musa Sayrami describes three classes: the shah, the emir, and the hoca lineage. The work contains important information about the history of East Turkistan, particularly regarding the orders and sheikhs. The Turks of East Turkestan, who embraced Islam in the 10th century, encountered Sufi orders such as the Yeseviyya, Qadiriyya, Kubraviyya, and Naqshbandiyya, and their various branches, within the context of the Sufi thought system they embraced during the Islamization process. From the 14th century onward, these orders began to spread throughout East Turkestan, and the Naqshbandiyya order, in particular, and the influence and influence of its pirs and sheikhs on the spiritual life of Uyghur Muslims was profound and profound. These pirs and sheikhs, who established themselves as “seyyids” or “hace/hojas” by linking their lineage to the Prophet Muhammad or Hazrat Ali, arrived in East Turkestan in the 16th century, first seizing religious authority and then intervening in the political arena, gaining power. The Turks of East Turkestan showed deep respect and devotion to these seyyids and hojas not only during their lifetime but also after their deaths, making their tombs and shrines central to their social life. These shrines have become spaces and centers that meet people’s needs for refuge/protection, purification, healing, treatment, solace, communication, and entertainment.