Hoca Ahmet Yesevi

The name of university is very meaningful and designates to the concious preference selected by Kazakh state and welcomed by Turkey. Ahmet Yesevi (or Ahmed Yasevi) is a historical and legendary figure in the mind map of Turkic communities. He composes strong common base and eased the both states to come together with the intention of maintain a common projects. In regard to Central Asian republics, Yesevi’s thought (doctrine or way) is very crucial, because it preserved and retained Turkic cultures despite the prolonged Soviet rule.

Hoca Ahmet Yesevi in Turkish or Hodja Ahmed Yasevi in English version is known as; elder of Turkic people, founder of Yesevi religious order, mystic and poet and first Turk-Islam Sufi. In fact, it is mostly recognized as a Sufi poet. His titles change according to the societies and geographies. But in historical materials (Kenjetay, 2003: 229) some titles are “Sultan-al arifin”

(the sultan of saints), “Sultan-i Turk” (the sultan of Turks), “Asitane-i saadet” (the bate of Happiness), “Qutb al aqtb” (the head of moral principles), and as widely used “Pir-i Turkestan”

(saint of Turkestan). Ahmet Yesevi is called as “Hazret-i Sultan” in Central Asia, and “Pir-i Turkestan” in Islamic world. He is more familiar in Central Asia rather than Turkey and agreed as the “spiritual cement” (hamurkar) of Turkic nationality (Türk milliyetinin) (Zeybek, 2005).

He was born in Chimkent’s Sayram town of Kazakhstan which is 157 kilometers away from today’s Turkestan (Yesi) city. Yesevi is his agnomen means that “he is from Yesi city”. It is estimated that he lived in 1093-1166. His mausoleum was built in Turkestan at the end of the 14th century and became a sacred place for the visitors, i.e. Muslims from all around the world.

His father is Ibrahim Seyh and mother Ayşe Hatun. He has trained by Arslan Baba who is known as the pioneer of religious inteligentsia for the expansion of Islam in Central Asia (Toker, 1984: 29-30). Then, he migrated to Buhara city and learned the basics of Islam from Sheikh Yusuf Hamedani. After the death of Hamedani, Yesevi returned to Yesi City (Turkestan city) and continue to his knowledge activities there (AYU, 2001; Toker, 1984; Develi, 1999; Yılmaz, 1995; Zeybek, 2005). Ahmet Yesevi has established his school (mektep) and dergah in Yesi (today’s Turkestan), in order to teach the Islam and Sufism (Islamic mysticism).

Ahmet Yesevi as a well-known great Sufi teacher was trained in “Bukhara’s learning institutions in twelfth century like his teacher Shaykh Yusuf Hamadani” (Togan, 1998: 54) and allowed the

expansion of Sufism in today’s Central Asia. Sufism is explained as mystical expression of the Islamic faith emerged in Central Asia after the penetration of Islam in the 7^th century to the region (Trimingham, 1998; Efegil and Akçalı, 2003: 137). Trimingham defines Yasavi Way as the ”way of holiness and a method of religious practice which displaced the ancient religion of the Turks, rather than a mystical Way” (1998: 59). Yesevi has guided Muslim Turks in Central Asia through Sufism, thus set up the bases of “Turkish Islamic tradition” (Türk Müslümanlığı) (Ocak, 1996: 31-32; Trimingham, 1998: 58).

Sufism was the tool of Yesevi students benefited to expand Islam (Toker, 1984). Before 1991, the religion in Central Asia practiced on traditional type of Islam and composed itself as a part of socio-cultural fabric (Efegil and Akçalı, 2003: 130). It can be stated that the perception of religious life mostly shaped by Ahmet Yesevi’s Sufism, which is far away from any political concerns, and today is highly matched with the moderate Islam. Moreover, Kenjetay argues (2003: 8) that Yesevi way is the souce of moral knowledges both aims to raise free men and allow them to embrace with their internal liberty.

It is argued that although Ahmet Yesevi was competent both in Farsi and Arabic languages he preferred to write his “hikmets” (wisdoms) with Turkic language which was mainly based on social ethic in order to guide the Muslim in line with the basics of Islam. Thus, he has maintained and recovered Turkic language and taught Islamic religion¹. Ahmet Yesevi had lived after the period of Karahanlı state which is known in Turkic history as the leading country in terms of their contribution to the formation of Turkic language. Such as the first product of Turkic literature “Kutadgu Bilig” and “Divan-ı Lügati’t-Türk” were produced during Karahanlı administration. It has facilitated the way for Yesevi to write and read his poems with Turkic language (Develi, 1999: 16). Furthermore, his thoughts composed the basics of Turkic thought, culture and philosophy history (Kenjetay, 2003).

Contemporary Turkish literature is grateful to Ahmet Yesevi owing to his enrichments and highlight of Turkic language in his time. His thousand number students taught those poems to the people of Turkic geography. By the impact of “Hikmet” so many poets have emerged to write poems and reactivatied the Turkic language as a literature language. In Turkey, they are

1 http://www.yesevi.edu.tr/?sayfa=ayk, 11.02.2005.

disseminated in the name of “Divan-ı Hikmet” by Turkish Religious Foundation and “Selections from Divan-ı Hikmet” by Turkish Ministry of Culture.

He has simplified the Islamic nomenclature mainly for the new believers, Turkic nomad communities, who were in difficulties to understand the basics of Islamic religion. He played great role in the Islamization of Turkic tribes, in the adaptation of Islam to the nomadic life and in linguistic reconciliation through his poems and his successor dervishes (Trimingham, 1998:

58-59). Yesevi achieved to teach Islam without disturb or reject the lifestyle practices of the nomads.

The students of Ahmet Yesevi who are called as “teacher dervish” have achieved the expansion of Islam among the Turkic communities. In that sense, Turkey is also quite grateful to Ahmet Yesevi. The idea is that “Turkicization of Anatolia” and “Islamicazition of Anatolia” were performed by Yesevi Alperens (follower students or disciples) and Yesevi thougt in general (AYU, 2001). It is stated that in the embracement of Turkic world in general, Ahmet Yesevi’s name, ideas and services compose the basis of the integration (Zeybek, 2005).

Trimingham argues (1998: 59) the Yasavviyya was a tariqa of wenderers who spread the Yasavi tradition throughout Turkestan, region in larger sense, which includes Azerbaijan and Anatolia where the formation of popular side of the new Islamic Turkish civilization emerged by contributions of Yesevi students. It is argued Yesevi has raised many students in Yesi who are called as alperens. These students were coming from diverse region of Turkic geography, even from Balkans. They were trained in Yesi and then moved back to their lands and trained their local people in line with Yesevi’ Hikmets. They are called as “Yesevi Erenleri” and destinated to Turkestan, Horasan and Anatolia as mentioned earlier (Ocak, 1996; Develi, 1999).

Zeybek notes (2005) that in Anatolia, Yesevi’s students are called with the names of “alperen”

(who have worried for the expansion of Islam), “bacıyan” (who enlighted other women) and

“ahiyan” (opinion leaders bringing ethic and discipline to trade). There are such well-known Turkish legendary intellectuals among Yesevi’s students who shape the base of Ottoman Empire, e.g. Şehy Edebali, Hacı Bektaş-ı Veli, Hacı Bayram-ı Veli, Geyikli Baba, and Yunus Emre who are known mainly as great moral teachers blending Turkic culture and Islamic knowledge and shape the cultural heritage of Anatolia. In addition to students or followers in Asia Minor (Anatolia) like Hacı Bektaş-ı Veli, the representative of Yesevi thought were also

existed and operated in culturel life of today’s Central Asian republics (Kenjetay, 2003: 26-27).

Sufi missionaries of the four important orders accelerated Islamization of Central Asian communities. The most prominent ones were Naqshbandi from Bukhara, Quadiri from Fergana, Yasawi from Southern Kazakhstan and Kubrawi from Khorezm. Unlike Quadiri all other order was quite prevail (Haghayeghi, 1995: 77).

It is discussed that Ahmet Yesevi stressed upon Islam’s sensitivity on science, working, and production. He was also approaching to other religions with tolerance which embraces all humankind with love. It is argued “as similar to the past, he will also continue to guide Turkish and Turkic people. He is symbol of our common history; we will survive him by means of his mausoleum and university named with his name” (AYU, 2001). The reason for the selection of Ahmet Yesevi’s name is reinforced as “Yesevi is the representative of a religious perception in which science is initially important” (Ayhaber, 2000). It means that Ahmet Yesevi represent a thought in which science is highlighted as much as religion.

Ahmet Yesevi has been assigned as the cement of relations among people of Turkic geography.

His major contributions can be classified as; first is the expansion of Turkic language, second is the Islamization of Turks and the third is the correct interpretation of Islam among Turkic people. The contribution of Ahmet Yesevi both to the development of Turkic language and religious life of Central Asian communities in the past is still contributing to the basis of socio-cultural building of contemporary republics and that of AYU. Budak emphasized Ahmet Yesevi’s thought is justified as the overall spirit of AYU to which all students are expected to feel and perceive in the campus of Turkestan.

Owing to all above mentioned informations, Ahmet Yesevi is honored many times by the ideas of officials so as to emphasize the good selection of his name for the university. Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer said “Hoca Ahmet Yesevi has a significant function in the Turkicization of Anatolia. He is known as the first Turkic thinker, he will be sustained to guide Turkic world in future as did in the past” (AYU, 2001). The Kazakh President, Nursultan Nazarbayev¹ argued “our path is to integrate Turkic world in the line of Ahmet Yesevi and make it to achieve information age. He is our prime teacher who teach us the progress on the science

1 The present and founder President of Kazakhstan. He was elected in 1991 and then he won a further seven years term in the 1999 election in addition to two-year presidency in Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic from 1989 to 1991.

road through preserving our language and origin” (Ayhaber, 2000). Zeybek also argues “Ahmet Yesevi was his times’s Atatürk in 12^th century” (Ayhaber, 2002).

4.3.1.1. The Basic Principles of Ahmet Yesevi Thought

It is shortly called as “Ahmet Yesevi thought” (Ahmet Yesevi Düşüncesi) or “Ahmet Yesevi Way” which consists of three services and seven principles. The first service is his writings in Turkic language. His Islamic poems (hikmets) writed by Turkic language then after contributed also to the emergence of Turkic literature. The second one is his students sent to diverse territories of Turkic geography who teach Islamic religion. The third one is his efforts resulted in Turkic interpretation of Islam which consist of the seven principles (Zeybek, 2005). The principles are quite universal and today more compatible with higher education to train the students on a civic identity. These are adherence to god by love, sincerity, human love, tolerance, equality of men and women, holiness of labor and work, and science.

The students coming from diverse regions of the Turkic geography are integrated upon Yesevi principles and trained by the essence of his thougts so as to achive a common understanding, solidarity and retain a perception stemming from the heritage of common history and culture.

The principles are quite functional to accomodate universal and humanistic values for the students. The ambiance formed by the essence of principles cause both students and academics to grasp a universal culture. Many of those universal principles are formed and used as the tools in order to internationalize the campus so as to create an environment of international and intercultural understanding. In that sense, AYU is one step further relative to its rivals because of possessing these principles in his reason of existence. It can be concluded that these principles can easily realize and foster the multi-cultural ambiance and intercultural understanding in the campus which paved the way for the international identity of the university and paved the way for the consolidation of socio-cultural rationale of the internationalization in the campuses.