How they approached to Islam  

            We do not have evident information about the religious beliefs of the nomadic people and villagers in Anatolia in the middle of the century XV. As it can be understood, most of the villagers and nomadic people that were outside the influence of the theological schools had continued their ancient beliefs and considerations that they had brought from the Middle East under the superficial appearance of the religion of Islam. The people titled as dede (grandfather/ father) were dominant in their religious lives. Pursuant to the establishment of the Safevi State, these fathers had acquired importance in the view of the dynasty just like kam or shaman people from Mongolians that had come to Iran. Each of the sons of Shah Ismail and Tahmasb had a father in addition to their male servants (atabey=tutor). These fathers seemed to be the followers of the old kam (shaman’s assistant) or shamans in all respects. It is a well-known fact that Turks had showed a deep respect and fidelity to even the great political characters of their own. The Turkish Tribes had ben in deep mourning for days through cutting their hairs, ears and faces and shedding  bloody tears For Kül Tegin who was the hero of Orhun Inscriptions. We know that the Turks had mourned in Isfahan due to the death of Melikshah’s son, Davud from Seljuk dynasty. There is not any difference between the mourning stated above and the mournings that the Shiite people had grieved for Hz. Huseyin who had been killed as a martyr in Kerbela on the day of 10th Muharram (January). As for the religious leaders, it has been understood that the Turks had shown much more respect to them.

           Within the work titled as Hududu'l-Alem written in the Gregorian year of 985, it was stated that Oguz people had some doctors and they would bow down prostrating themselves in prayer when they meet them; and it was also stated that these doctors had dominion in the property and lives of the Oguz people. It is beyond doubt that the persons cited as doctors within the resource were the shamans. They had probably born the title of father. Another significant example is as follows: An Iranian person occupied in astrology had told Tugrul and Çagri Beys from Seljuk State that had fought with Gazneli Mesud that they would win the victory in the war if they could be patient for a while. Pursuant to this victory, they bowed down in front of this Iranian person prostrating their prayers.

           In the year of 1240, the Turkmens that were the disciples of Baba Ishak (Father Ishak) who caused a great rebellion in Anatolia called him like Baba Resul (Father Prophet) or Baba Resulullah (Father Prophet of Allah) in contradiction to the absolute provision of Islam. In other words, they had considered him with the view of Prophet. Moreover, the Turks who had not believed in the slaying of Father Ishak had alleged that he had ascended to the sky in order to provide help. Thus, they continued their rebellions. It has been understood that Father Ishak had sincerely believed in his capacity of prophecy. From these examples stated above, it can be much clearly understood that the Anatolian Kizilbaş Turks had considered Sheikh Cuneyd and his successors as the Muslim Messiahs, prophets and even the God. Due to this consideration, the Kizilbaş Turks had put up with all sorts of sacrifices for the sake of their sheikhs or shahs. This element constituted a very important factor in the foundation and maintenance of the state. The most significant conclusion that can be drawn from the examples stated above was that there was not any significant development in even the most particular principles of the religious lives of nomadic and villager Turks in Anatolia despite the adoption of the religion of Islam a long time ago. The major of these considerations was the excessive respect shown to the persons that was one of the most obvious and unchangeable characteristics of the Turkish understanding and thoughts in the religious and political fields. Let us remind that Hazreti Mohammed Mustafa who was the Prophet of the World had gained the most holiness and diffusion among the Turks together with the work titled as Mevlid (Poem about the Night of the Prophet Mohammed’s Birth).

We do not have any information about the degree of the diffusion of the Shiah Islam among the villagers and nomadic people in Anatolia and the qualities of this sect in the century XV. The studies related with the researches about the religious history of Anatolia that had been written until the century XVI fall short in respect of the illumination of this issue due to particularly the insufficiency of the resources. It is probably not possible to allege that the Bektashi order to which some of the villagers, nomads and even the urban people were connected had diffused the religion of Shiah Islam explicitly. The same statement can be uttered for the sheikh families such as Ismail Hajji Sons, Dede Garkin, and the others. However, it was absolute that the adoption of “twelve imams Shiah islam” by Ihanli Ruler, Olcaytu (died in 1316) was celebrated with delight by the Heterodox villagers and nomads in Anatolia that was a Mongolian province then.

        We know that the remembrance of the names of Ebubekir, Omer and Osman was prohibited in Anatolia upon the adoption of Imam Shiah Islam by Olcaytu. It has been observed that the Anatolian Turks had used several names peculiar to the Mongolians including the name of Harbende pertaining to Olcaytu and there was a close relationship between the Turkmens and Mongolians. It can be understood from the names that they used that the Karakoyunlu State had affection for the son of Ali despite the fact that they were not officially Shiites. Moreover, Isfahan Mirza (died in 1444) who was the governor of Baghdad had delivered prayers in the name of Twelve Imams and minted coins in their names.