| Part ofa series on theAlevis Alevism |
|---|
 Islam portal |
| Part ofa series on Bektashism |
|---|
 |
Historical figures |
Balım Sultan (d. circa 1517/1519) was aTurcoman[1]Bektashisufi who established and codified theBektashi Order at the beginning of the 16th century. The mystical practices and rituals of the Bektashi were systematized and structured by Balım, after which many of the order's distinct practices and beliefs took shape. He is considered the primary personality in the Bektashi Order afterHacı Bektaş-ı Veli(Haji Bektash) and is regarded as the “SecondPir” (pīr-e ṯānī or second elder).
Balım Sultan was born in 1457 in the town ofDimetoka inRumelia to a Shia Muslim mother. The genealogy of Balïm is a contested matter, but most versions seek to link him to the miraculously begotten sons of Ḥājī Bektāš, Ḥabīb and Ḵeżr Lāla, as a reinforcement of his spiritual descent from the founding elder of the order. It is also widely suggested that his father was Mursel Baba and his mother was an Iranian/Persian princess.[2]
He was a follower of a Bektashi convent in northeasternGreece before being appointed by sultanBayezid II to thePīr Evi, the mothertekke inSulucakarahöyük (nearKırşehir) in 1501. The convents, which spread in town and villages, were centralized during his appointment. The order was also institutionalized through ceremonies and religious functions under Balïm.[3] He died between 1517 and 1519. His tomb is located in the Haci Bektashi Veli Complex inNevşehir Province,Turkey.[4]
Balïm is credited as initiating the use of twelve candles and associated paraphernalia in rituals and ceremonies; introduction of thePalihenk, a large symbolic stone with twelve flutings worn around the neck; and the fixing of a rank hierarchy led by a celibate dervish (mücerred). From the time of Balïm onward, the Bektāšīya consisted of two mutually antagonistic branches; the Mücerred or Babagan branch, founded by Balïm and presided over by a celibate dervish; and the Çelebî branch, led by other presumed descendants of Ḥabīb and Ḵeżr Lāla. The Mücerred branch was generally dominant, and from the time of Sersem-ʿAlī Sultan (d. 1569-70), all Bektāšītekkas were under the control of a supreme celibate elder resident at the central shrine (pirevi) in the hamlet ofHacıbektaş nearKırşehir in centralAnatolia.[5]
Ranks in the hierarchy established to Balïm were the following:ʿāšeq,moḥebb,darvīš,bābā,ḵalīfa, andmojarrad. Theʿāšeq was the aspirant to entry; once accepted, he was termed amoḥebb. If he advanced to the rank ofdarvīš, he would be told to let his beard grow, be given theBektāšī tāj to wear, and be assigned one of several menial tasks in thetekka. The oldest Bektāšītekkas often had land attached to them, so working the land was among the tasks performed bydarvīš. Thebābā was the Bektāšī equivalent ofshaykh, responsible for the welfare of thetekka residents. The rank ofbābā was awarded by aḵalīfa to adarvīš selected by him or, occasionally, to amoḥebb. Although the chief function of thebābā was to train darvīšes andmoḥebbs for further advancement, he could not himself promote them to the rank ofbābā, this being the prerogative of theḵalīfa.[6]
| International | |
|---|---|
| Other | |
