CEU Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020
| Author | Cikin Sungur, Ceren |
|---|---|
| Title | A Critical Analysis of Sari Saltik as a Hero in Saltikname |
| Summary | 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 this protagonist in the text, and analyzing the main characteristics which made him a hero. Searching for the reasons behind this portrayal and examine the possible connections with the 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 and that 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 Habsburgs, and mirrors the apocalyptic atmosphere of the period with its anecdotes on shared prophecies across the Mediterranean, millennial anxieties, fears, and some soothing and encouraging messages to its audience against those concerns. I hope to contribute to the scholarship with the methodology I follow and conclusions I arrive through this study. |
| Supervisor | Börekçi, Günhan |
| Department | Medieval Studies MA |
| Full text | https://www.etd.ceu.edu/2020/cikin_ceren.pdf |
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