The Merchant Disciples of Mawlānā Jalāl al-Dīn Rūmī

Authors : Abdullah Burgu

Pages : 117-130

Doi:10.23897/usad.1680434

View : 99 | Download : 135

Publication Date : 2025-12-10

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :During the Seljuk period in Anatolia, thanks to the economic policies developed by the sultans and statesmen themselves, commercial activities reached their peak in Anatolia and became an important part of daily life. As a result of increasing commercial activities, it is understood that the local and foreign merchants living in Konya, which became a cosmopolitan city, had intense relations with the sultan, emirs, and notables as well as the Sufis living in the city. The nature of the relationship between Mawlānā Jalāl al-Dīn Rūmī’s, who was known to have disciples and friends from among the merchants who frequently traveled to and from the city, and these people, who represented the most distinguished group of the period, was generally shaped within the framework of the mentor-disciple relationship. In addition, it is striking that while other scholars and Sufis living in Seljuk Konya had friends from the Maghreb, that is, from the Western world, Mawlānā Jalāl al-Dīn Rūmī’s had merchant friends from Eastern regions such as Khorasan, Iraq, and India. This situation undoubtedly stands out as a development related to the lands where Mawlānā Jalāl al-Dīn Rūmī was born and his family ties. On the other hand, while Mawlānā Jalāl al-Dīn Rūmī’s relationship with merchants was shaped by the Sufi tradition, his relations with the city\\\'s notables blossomed with the dynamics of political and social life. These include details that allow us to learn the names of merchants living in Konya during the Seljuk period, some of whom traveled overseas, the jobs they did, and even the countries they visited. Thus, it is aimed to reveal both sections of the Seljuk trade life of the period and the ties that Mawlānā Jalāl al-Dīn Rūmī established with the merchants. Original information was obtained from Mevlevi and Anatolian sources and interpreted using a prosopographic approach. Arguments that Mawlānā Jalāl al-Dīn Rūmī had a network of relations with merchants, generally developing within the framework of mentor-disciple, were identified. Thus, conclusions were reached about the kind of contributions of merchant groups and city notables to the rich cultural atmosphere of the Seljuk world of Turkey in the context of their examples of devotion to a distinguished Sufi.
Keywords : Mevlânâ Celâleddîn Rûmî, Konya, Tüccar

ORIGINAL ARTICLE URL