Azerbaycan’dan Anadolu’ya Taşınan Seyyid Nigârî’nin Mirası: Halk İnançları Etkileşimleri ve Değişimleri Üzerine Bir İnceleme
The Legacy of Seyyid Nigārī Transferred from Azerbaijan to Anatolia: An Examination of the Interactions and Transformations of Folk Beliefs

Summary/Abstract: Purpose: The objective of the present study is to examine the effects of the legacy of Seyyid Mir Hamza Nigārī Karabāghī, who migrated from the historical geography of Azerbaijan (present-day Azerbaijan, Armenia and parts of Georgia) to Anatolia, particularly the Amasya and Tokat/Zile regions, on local folk beliefs. The present study investigates how the teachings and practices of Mir Hamza Nigārī were reflected in the religious and cultural lives and folk beliefs of the Karapapak and Karakoyunlu Azerbaijani Turks who settled in the Tokat/Zile and Amasya regions. The study therefore seeks to address the following research questions: “Where do the traces of Seyyid Nigārī’s influence should be sought within a historical and sociocultural framework?”, “What kinds of similarities and differences exist between the Nigārī tradition and folk beliefs practiced in the Amasya and Tokat/Zile regions and those in the Borchaly, Karabakh and Gazakh regions?” and “Do these beliefs and rituals continue to exist today?” The extant studies on Seyyid Nigārī have, to a large extent, been confined to the publication of his Divan and the exploration of his literary aspects. The present study offers an original contribution to the field by means of a comparative examination of the folk beliefs in the regions influenced by Seyyid Nigārī. Method: This study adopted a case study design, which is one of the qualitative research methods. The study was conducted through a literature review and interviews based on semi-structured interview forms. The interviews were carried out between 2017 and 2025. The research included 18 participants living in the Zile district of Tokat province and the Amasya city center, Merzifon, and Suluova districts in Turkey; 5 participants living in the Gazakh, Baku, and Barda cities of Azerbaijan; and 2 participants living in the present-day Sagoroj city located in the historical Borchali region of Georgia. The participants were selected using the snowball (chain) sampling method. The data obtained in the study were analyzed using the descriptive analysis method. Findings: The historical framework of the study is addressed within the context of the Caucasian peoples facing the risk of losing their freedom, cultural identities and beliefs as a result of Russian occupation and imperialism. In this process, under the leadership of the murshids of the Khālidīyya branch of the Naqshbandiyya, a gazavāt/muridism-based struggle for freedom, similar to the Anatolian Kuā-yi Milliye (National Forces) movement, was initiated. Seyyid Mir Hamza Nigārī, a Khālidīyya murshid, participated in this movement and, under the pressure of Russian forces, led the migration of his family and followers, most notably the Karapapak and Karakoyunlu Azerbaijani Turks, from Azerbaijan to the Anatolia/Amasya region. It is evident that process, in question was pivotal in ensuring the continuity of the resistance, whilst also facilitating the diffusion of the distinctive Sufi (ṭarīqa) tradition throughout the region. Significant findings have been obtained regarding the ways in which this culture manifests itself in the folk beliefs of its adherents in the regions under study, as well as its similarities, continuity and traces within a historical and sociocultural context. Conclusion: The Khālidīyya is distinguished by its unique beliefs and rituals, which differentiate it from the classical Naqshbandiyya. Furthermore, within the Khālidīyya as well, the existence of unique pilgrimage practices, folk beliefs and rituals has been identified, attributed to Seyyid Nigārī and inherited from Azerbaijan. However, over time, these beliefs and rituals have evolved into more extreme forms as a result of various erroneous transmissions and shifts in meaning. Rather than retaining a strictly religious character, they have undergone transformation by acquiring a predominantly cultural identity. It has been observed that these rituals are not embraced by younger generations, particularly those with higher levels of education and greater cultural awareness and are gradually falling into oblivion

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