A Turkish dervish, in the 1860s.

A Persian dervish, Qajar era, seen here from an 1873 depiction of Tehran's Grand Bazaar. The Qajar dynasty (also known as Ghajar or Kadjar ( ( - or دودمان قاجار) is a common term to describe Iran (then known as Persia) under See also Grand Bazaar Istanbul The Grand Bazaar is the world's largest Bazaar situated in the capital of Iran, Tehran.

The word Dervish ( Arabic and Persian: درویش ), especially in European languages, refers to members of Sufi Muslim ascetic religious Tarika, known for their extreme poverty and austerity, similar to mendicant friars. Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language Most of the many Languages of Europe belong to the Indo-European Language family. Sufism ( تصوّف - taṣawwuf, Persian: صوفی‌گری sufigari, Turkish: tasavvuf, Urdu: تصوف A Muslim (مسلم pronounced Muslim, not Muzlim) is an adherent of the Religion Ascetic redirects here You might also be looking for Acetic acid. Tariqah ( ar طريقه; pl طرق; Ṭuruq or Persian: Tarighat, Turkish: Tarikat) means "way" The mendicant orders are religious orders which depend directly on the charity of the people for their livelihood A Friar is a member of one of the Mendicant orders. Friars and monks Friars differ from Monks in that they are called to a life of poverty in service

The term comes from the Persian word Darvīsh [1] (درویش), which usually refers to a mendicant ascetic. The term mendicant (Latin mendicans, begging refers to Begging or relying on charitable donations and is most widely used for religious followers or Ascetic redirects here You might also be looking for Acetic acid. This latter word is also used to refer to an unflappable or ascetic temperament (as in the Urdu phrase darwaishana thabiyath for an ascetic temperament); that is, for an attitude that is indifferent to material possessions and the like. Urdu ( ur '''{{Nastaliq اردو}}''' trans Urdū, historically spelled Ordu) is a Central Indo-Aryan language Urdu is a standardised

As Sufi practitioners, dervishes were known as a source of wisdom, medicine, poetry, enlightenment, and witticisms. Sufism ( تصوّف - taṣawwuf, Persian: صوفی‌گری sufigari, Turkish: tasavvuf, Urdu: تصوف For example, Mollah Nasr-ad-Din (Mulla Nasrudin, Hoja Nasrudin) had become a legend in the Near East and the Indian subcontinent, not only among the Muslims. Nasreddin ( Turkish "Nasreddin Hoca", Persian ملا نصرالدین, Arabic: جحا transl B Syria - Belka Woman from Damascus Arab from Baghdadjpg|thumb|Inhabitants of the Near East late nineteenth century This article deals with the geophysical region in Asia For geopolitical treatments see South Asia.

Religious practice

Many dervishes are mendicant ascetics who have taken the vow of poverty, unlike mullahs. Ascetic redirects here You might also be looking for Acetic acid. Mullah ( ملا) is a Muslim learned in Islamic theology and sacred law The main reason why they beg is to learn humility, but dervishes are prohibited to beg for their own good. They have to give the collected money to other poor people. Others work in common professions; Egyptian Qadiriyya – known in Turkey as Kadiri – for example, are fishermen. Qadiriyyah ( Arabic: القادريه, Turkish: Kadirilik) (also Transliterated Kadri, Elkadry, Kadray WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Kadiri is a town and a Municipality in the southeastern part of Anantapur district in Andhra Rifa'iyyah dervishes travelled and spread into North and East Africa, Turkey, the Balkans and all the way down to India. Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country

There are also various dervish groups (Sufi orders), almost all of which trace their origins from various Muslim saints and teachers, especially Ali and Abu Bakr. Tariqah ( ar طريقه; pl طرق; Ṭuruq or Persian: Tarighat, Turkish: Tarikat) means "way" ‘Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib (a=علي بن أﺑﻲ طالب|t=ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib 13th Rajab, 24 BH – 21st Ramaḍān, 40 AH Early life Abu Bakr was born at Mecca some time in the year 573 CE, in the Banu Taym branch of the Quraysh tribe Various orders and suborders have appeared and disappeared over the centuries.

Dervishes
Mevlâna mausoleum, Konya, Turkey

The whirling dance that is proverbially associated with dervishes, is the practice of the Mevlevi Order in Turkey, and is just one of the physical methods used to try to reach religious ecstasy (majdhb, fana). Konya ( قونیه; also Koniah, Konieh, Konia, and Qunia; historically also known as Iconium ( Latin The Mevlevi Order or the Mevleviye are a Sufi order founded by the followers of Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Balkhi-Rumi, a 13th century Persian The name "Mevlevi" comes from the Persian poet, Rumi, whose shrine is in Turkey and who was a Dervish himself. This practice, though not intended as entertainment, has become a tourist attraction in Turkey.

Other groups include the Bektashis, connected to the janissaries, and Senussi, who are rather orthodox in their beliefs. Bektashism (Bektaşilik is an Islamic Sufi order ( Tariqat) considered to be a distinct branch of Shi'a Islam The Janissaries (derived from Ottoman Turkish ينيچرى ( yeniçeri) meaning "new soldier" comprised Infantry units that formed The Senussi or Sanussi refers to a Muslim political-religious order in Libya and Sudan founded in Mecca in 1837 by the Grand Senussi Sayyid Other fraternities and subgroups chant verses of the Qur'an, play drums or dance vigorously in groups, all according to their specific traditions. The Qur’an ( القرآن, literally "the recitation" also sometimes transliterated as Qur’ān, Koran, Alcoran Some practice quiet meditation, as is the case with most of the Sufi orders in South Asia, many of whom owe allegiance to, or were influenced by, the Chishti order. The Chishti Order ( - Češtī) is a Sufi order within the mystic branches of Islam which was founded in Chisht, a small town near Herat Each fraternity uses its own garb and methods of acceptance and initiation, some of them which may be rather severe.

Historical and political use

A Dervish in 1913

Various western historical writers have sometimes used the term dervish rather loosely, linking it to, among other things, the Mahdist uprising in Sudan, Mohammed Abdullah Hassan's (Mad Mullah) rebellion in Somalia and other rebellions against colonial powers. Muhammad Ahmad ibn as Sayyid Abd Allah (otherwise known as The Mahdi or Muhammad Ahmed Al Mahdi Arabic:محمد أحمد المهدي ( August Sudan (officially the Republic of Sudan) ( السودان al-Sūdān is a country in northeastern Africa. Sayyīd Muhammad `Abd Allāh al-Hasan ( Sayid Maxamed Cabdille Xasan or Sayyid Mahammad Abdille Hasan, محمّد Somalia ( Soomaaliya; الصومال) officially the Somali Republic ( Jamhuuriyadda Soomaaliya, جمهورية الصومال) and formerly known See Colony and Colonization for examples of colonialism which do not refer to Western colonialism

Begging

While commonly the term dervish is used to describe beggars, Dr. Youness Afroukhteh makes a differentiation between dervishes and common beggars:

While they walk around praising the Lord, anyone according to his own desire may voluntarily drop some coins in it (a kashkul). . . a real dervish who wears the proper robe and carries the kashkul does not beg, nor does he make any demands. ^[1]

References

1. ^ *Afroukhteh, Dr. Youness [1952] (2003). Memories of Nine Years in 'Akká. Oxford, UK: George Ronald. ISBN 0853984778.  

External links

• Videos of dervish music and dances The Whirling Dervishes of Rumi