A Comparison Of Medieval European Guilds And Akhism In Anatolia In Terms Of Their Emergence And General Functions

Abstract

This paper argues that despite their similarities in socio-economic and religious senses, Medieval European Guilds and Akhism emerged distinctively from different reasons and functioned in different ways. While Medieval European guild system was a part of an organisational structure appearing in the social and economic conditions of Western Europe and became in time legally defined and prescribed institution, the Akhi system appeared and functioned in very limited time as a voluntary institution specifically in Anatolia as a consequence of political turmoil and increasing decentralisation. So, when the authority of the central government increased, Akhi organisation disappeared and gave way to the guilds in the Ottoman Empire.

Keywords

• Medieval European Guilds, Akhism, European History, Historiography, Bibliography

A COMPARISON OF MEDIEVAL EUROPEAN GUILDS AND AKHISM IN ANATOLIA IN TERMS OF THEIR EMERGENCE AND GENERAL FUNCTIONS

Öz

Bu çalışmada, Ortaçağ Avrupa Lonca sistemiyle, Anadolu’ya özgü bir kurum olan Ahilik arasındaki sosyo-ekonomik ve dinsel benzerlikler verili olarak kabul edilmekle birlikte, her iki kurumsal yapı arasında hem ortaya çıkış hem de işlevsellik açısından farlılıklar olduğu vurgulanmaktadır. Ortaçağ Avrupa’sındaki Loncalar hukuki olarak tanımlanmış, Avrupa’da, o dönemde ortaya çıkmış olan, toplumun bütününe yayılmış, geniş organizasyonel yapının bir parçasıdırlar. Ahilik ise, Anadolu’daki siyasi kargaşa ve merkezi hükümetin güç kaybına koşut olarak gelişen daha dar bir zaman diliminde işlev edinmiş, gönüllü bir sosyal organizasyondur. Bunun neticesinde, Avrupa’da lonca yapılanmasında bir süreklilik söz konusuyken; Anadolu’da ahilik merkezi hükümetlerin güçlenmesi sonucunda yerini Osmanlı Lonca sistemine bırakmıştır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Ortaçağ Avrupa Loncaları, Ahilik, Avrupa Tarihi, Tarih Yazımı, Kaynakça

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