Browsing by Subject "Gaza"

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Open Access
The yörüks: their origins, expansion and economic role
(2014) İnalcık, Halil
Yörüks, are historically known as Turkmen (Turcoman), or Al-Atrak, being a branch of the Oguz group of peoples who invaded Asia Minor from the 1020's onwards. The Seljuk/Selcukid central government used to settle them on the East Roman borders-marches. Due to the nature of animal husbandry and seasonal migrations, conflict with the central government, Seljuk or Ottoman, was at times inevitable. Due to their activities against the East Roman Empire a heavy concentration of Turkmen formed in western Anatolia. In a census of 1520-1530 pastoral nomads in the provinces of Western Anatolia numbered 77,368 and those on military service 52.148. The regions where a sizeable Turkmen population formed were the mountainous areas with yaylak, summer pastures, along the Toros mountain chain from western Anatolia to the coasts of the Mediterranean and in the Lake District in the Isparta-Eğirdir region. Practising the heterodox doctrines of Shii’ite Islam, the Turkmen often came in conflict with the central government. The term yoruk or yoruk was the descriptive term preferred by the official chancery. The central government employed yoruks in military service. The contribution of the Yoruks to the economy of the Ottoman state was important for transportation as, before the railways, transport overland between the regions depended entirely upon yoruk camel caravans. Main items of trade were yoruk carpets and rugs: halı, kilim, seccade, ortu etc. Tribal and regional designs distinguished local productions. Turkmen carpets were very valuable and had been exported to the West and to Moslem countries from the XIIIth century onwards.