This paper will be concerned with the Khalwati order of dervishes, also known as the Khalwatiyya. The Khalwati was an important tariga which had its origins in the region of Turkish Asia in the late 14th century, A.D. A tariga may be defined as a way or path in the tradition of the Sufis. As such, it relates to the mystical teachings of the Sufi branches of Islam. In addition, the term tariga refers to the organizational brotherhood which is formed by the membership of a mystical order. The Khalwati order was one of most widespread and influential of all Sufi tarigas. In the 16th century, it began spreading throughout the Ottoman Empire. By the 18th century, proponents of the Khalwatiyya could be found as far away as Egypt and Subsaharan Africa. Today, the size and influence of the order has declined dramatically. Nevertheless, the Khalwatiyya has shown great significance in terms of the historical development of the Middle East. The body of this paper will discuss the beginnings of the Khalwati order and its subsequent spread through the Ottoman Empire. The propagators and disciples who played a role in this expansion will also be discussed, and an effort will be made to explain the basic teachings and practices of the Khalwatiyya. Consideration will be made of the reactions that people had to the Khalwati order, as well as the influence those reactions had on the tariga's development. The paper will conclude by reviewing the significance and influence that the Khalwatiyya had in the regions that it encompassed.
The Khalwati tariga originated in the late 14th century A.D., approximately two centuries after the first Sufi orders began to appear in the Middle East. According to tradition, the Khalwatiyya was founded by Umar al-Khalwati, a Sufi shaykh (leader) who died in 1397 in Tabriz. This city still exists today in northwest Iran, near the eastern border of Turkey. At that time, however, the region surrounding thi...