The Story Of Turkiye's Legendary Poet 'Dede' Ghalib, Who Is As Popular As Our Own 'Chacha' Ghalib

Re?hte ke tumh¨©? ust¨¡d nah¨©? ho '?h¨¡lib'

Kahte hai? agle zam¨¡ne me? ko¨© 'm¨©r' bh¨© th¨¡

(Of Rekhta, you are not the only master, Ghalib, they say that in an earlier time/age there was even/also some Mir/'master')

With this couplet, Mirza Asadullah Khan Ghalib, clearly expressed the awareness of his predecessors who were considered masters of the language. Be it Delhi's Mir Taqi Mir and Mir Amman, or Mir Babar Ali Anis from Faizabad, all of them had truly mastered the language and are still followed by those who love Urdu poetry.

Like the several Mirs of their times, there lived some Ghalibs too. While for the Indians there will be only one Mirza Ghalib, one finds that his namesakes were as popular among their followers.

Many lovers of Mirza Ghalib¡¯s poetry would be wandering in Ballimaran in old Delhi on his birth anniversary, but I stood at the mausoleum of T¨¹rkiye¡¯s great poet Ghalib Dede (Dede is used for grandfather in the Turkish language, which is quite similar to our Dada) two days ahead of our Ghalib¡¯s birth anniversary. By strolling down Istanbul's famous Istiklal Street, I crossed the Ghalib Dede Caddesi (street) and reached the Ghalib Dede T¨¹rbesi (mausoleum).

Ghalib Dede of T¨¹rkiye

Ghalib 'Dede' vs 'Chacha' Mirza

My quest to uncover the link between the two legendary poets¡¯ legacies began as I stood there. Upon reaching the mausoleum of Ghalib Dede, I was struck by the remarkable ambiance within. Whispers from a few individuals, perhaps reciting a poem or elegy dedicated to Ghalib Dede, filled the air. The atmosphere vividly portrayed the profound poetic heritage of Ghalib Dede, leaving me captivated and taking me to the revered legacy of Urdu poet Mirza Ghalib, whose mausoleum graces the streets of Old Delhi in India.

Reflecting on the connection between Ghalib's haveli in Ballimaran, Old Delhi, and ?eyh (read as Sheikh) Ghalib Dede's tomb in Istanbul, I found myself pondering a profound mystery. Mirza Ghalib never ventured to T¨¹rkiye, and Ghalib Dede never set foot in India. Yet, the resonance, from names to sentiments, holds an uncanny similarity. This enigmatic connection sparked a deep fascination within me. Despite the scarcity of information on this bond, I embarked on a quest to unravel its secrets. As I proceeded, I discovered an astonishing and unique intertwining of these literary legacies.

The connection between T¨¹rkiye's Ghalib Dede and India's Mirza Ghalib, who is popularly known as Ghalib Chacha among the youth, slowly but surely began to dawn on me. It's quite astonishing to learn that there is a Ghalib in T¨¹rkiye as well. Just as there's a world of lovers of Ghalib's poetry throughout India, there's an entire realm devoted to the works of Ghalib Dede too. I find myself, perhaps, standing at a singular point between these two realms, attempting to fathom if there's any familial tie between the two Ghalib(s). After all, Mirza Ghalib's ancestors were also of Turkish descent, and it's also popularly said that Mirza Ghalib was proficient in the Turkish language too. Who knows if this Ghalib Dede from T¨¹rkiye was inspired by our Mirza Ghalib?

Ghalib Dede of T¨¹rkiye

Yet, as soon as I noted the date of Ghalib Dede¡¯s demise, which was way too earlier than our Ghalib chacha, my thoughts took a different turn. The next thought that struck me was if Mirza Ghalib was influenced by T¨¹rkiye's Ghalib Dede. I found myself in a perplexing dilemma. Many such questions began to strike my mind. In pursuit of answers to these queries, I stepped out of his tomb. I left his grave behind, but his presence lingered vividly in my mind.

A true Dervish

Near Ghalib Dede's tomb lies the ¡®Galata Mevlevihanesi M¨¹zesi¡¯ (Galata Maulvi Lodge Museum). In the Ottoman era, this place used to be a dervish lodge. During Ghalib Dede's time, it was called the Galip Dede Tekkesi, meaning the Ghalib Dede Dervish Lodge. It was established in 1491. After the closure of this dervish lodge in 1925, it was repurposed as a community center and primary school. Initially opened for visitors as the ¡®Divan Edebiyat M¨¹zesi¡¯ (Divan Literature Museum) on December 27, 1975, its name was later changed to the 'Galata Maulvi Lodge Museum' on September 30, 2007.

Consequently, the museum was reorganized and reopened for visitors on November 11, 2011. This place is renowned for dervish dances. During the early days of the Turkish Republic, dancing by dervishes was prohibited. Although the ban has been lifted, only a few dervish lodges remain in Istanbul, with the most famous being the Whirling-Dervish Hall.

Ghalib Dede of T¨¹rkiye

At the 'Galata Maulvi Lodge Museum', items related to Turkish poets, artists, and 'Maulvi culture' are on display. Inside, there's a text mentioning the decoration during the reign of Sultan Abdul Majeed I. The museum also showcases Ottoman army bands and musical instruments, making it a truly captivating place.

Despite the rich exhibits here, my focus was solely on tracing Ghalib Dede. That's when I perused the dates inscribed at this dervish lodge, and among the many names listed, Ghalib Dede's name stood at number 23. It was recorded that a new era commenced in the history of the 'Galata Maulvi House' when ?eyh Mehmed Emin ?elebi, the Sheikh of Konya Dervish Lodge, appointed Ghalib Dede as Sheikh on June 11, 1791. At that time, the house was in a state of disrepair. Sheikh Ghalib wrote a letter to Sultan Salim III advocating for the improvement of this house, and as a result, extensive renovations were ordered by the Sultan.

When moving through the museum, mention of Ghalib Dede comes up in one place. It's inscribed that "Sheikh Ghalib Dede served this house as a Sheikh until his demise, merely at the age of 42.¡±

Top Sufi poet of the Ottomans

Ghalib Dede is considered one of the most famous Ottoman Turkish Sufi poets. It's said that Ghalib Dede was a pioneer in modern Turkish poetry, or even regarded as the ultimate head of Ottoman poetry. Ghalib Dede reached a pinnacle in classical poetry that no one else could reach. His real name was Muhammad Asad. However, in T¨¹rkiye, he became famous as 'Ghalib Dede', also known as Sheikh Ghalib.

He was born in Istanbul, T¨¹rkiye, in 1757. His father and grandfather were scholars. He received his initial education from his father, Rashid Efendi, who was a poet and a scholar. Later, he learned Arabic and Persian from various teachers. At a young age, he started gaining recognition as an influential poet and a knowledgeable person with vast cultural insights.

Ghalib Dede compiled his "Diwan" at the age of 24. It's said that he always sought innovation in poetry. Sheikh Ghalib also had a taste for music and arranged songs that are part of T¨¹rkiye's cultural heritage.

In 1794, Ghalib Dede lost his mother, Emine Han?m, and then in 1796, one of his students, Esrar, passed away. Esrar was not just his student but also a very close friend. Because of Esrar's demise, Ghalib Dede fell into a state of shock and passed away on January 3, 1799 (some places cite the year as 1798), bidding farewell to this world forever.

Ghalib Dede of T¨¹rkiye

Interestingly, Mirza Assadullah Khan Ghalib was born only six days before Ghalib Dede's death, on December 27, 1797.

The occurrence of 'Asad' in both their real names is a mere coincidence. It's also coincidental that Ghalib Dede initially used the name 'Asad' for his poetry, but upon realizing there were several other poets with the same name, he adopted the pen name 'Ghalib,' which gave him an eternal name in Turkish literature.

Surprisingly, this also applies to Mirza Ghalib. His original pen name was also 'Asad,' but later, after finding similarity in the verses with another poet named Mir Amani Asad, he chose 'Ghalib' as his pen name. Ghalib Dede is also considered one of the greatest poets in the history of Turkish literature, a title that Ghalib Chacha also enjoys in the history of Urdu literature.

Ghalib Dede of T¨¹rkiye

So much similarity and such proximity, yet scarcely mentioned in history, was quite surprising for me. Literature enthusiasts in India have no information about the legacy of Ghalib Dede of T¨¹rkiye while in T¨¹rkiye, Ghalib Chacha remains a prominent figure, with his poems and ghazals translated into Turkish language. He remains the subject of ongoing discussions in the media here. However, it was disturbing for me that perhaps no one in our homeland, India, knows about Ghalib Dede from T¨¹rkiye.

The literary legacy of Ghalib Dede in T¨¹rkiye remains a treasure waiting to be unearthed, especially when viewed in comparison to Mirza Ghalib of India. The profound connection between these two literary giants, hailing from different corners of the world, inspired me deeply.

The writer is a freelance contributor currently living in Turkey.