Definitions for "Bektashi"
member of a religious fraternity in the Ottoman system, closely associated with the Janissaries.
The Bektashi order (Turkish: Bektaşi) is a syncretic religious order related to Shi'a Alevi faith, and is generally considered to be a Shi'a Sufi sect (Tarika). It was founded in the 13th century by the Islamic saint Hacı Bektaş Veli. The Bektashi order was greatly influenced during its fomulative period by both the Hurufi Ali al-'Ala in the 15th century and the Qalandariyah.