The document summarizes the main principles of the Ahi institution, which was a socio-economic organization in medieval Anatolia. The Ahi institution taught principles like being attentive in one's actions, having an occupation to earn a living, being generous, honest, and helping the poor. It created moral, economic, social and political values. The Ahi system emphasized solidarity, equitable distribution of income, and peaceful relations between groups. It played an important role in the formation of the Ottoman state by spreading principles of non-discrimination and professional ethics.

1. MAIN PRINCIPLES OF THE AHI INSTITUTION -2- Sunum : Ahmet YORDAM

2. The male students of the Ahi organizations were taught the following principles.

3. Be attentive to : 1- y ou r hand 2- your waist 3- your tongue .

4. The aim of this principle was to encourage women to be good housewives and to be respectful and attentive towards their husband.

5. The Ahi organizations taught people to be and be able to eam their daily bread.

6. They also taught people to be virtuous and thus be superior to others; to use their minds in every activity;

7. … to have knowledge in order to become successful; to be humanistic; to love God, prophets of God and all the human beings.

8. The Ahi institution is an organization encouraging all these principles and it is an organization of good people, the doors of whom open to anyone.

9. According to the Ahi principles, an Ahi person must always have an occupation. He must not work only for this word.

10. He must be generous and graceful.

11. He must be honest at work, be modest and not to be greedy.

12. He must help the poor, try to increase his knowledge and respect the scholars.

13. The Ahi institution created his own values in four main areas.

14. These are the moral, economic, social and political areas .

15. The values in all these areas have basic functions.

16. Among these areas, the function of the moral values in professional and trade activities are very important.

17. Thought these moral values originally developed during old nomadic periods of the Turks, by time time they were also integrated with Islamic values of urban life.

18. Some of the basic developed in the old Turkish societies and reflected also in the Ahi principles are;

19. a) mutual defense and cooperation of all person in the society, a principle which is the logical outcome of the need for solidarity,

20. b) collective opposition to the dangers of threats coming from outside society and

21. c) O pening the doors of each person to refugees, to poor and needy people without discrimination of religion, language or race.

22. THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE AHI INSTITUTION

23. The Ahi institution was a well balanced and productive socio-economic system which activated the resources of the society in the most rationl and humanistic way.

24. It was a system based on equitable distiribution of income, on a peaceful w ay of life, on brotherhood and solidarity among people.

25. With these features, the Ahi contributed to the formation of economic foundations of national unity.

26. In the Ahi system of organization, solidarity of people, rather than congilict betwoon them, is important.

27. Peaceful relations between the rich and the poor, the producer and the consumer, the labor and the capital, the nation and the state are basic aspects of Ahi social system.

28. According to Ahi belief system, it is considered as normal for a person to be either rich or poor.

29. However, an Ahi person is severely against the oppression of the weak by the powerful ones and also against unjust and illegal gains.

30. The Ahi institution has played an important role in the settlement of Turkish immigrants in Anatolia, in the foundation of Seljuk and Ottoman States .

31. Existence of the Ottoman State for a long period of about 600 years can be explained by the existence of Ahi organizations and the principles that spread throughout the society.

32. The Ahi Organization defended and spread the principles of indiscrimination towards people, of different religions, languages and races.

33. Virtues of honesty, benevolence, charity as well as the principles like brotherhood of people, hospitality, and faithfulness and also principles relating to professional ethics were spread, too.

34. Ahi organization transformed the principle of solidarity into almost a new capital source.

35. The Ahi organization system is the result of a national culture integrating socio-economic and democratic principles.

36. This organization aimed to develop a professional system of education which emphasized creation of productive individuals, in this way, the socio-economic and technological problems could be solved more easily.

37. In the organization of human relations within a society, moral values are as important as laws, customs and traditions .

38. A society which has not created its own moral values cannot continue its existence and the individuals of that society cannot live happily and prosperously.

39. It should be accepted that every powerful and prosperous society which is developed in art, sciences and techniques has also a well established system of moral values,

40. N o matter what kind of socio-economic and political system it adopts.

41. Presentation: Ahmet YORDAM Source: Galip DEMİR-The Foundation for Research and Training in Ahi Culture

42. www.yolyordam.com