velâyetname

Velâyetname, also spelled Velâyât-nâme or Velâyatname, is a genre designation for a number of hagiographic works in Persian and Turkish literatures. The title derives from wilaya, the Sufi concept of spiritual guardianship or sainthood, and the texts are concerned with the lives, virtues, and miraculous deeds of respected saints and guardians (awliya).

The Velâyetname tradition typically presents biographical material alongside episodes of karamat (miracles), visions, and sayings that illustrate the saint’s elevated spiritual status. Many entries situate the subject within a specific Sufi order (tariqa) or local religious community, and they often include a chain of transmission (silsila) linking the saint to earlier authorities. In this way, Velâyetnames serve to legitimize and propagate the teachings, practices, and loyalties of particular orders, as well as to provide devotional or exemplary models for followers.

Historically, Velâyetnames were produced across centuries in both Persian and Turkish-speaking domains, from the medieval period into early modern times. They circulated in manuscript form and were later printed, contributing to the memorate and identity of various Sufi communities. Scholarly work on these texts emphasizes their role in transmitting mystic knowledge, shaping communal memory, and reflecting the social networks that sustained Sufi life in their respective regions.

Because Velâyetname refers to a genre rather than a single work, individual titles, authors, and dates vary. Related topics include hagiography, Sufism, wilaya, and the broader traditions surrounding the awliya in Islamic culture.