In the glossaries published during the Ottoman period, the word “gâşiye” was typically associated with meanings of cloth, and the type of embellished cloth below the horse saddle. In Modern Turkish, this word corresponds to “haşa”. The expressions “gâşiye-dâr” and “gâşiye ber-dûş” derived through the addition of Farsi affixes carry the meanings of "saddlecloth holder, horse groom, horse servant, maid, subordinate”. According to the expressions in the Ferheng-i Cami-i Farsi Be-Turki (Istanbul) dictionary, it can be said that the gâşiye ber-dûş word group is based on the combined verb “gâşiye ber-dûş keşîden”. The gâşiye decorated with gold and glazed thread would give the impression that it was made of gold. During the official ceremonies, the rikabdars, who carried the gâşiye in front of the monarch's horse, lifted it up and turned it to the right and left. States such as the Ayyubids, Mamluks and Seljuks saw gâşiye as a symbol of rulership. In the Ottomans, it is known that the members of the scholar class, certain state officials and kadis who reached the rank of mevleviyeh rode horses with gâşiye. Riding horses with gâşiye was regarded as a sign of wealth and grandness. Gâşiye carried in front of the Sultan's horse in ceremonies symbolized his sultanate. Certain rulers in history carried on their shoulder the saddlecloth of rulers whom they were defeated against in war or acknowledged as superior. This act meant the ruler had acknowledged the rulership of another.In the present article, the imageries constructed by divan poets using the expressions gâşiye-dâr and gâşiye ber-dûş were examined. The findings obtained from 261 divans read within the context of these concepts were examined under various headings and the approach of divan poets towards this concept was identified. With the present study, it was aimed to contribute to future studies on divan poetry aesthetics and functional glossaries.
Divan poetry, gâşiye-dâr (saddlecloth holder), gâşiye ber-dûş (horse servant, subordinate)