A PERFORMANCE AND TRAINING GAME/SPORT IN THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE IN THE LIGHT OF ARCHIVE DOCUMENTS: TOMAK

Abstract

Historical data and modern research say the same thing; People - especially children - learn through games. Psychologists state that the games played in childhood are also learning. Even in the historical process, there are many examples of that learning begins in childhood. For example, if we look at the history of Turks, it is seen that there is a nation that has spread to very different geographies from the lands of its birth and established states of various sizes there. For this reason, the comments which have been made by the academic studies are in agreement with the point that the Turks have been a warrior nation. Here is perhaps the most important factor in the Turks being a warrior nation that whether it is a girl or a boy, there have been trainings taken in the form of a game at an early age. So, Turks have taught their children to ride horses, use swords, bows and arrows at a young age. While a warrior generation has emerged afterwards, the children have continued their education as a game both during and after that. This tradition has continued from generation to generation and has actually survived to the present day. Today, while children learn through games, it must be because of this that there is still war in these games. It would not be wrong to say that this culture's traditional learning through games continued in the Ottoman Empire as well. Many sports and games were played in the Ottoman palace, which was the administrative center of the Ottoman Empire. The plays performed by stunters, gypsies, fireplayers etc. have just some shows to watch. Games such as javelin, soapwort, horse racing, wrestling and truncheon game should be considered both as entertainment and as training. As many scholars have already done substantial research on the aformentioned games, they are already well known to us. As far as the game called tomak is concerned, we have either limited or partially incorrect information on it, however. In this article, we have extensively examined the game of Tomak by using the Ottoman archival documents, local historians, diary writers as well as contemporary foreign sources of the time. In the lights of these extensive sources, we provide a more comprehensive and nuanced picture of the Tomak, which includes detailed information like purpose of the game, its playground, rules of the game, Ottoman sultans showing interest on the game. By studying the Tomak, which first appeared in first of quarter of 18th century and continued to be played up until the first half of the 19th century, we not only aim to contribute history of the sport and the game in general but also to show its places in the history of Ottoman sports and games in particular.