Ertugrul (Turkish Drama): The history you would love to watch

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Ertugrul is a Turkish Drama, first aired in 2014, now gaining momentum across the globe due to the “Lockdown”.

The drama is considered as the “Muslim Game of Thrones” as it is based on the historical figures from the Muslim world. However, let me tell you that it is not just meant for Muslims or it is not a Muslim show. The drama is about Turkish history, which impacted the world and the tribe who had a strong faith in Islam which guided them to be the ~~real~~ pious Muslim leaders.

I came to know about this drama’s popularity at the beginning of the Ramadan, so I checked it on Netflix. It showed a total of 5 seasons and the first one has 76 episodes. Damn! It is not my cup of tea because I don’t like lengthy shows. Although I knew that the Turkish drama usually is spun-out, this drama also has many seasons. Therefore, I relinquish the plan to watch it.

At the end of the Ramadan, the drama fever had seized many and I read lot of rave reviews which enticed me finally to binge this drama. The drama is dubbed in Urdu by PTV on YouTube, which is of good quality, they upload 3 episodes weekly. I watched the available Urdu version, and then shifted to Netflix for the remaining episodes.

Resurrection Ertugrul (Diriliş: Ertuğrul/ Ertugrul Ghazi): Season 1 (76 episodes)

The show is based on Ertugrul, the founding father of the Ottoman Empire.

The series is about the life of the Kayi tribe, Turkic nomads in the mid-1200s, who escaped from their homeland due to the Mongolian invasions. As they look for new tribal land to start their journey with peace and progress, they have to face constraints from their counterpart i.e. Islamic countries apart from the Crusaders, Knights Templars, and Mongols.

The history of Kayi Tribe is significant because of their warriors who accomplish in founding a small, but powerful state which later changes the Turkish history and becomes the Ottoman Empire, which ruled for more than 500 years.

Ertugrul and his Alps (companions) are the warriors of the era, and season 1 is all about their journey and struggle. Ertugrul endangers his clan when he does a good deed by saving a family from the bad guys of the Knight Templers. The family brings the tribe many difficulties throughout and it happened because they are from a royal dynasty. Along with this, the clan had other issues too, and need to confront other enemies.

I enjoyed this drama because:

1. History: It is one of the histories which you would love to watch, although the drama is inspired, still the basic and important antiquity is shown. It is made in a way to make the viewers enjoy, so there is no dull moment and intrigued us to know about that era.

2. Action: Historical dramas without war are rare and this drama is filled with adrenaline action which keeps the viewers engrossed. There is a fight sequence in each episode and sometimes many in one due to the prevalence of subsequent enemies, but it is enjoyable and if you are an action lover, then it is a paradise for you. During that period, beheading was a norm, and capital punishment, thus, you will see many such incidents. Netflix has blurred those scenes, still, I used to overlook during those moments.

3. Islamic aspects: The drama shows the good and real Muslim leaders, unlike the movies where you always see a cruel character. It helps in changing the negative perception of Islam and people who follow it. All the characters of this tribe live in the true way of Islam, which inspires Muslims across the globe and is one the main reason for the drama’s popularity. But it doesn’t mean that there is no nasty Muslim, the history is the witness, that in every generation, you will find such people who are the culprits and destroys their nation.

4. Acting prowess: I was spellbound by their acting prowess. They are so good as to make us feel real. The emotions, fight, romance; drama was perfectly enacted by the actors. Not only the protagonist, even the supporting artist, and the antagonist were too good to be true.

5. Women empowerment: The drama reflects the life of Kayi Tribe women in a substantial position. The women of the tribe are strong, learns how to use the weapons i.e sword and archery, lead carpet and handloom businesses along with household works. They voice their opinion and considered the strongest which I liked the most.

6. Direction, screenplay, production, and cinematography: Lastly, the drama wouldn’t have been successful without this stupendous film-making.

What I Didn’t Like about this Drama:

ertugrul and halime — Ertugrul and Halime

Romance: Yes, I didn’t enjoy the romance between Ertugrul and Halime because it was getting irritated at some point. Due to his blind- love, he had endangered his clan on multiple occasions. He was labelled as “Aashiq” in the drama which was damn true and infuriating sometimes. I speed fast all the romance scenes which saved my time and made me finish the drama before time.

Love affairs: Yes, again the love affairs shown in the drama, felt unrealistic, not because of the plot, but the way it was shown. I believe that love happens in every way possible and is there since Adam’s times, but it was difficult to accept that how freely the love birds were meandering around the tribe during the 13th century. How can that be true? I understand it is a work of fiction, still they should had not be shown, because during that period, the Muslim world or historical people were not open to such affections shown publicly.

Few contrived scenes: But they were minimal and still tolerable than all the romance and love scenes.

Final Thoughts

“Ertugrul” season 1 is worth the watch and I would recommend everyone because the show offers many things. I hope the above reasons were enough to make you feel enthralling.

It is a family entertainer and will enrich you with a history we didn’t know about.

Although the drama is prolonged, it is not shoehorned and you will not feel wearisome. Just like me, you can save time, by fast forwards the romantic scenes.