A Sufi master, Aghā-Yi Buzurg (d. 1523) was a figure of great authority. Far from being a secluded ascetic, she dealt with rivals, protected her disciples, and interceded with the royal court.
Aghā-Yi Buzurg was active in Bukhara, a major centre of religious education, during the 16th century. Most of what is known about her comes from the Mazhar al-ajaib, a text written by her disciple Hafiz Basir in 1565. Little is therefore known about her origins. Even her personal name has been lost, as Aghā-Yi Buzurg can be translated as “The Great Lady.”
Some information is nonetheless available regarding her family. Her father may not have originally come from the region, and she had two foster brothers. Aghā-Yi Buzurg played an important role in the spiritual lives of her male relatives, advising and guiding them on her path. Whether she was married or not remains unclear.
Although Aghā-Yi Buzurg occupied an unusual position for a woman, her disciple offered no justification for it and presented it as entirely natural. Her sanctity mattered more. As an older woman, she was perceived as a sexless figure, able to bypass social and spatial restrictions. She also likely benefited from the deep respect traditionally accorded to mothers in Muslim culture.
Aghā-Yi Buzurg was a highly public figure whose authority did not depend on a man. Her followers included both men and women. Remarkable women emerged among her disciples, notably Bibi Azal Bakht, who had been trained in medicine by her father and travelled extensively throughout the region to meet other physicians. One of Aghā-Yi Buzurg’s patrons was the influential royal consort Moghul Khanim.
Aghā-Yi Buzurg acted as a spiritual leader and teacher, her income coming from offerings and endowments provided by her community. She lived during a period of major sociopolitical, religious, and economic upheaval in the Persianate world following the fall of the Timurid dynasty in the early 1500s. Religious communities were deeply affected by political instability, and false accusations could prove deadly.
Aghā-Yi Buzurg therefore worked to protect her followers, involving herself in financial management and communal leadership while using her ties to the royal court. She also became involved in struggles against powerful rivals.
Competition for spiritual authority was intense, and Aghā-Yi Buzurg proved more than capable of confronting her opponents. One of her rivals was Mir-i Arab, another influential religious figure who conspired against her disciples. When his plots were exposed, Aghā-Yi Buzurg retaliated immediately, using her network to orchestrate his public humiliation. Mir-i Arab reportedly continued to resent her long after her death.
Aghā-Yi Buzurg was also engaged in another kind of rivalry, although her opponent had long been dead. She frequently proclaimed her superiority over the 8th-century female Sufi saint Rābi‘a al-‘Adawiyya. She showed a clear desire to surpass her spiritual legacy.
Aghā-Yi Buzurg died from heart failure and liver disease. Bibi Azal Bakht did everything she could to cure her. During her final moments, she was surrounded by the women of her community, including Moghul Khanim.
She was deeply mourned by her disciples. Mir-i Arab attempted to take revenge by destroying her tomb. However, he failed, lost the favor of the court, and was exiled. Even in death, Aghā-Yi Buzurg had the last word.
Her shrine near Bukhara, in modern-day Uzbekistan, still receives visitors seeking her blessings.
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Shanazarova Aziza, Female Religiosity in Central Asia: Sufi Leaders in the Persianate World
Shanazarova Aziza, “Old women: Transcendence of gender hierarchy, visibility, and authority”
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