Baciyan-i Rum
Bacıyân-ı Rûm (literally Sisters of Rûm)[1] was an alleged female militia organization in the late Anatolian Beylik era.[2]
Origins
The term bâciyân-ı Rûm was first time mentioned in the 15th century by Aşıkpaşazade, alongside other groups called gāziyân-ı Rûm (Ghazis of Rum), ahîyân-ı Rûm (Akhis of Rum) and abdalân-ı Rûm (Abdals of Rum).[3][4] Another record appears in Bertrandon de la Broquière's travelogue. La Broquière mentioned that the Beylik of Dulkadir had a Turkoman militia consisting of women.[3][5]
It is disputed if such an organisation actually existed, and if it had any military character. Some modern historians argue that, in Aşıkpaşazade's history, the word "bâciyân" (sisters) was a misspelling of another word. Franz Taeschner took this view, suggesting it might have ben hajiyân-ı Rûm (pilgrims of Rum) or bahşiyân-ı Rûm (clerks of Rum).[3] Zeki Velidi Togan also supported this view.[6] However, Mehmet Fuat Köprülü argued that such an organisation might have existed - female initiates into Sufi orders (such as the Bektashi) were given the title of "bacı" ("sister"), just as male initiates were given the title of "akhi (brother).[3]
See also
References
- ^ Didem Havlioglu (2017). Mihrî Hatun: Performance, Gender-Bending, and Subversion in Ottoman Intellectual History. p. 78.
- ^ Kasapoglu 1992, pp. 67–68
- ^ a b c d Körpülü, Orhan Fuad (1991). "BÂCİYÂN-ı RÛM". TDV Encyclopedia of Islam, Vol. 4 (Âşik Ömer – Bâlâ Külli̇yesi̇) (in Turkish). Istanbul: Presidency of Religious Affairs, Centre for Islamic Studies. ISBN 978-975-389-431-9.
- ^ Âşıkpaşazâde. Târih (in Turkish). p. 200.
- ^ La Broquière, Bertrandon de (1892). La Voyage d'outremer (in French). Paris. pp. 82, 118.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ Togan, Zeki Velidi (1970). Umumi Türk Tarihine Giriş (in Turkish). Istanbul. p. 496.
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