Bacıyân-ı Rûm (literally Sisters of Rûm) was an female militia organization in the late Anatolian Beylik era.Kasapoglu 1992, pp. 67–68
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). 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.
Bacıyân-ı Rûm was a Turkic female militia. Organized militias of female warriors are characteristic of many Iranian and Turkic semi-nomadic groups, such as the Scythians, Sarmatians, Bulgars, Pechenegs, Cumans and others. In the Islamic tradition, Sufism had a decisive influence on its formation, adopting the tradition of female warriors from earlier pagan times. The organization began to decline in the 14th - 15th centuries with the rise of the Ottoman Beylik, which conquered the remaining principalities in Asia Minor. However, female warriors from the Baciyan-i Rum were probably participated in the Ottoman conquest of the Balkans during the 14th - 15th centuries. Similar women's military organizations were also existed in Volga Bulgaria in the 10th - 13th centuries.
Some conservative historians disputed organisation actually existed, and 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). Zeki Velidi Togan also supported this view. 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).
See also Akhiya Ahi Beylik
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