Trailblazing Faith: Women’s Forgotten Contributions to Kashmir’s Rishi Movement and Sufi Heritage

By Sahil Razvi, New Age Islam. 17 March 2025 Women Shaped Kashmir’s Rishi Movement By Expanding Its Reach, Mentoring Disciples, And Inspiring Inclusive Sufi Practices. Figures Like Sanga Bibi And Ganga Bibi Redefined Spiritual Leadership, Yet Their Stories And Those Of Unnamed Female Adherents Demand Deeper Research To Honour Their Legacy Main Points: 1. Women like Sanga Bibi and Ganga Bibi drove the Rishi movement’s spread to North Kashmir, challenging medieval gender norms by serving as spiritual guides and custodians. 2. Mentored both men and women, established a thriving spiritual hub in Boath, and inspired disciples like Baba Neki Rishi to sustain her teachings. 3. Ganga Bibi’s piety led her husband, Langar Mal, to abandon wealth for asceticism, amplifying the Rishi ethos in communities. 4. Sheikh Hamza Makhdum adopted Rishi-inspired rituals, formalizing female initiation through symbolic gestures like oath-taking via water utensils. 5. Persian Tazkiras hint at understudied female disciples (e.g., Hoora, Fatima), urging scholars to reclaim their erased spiritual contributions. ----- Courtesy: www.radiochinar.in ----- The Rishi movement, a distinctive Sufi tradition rooted in Kashmir’s spiritual landscape, witnessed a profound transformation through the contributions of women, particularly in its expansion into the northern regions of the valley. While the movement’s founder, Sheikh Nooruddin Rishi (1377–1438 CE), primarily propagated his teachings across South and Central Kashmir, the later phases of the movement saw its ideals permeate North Kashmir, owing significantly to the active role of female disciples. This article examines the historical trajectory of women’s influence in the Rishi order, focusing on key figures such as Sanga Bibi and Ganga Bibi, and their enduring impact on Kashmir’s socio-spiritual fabric. I have already written a comprehensive article on the Rishi order in Kashmir, which you can read by clicking here. Sheikh Nooruddin Rishi, though widely travelled, concentrated his efforts in South and Central Kashmir, resulting in a denser concentration of Rishi shrines in these regions. However, the movement’s “second and third phases” saw disciples migrate northward, disseminating its teachings. Central to this expansion were women, who emerged as spiritual guides (Murshidās) and custodians of Rishi centres, challenging gender norms of medieval Kashmiri society. Sanga Bibi: Pioneering Female Spiritual Leadership Sanga Bibi, a third-generation Rishi disciple, stands out as a seminal figure. Trained by Hazrat Baba Shukruddin (a disciple of Hazrat Baba Zainuddin), she belonged to Kachalwan village (modern Rafiabad, Baramulla) but later settled in Boath, Kupwara. Her legacy is marked by two groundbreaking contributions. Sanga Bibi mentored men and women, a rarity in 15th–16th century Kashmir. Her most notable disciple, Hazrat Baba Neki Rishi, later oversaw her centre and donated his wealth for its upkeep. Her hermitage in Both became a hub for Rishi practices, attracting devotees even after her death. She was buried on a hillock in Boath, with Baba Neki Rishi interred beside her, a testament to their shared spiritual lineage. Ganga Bibi and the Spiritual Transformation of Households Ganga Bibi, a contemporary of Sanga Bibi from Hamal Pargana (Baramulla), exemplified the Rishi ethos through domestic influence. Married to Langar Mal, a wealthy merchant, her piety inspired her husband to abandon materialism and become a disciple of Baba Ladi Mal, a follower of the revered Hazrat Zain Shah Wali. Langar Mal’s rigorous Chila (40-day meditation in a chinar tree trunk) and eventual settlement in Dandakwana (now Handewan Pora) underscore how women indirectly shaped male spirituality. This region, already sanctified by Zalka Rishi’s presence, gained further prominence through their endeavours. Hazrat Sheikh Hamza Makhdum and the Formalisation of Female Initiation The Suharwardy Sufi saint Hazrat Sheikh Hamza Makhdum (1494–1576 CE), influenced by the Rishis’ inclusive practices, incorporated women into his spiritual fold. His association with Nouroz Rishi, a devotee who managed Sanga Bibi’s centre, bridged Rishi and Suharwardy traditions. Notably, Hazrat Sheikh Hamza institutionalised a gender-sensitive initiation (Bayat) ritual. Physical hand holding with the Sheikh, Symbolic oath-taking via a water utensil, where the Sheikh and disciple placed hands on opposite sides. Persian Tazkiras (hagiographies) record names like Hoora, Noora, Zahida, and Fatima among his female adherents, though their contributions remain underexplored. This ritual innovation highlights the Rishi movement’s legacy in normalising women’s spiritual agency within broader Sufism. The Rishi movement’s northward expansion, facilitated by women like Sanga Bibi and Ganga Bibi, redefined Kashmir’s spiritual geography. Their roles as teachers, centre custodians, and influencers within households challenge stereotypical narratives of medieval female passivity. Moreover, Hazrat Sheikh Hamza Makhdum’s adaptation of Rishi-inspired practices underscores the movement’s enduring impact on Kashmiri Sufism. However, significant gaps persist. The Persian Tazkiras mention numerous female disciples, but their lives and contributions demand rigorous archival research and fieldwork. Scholars must amplify these “invisible” histories to fully appreciate Kashmir’s syncretic heritage, a heritage where women, Rishis, and Suharwardis collectively wove a tapestry of spiritual pluralism. References 1. Khan, Mohammad Ishaq. Kashmir’s Transition to Islam: The Role of Muslim Rishis (15th to 18th Centuries). New Delhi: Manohar Publishers and Distributors, 2002. 2. Ahmad, Fayaz. "Women Rishis of Kashmir: Few Preliminary Gleanings." Kashmir Sufis, 10 June 2022, https://kashmirsufis.wordpress.com/2022/06/10/women-rishis-of-kashmir-few-preliminary-gleanings-fayaz-ahmad-research-scholar/. 3. Development of Kubraviya Sufi Order in Kashmir with Special Reference to Mir Saiyid Ali Hamadani. ------ A regular contributor to New Age Islam, Sahil Razvi is a research scholar specialising in Sufism and Islamic History. He is an alumnus of Jamia Millia Islamia. URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/faith-kashmir-rishi-movement-sufi-heritage/d/134890 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism