Uzbekistan's Forgotten Sufi Masters and Spiritual Networks

The Story of Uzbekistan: Silk Road Kingdoms and Soviet Legacy — Fexingo History · Oct 17, 2026 · 7m · transcript

We trace the invisible architecture of faith that held Central Asia together long before borders existed. While we’ve covered the cotton traps and the Great Game spies, this episode turns inward to the Khanaka hospices and the Naqshbandi order. We explore how Khodja Ahrar in Bukhara wielded soft power that rivaled khans, using charity and spiritual guidance to manage urban life during the Timurid decline. You’ll hear about the Yasawi tradition in the north, the intricate web of shrines like Shah-i Zinda, and how figures like Abd al-Naqshband and Bakhodur Kalandar created a social safety net…