Haji Abdol Azim Sharii: Iranian biography writer of Bukhara

Haji Abdol Azim Sharii (death: 1894) is the first biography writer of the literary environment of Bukhara that played a significant role in the second half of the 19th century to spread the idea of biography writing as a genre in Transoxiana through being inspired by Vazeh Bukharayi and other Iranian contemporary writers. There is little known about this biography writer and his biography. This study aims to analyze the life of Sharii and his biography. The study employs content and genre analysis to pursue the following questions: Could we understand the real identity of Sharii? What are the Sharii's criteria to write a biography? The findings show that Sharii is an Iranian from Bukhara. His identity is still vague after one and a half century after his death. The study analyzes his criteria considering nine aspects: 1. penname, 2. racial and family relations, 3. literary and ideological ties, 4. birthplace, birth and death date, 5. occupation, studies, teachers, students, and contemporary figures, 6. other poets' works, 7. ties with the government, 8. rhetoric of biography writing, and 9. language.