Plural of 'aga'; military commanders or government officials in the Ottoman Empire and other Islamic historical states.
From Turkish 'ağa,' originally a military or household commander title, adopted into English through colonial and historical contact. Turkish borrowed it from earlier Central Asian sources.
An 'aga' commanded respect and power in Ottoman society—they could be janissary officers, administrative officials, or household heads, making the term as flexible as 'lord' or 'sir' in English feudalism.
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