Prior to its use as a monarchical title, the term "emir" was historically used to denote a "commander", "general", or "leader" (for example,Amir al-Mu'min). In contemporary usage, "emir" is also sometimes used as either an honorary or formal title for the head of an Islamic, or Arab (regardless of religion) organisation or movement.
Qatar andKuwait are the only independent countries which retain the title "emir" for their monarchs. In recent years, the title has been gradually replaced by "king" by contemporary hereditary rulers who wish to emphasize their secular authority under the rule of law. A notable example isBahrain, whose monarch changed his title from emir to king in 2002.[1]
Amir, meaning "lord" or "commander-in-chief", is derived from theArabicroota-m-r, meaning "command". Originally simply meaning "commander", it came to be used as a title of leaders, governors, or rulers of smaller states. In modern Arabic the word is analogous to the title "Prince". The word enteredEnglish in 1593, from theFrenchémir.[2] It was one of the titles or names of theIslamic prophetMuhammad.[citation needed]
Thecaliphs first used the titleAmir al-Muminin or "Commander of the Faithful", stressing their leadership over the Islamic empire, especially over the militia. The title has been assumed by various otherMuslim rulers, includingsultans and emirs. ForShia Muslims, they still give this title to the CaliphAli asAmir al-Muminin.
TheAbbasid (in theory still universal) CaliphAl-Radi created the post ofAmir al-Umara ("Amir of the Amirs") forIbn Raik; the title was used in various Islamic monarchies; see below for military use. In Iraq, the direct descendants of previous Emirs from the largest tribes who ruled the kingdoms before modern statehood, use the title ofSheikh or Prince as the progeny of royalty.[9][10]
Formerly inLebanon, the ruling emir formally used the styleal-Amir al-Hakim, specifying it was still the ruler's title. The title was held byDruze andChristians as well.[citation needed]
The wordemir is also used less formally for leaders in certain contexts. For example, the leader of a group ofpilgrims toMecca is called anemir hadji, a title sometimes used by ruling princes (as a mark of Muslim piety) which is sometimes awarded in their name. Where an adjectival form is necessary, "emiral" suffices.[citation needed]
Amirzade, the son (hence the Persian patronymic suffix-zade) of a prince, hence the Persian princely titlemirza.
The Constitution ofMorocco uses the termAmir al-Mu'minin as the principal title of the King of Morocco, as a means to showcase the hegemonic role and Islamic legitimacy of the Monarch.[12]
From the start,emir has been a military title. In the 9th century the term was used to denote a ruler of a state i.e.Italy'sEmirate of Sicily.
In certain decimally-organized Muslim armies, Amir was an officer rank. For example, inMughal India, the Amirs commanded 1000 horsemen (divided into ten units, each under asipah salar), ten of them under onemalik. In the imperial army ofQajar Persia:
Amir-i-Nuyan
Amir Panj, "Commander of 5,000"
Amir-i-Tuman, "Commander of 10,000"
The following posts referred to "amir" under medieval Muslim states include:
Amir al-umara, "Amir of Amirs" (cfr. supra) or 'Commander of Commanders'
Amir is a masculine name in thePersian language and a prefix name for many masculine names such as Amir Ali, Amir Abbas.
Amir-i-Iel designates the head of anIl (tribe) in imperial Persia.
The masculineAmir and feminineAmira areArabic-language names common among both Arabs regardless of religion and Muslims regardless of ethnicity, much as LatinRex andRegina ("king" and "queen", respectively) are common in the Western world. InBosnia and Herzegovina, the female name Emira, often interpreted as "princess", is a derivative of the male name Emir.
The masculineAmir and feminineAmira areHebrew-language names that are relatively common in Israel. In Hebrew the word can also mean "bundle of grain" or "treetop" depending on the spelling.
^"Family Tree".datarabia.com.Archived from the original on 8 November 2017. Retrieved7 December 2016.
^Howell, Georgina (15 January 2015).Queen of The Desert: The Extraordinary Life of Gertrude Bell. Pan Books.ISBN9781447286264.
^Batatu, Hanna (1978).The Old Social Classes and the Revolutionary Movements of Iraq: A Study of Iraq's Old Landed and Commercial Classes and of its Communists, Ba'thists and Free Officers. Princeton University Press.
^ab"admiral,n.",Oxford English Dictionary, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2024.
