Avizier (/ˈvɪziər/;[1]Arabic:وزير,romanized: wazīr;Persian:وزیر,romanized: vazīr) is a high-ranking political advisor orminister in theNear East.[2] TheAbbasid caliphs gave the titlewazir to a minister formerly calledkatib (secretary), who was at first merely a helper but afterwards became the representative and successor of thedapir (official scribe or secretary) of theSassanian kings.[3]
In modern usage, the term has been used for governmentministers in much of theMiddle East and beyond. Several alternative spellings are used in English, such asvizir,wazir, andvezir.
Another possibility is that it isIranian word, from thePahlavi root ofvičir, which originally had the meaning of adecree,mandate, andcommand, but later as its use inDinkard also suggests, came to meanjudge ormagistrate.[7] Arthur Jeffery considers the word to be a "good Iranian" word, as it has a well-established root inAvestan language.[7] The Pahlavivičir, is in fact from the Avestanvīčira, which meansdeciding.[7] This Avestan root is behind theModern Persian form of the word which isvečer which meansjudge.[7] This etymology is supported - among other scientists - by Johnny Cheung,[8]Ernest David Klein[4] andRichard Nelson Frye.[9]
The office of vizier arose under the first Abbasid caliphs,[6] and spread across the Muslim world.
The vizier stood between sovereign and subjects, representing the former in all matters touching the latter.[10] The 11th-century legal theoristal-Mawardi defined two types of viziers:wazīr al-tanfīdh ("vizier of execution"), who had limited powers and served to implement the caliph's policies, and the far more powerfulwazīr al-tafwīd ("vizier with delegated powers"), with authority over civil and military affairs, and enjoyed the same powers as the caliph, except in the matter of the succession or the appointment of officials.[11] Al-Mawardi stressed that the latter, as an effective viceroy, had to be a Muslim well versed in theShari'a, whereas the former could also be a non-Muslim or even a slave, although women continued to be expressly barred from the office.[12]
Historically, the term has been used to describe two very different ways: either for a unique position, the prime minister at the head of the monarch's government (the termGrand Vizier always refers to such a post), or as a shared 'cabinet rank', rather like a Britishsecretary of state. If one such vizier is the prime minister, he may hold the title of Grand Vizier or another title.
In MuslimPersia, the prime minister under the political authority of theShahanshah was commonly styledVazīr-e Azam ('Supreme -, i.e. Grand Vizier'; alternative titles includeAtabeg-e Azam andSardār-e Azam), and various Ministers held cabinet rank asvazir, including aVazir-i-Daftar (minister for finance) and aVazir-i-Lashkar (war portfolio).
Inal-Andalus, theUmayyadCaliphs of Córdoba appointed a varying number of viziers, as heads of departments in the bureaucracy, ministers with specific tasks, and royal councillors; at one point, in 1008, there were as many as 29 viziers at the same time. Unlike the Islamic east, the senior office of the Umayyad state was that of the chamberlain (hajib).[13] Under theTaifa kingdoms the title proliferated and became a generic court title.[14] During the later Umayyads, viziers were also appointed outside the capital as provincial governors or commanders, a practice which continued until the fall of theEmirate of Granada in the 15th century. The Spanish wordalguacil (governor, official with civil or criminal duties) derives from this.[14]
Again since the effective end of Ottoman rule, remarkably since 1857 (i.e. before the last Wali (governor), Isma`il Pasha, was raisedKhedive (circa Viceroy, on 8 June 1867), exchanged for the western prime ministers on 28 August 1878 (before the formally independent sultanate was proclaimed).
During the days of theOttoman Empire, theGrand Vizier was the—often de facto ruling—prime minister, second only to the Sultan and was the leader of the Divan, theImperial Council. "Vizier" was also the title of some Ottoman provincial governors, such as inBosnia and Herzegovina, where usage of the title often indicated a greater degree of autonomy for the province involved and the greater prestige of the title holder (this was, for example, a major issue in theBosnian uprising of 1831). Also, many of the viziers originated from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, as well as other countries and from various ethnicities.
In the Sherifian kingdom ofMorocco (historically a sultanate until the incumbent assumed the higher royal style ofMalik on 14 August 1957, shortly after the end of the simultaneous French and Spanish protectorates; the additional Islamic titleAmir al-Mu´minin "Commander of the Faithful" stayed in use), aSadr al-A'zam (Grand Vizier) was in office until 22 November 1955, replaced since 7 December 1955 a (part-political) Prime Minister; Vizier was the style of a minister of state (other titles for various portfolios).
In Oman the Hami/Sultan's chief minister was styledWazir until 1966, but in 1925–1932 there was also or instead a chairman of the council of Ministers; since 1970 the style is prime minister.
In theBengal Sultanate, many local officials had the title of Wazir/Uzir
Viziers to the Sultans ofZanzibar (a branch of the Omani dynasty); since 1890 filled by British, also known asfirst ministers, (1 July 1913 – 23 February 1961) the BritishResident (Minister)s, an extremely direct form of indirect rule (before and after chief- or prime ministers, generally native).
Grand Viziers to theSultan of Sokoto – however, this is disputed. The title "Waziri" is apparently a derivative of this word, and is a highly regardedchieftaincy title in most of northernNigeria. Indeed, most of theemirs in northern Nigeria have a "Waziri", who is usually a high-ranking adviser to the emir.
In pre- and colonial (notably British)India many rulers, even some Hindu princes, had a vizier as chief minister – compareDiwan,Nawab wasir,Pradhan, etc.
In the (former) sultanate of theMaldives (Divehi language), the prime minister was styledBodu Vizier, and various Ministers held cabinet rank asvazierin (plural), includingHakura'a (portfolio of Public Works),Shahbandar (Navy portfolio, also admiral in chief),Vela'ana'a (Foreign Affairs).
InAfghanistan, under theDurrani dynasty, the chief minister was styledVazīr-e Azam orWazir-i-azam (1801–1880); theVazīr-e Darbār orWazir al-durbar was the ('House') Minister of the Royal Court.
Wazīr is the standardArabic word for a government minister. Prime ministers are usually termed asRa'īs al-Wuzara (literally, president of the ministers) oral-Wazīr al-'Awwal (prime minister). The latter term is generally found in theMaghreb, while the former is typical of usage in theMashriq (broadly defined, includingEgypt,Sudan,Levant,Iraq and theArabian Peninsula). Thus, for example, thePrime Minister of Egypt is in Arabic awazīr.
InIran the ministers of government are calledVazir inPersian (e.g. foreign/healthVazir), andprime minister of state before the removal of the post, was called asNokhost Vazir.
InPakistan, the prime minister (de facto ruling politician, formally under the president) is calledVazīr-e Azam (Persian forGrand vizier), other Ministers are styledvazirs.
InIndia,Vazīr is the official translation of minister in theUrdu language, and is used in ministerial oath taking ceremonies conducted in Urdu.
InBrunei thevizier is classified into five titles, which are:
The current head of vizier orPerdana Wazir of Brunei is PrinceMohamed Bolkiah. His full title is His Royal Highness Perdana Wazir Sahibul Himmah Wal-Waqar Prince HajiMohamed Bolkiah.
His Royal Highness Pengiran Bendahara Seri Maharaja Permaisuara Prince HajiSufri Bolkiah
His Royal Highness Pengiran Digadong Sahibul Mal Prince HajiJefri Bolkiah
In the rare case of the Indian princely state ofJafarabad (Jafrabad, founded c. 1650), ruled byThanadars, in 1702 a state calledJanjira was founded, with rulers (six incumbents) styledwazir; when, in 1762, Jafarabad and Janjira states entered into personal union, both titles were maintained until (after 1825) the higher style ofNawab was assumed.[citation needed]
A much older example of this archetype is the characterHaman from thebiblical book ofEsther. The book describes the rise of aJewish woman toQueen ofPersia, and her role in stopping the plot of Haman, chief advisor to the Persian king, to wipe out all Jews living in Persia.[citation needed]
InShatranj, from which modernchess developed, the piece corresponding to the modern chess "queen" (though far weaker) was often calledWazīr.Up to the present, the word for the queen piece inchess is still called by variants of the word "vazīr" in Middle Eastern languages, as well as inHungarian ("vezér", meaning "leader") andRussian ("ferz' (ферзь)").
InGanjifa cards, the vizier is aface card holding the second-highest rank in a suit, after theking. InMamluk Kanjifa, there are two vizier ranks: the first vizier (na'ib malik), and the second vizier (na'ib thani). When Mamluk Kanjifa was introduced to Europe, the two ranks were transformed into theknight andknave inLatin-suited playing cards, and into theober andunter inSwiss- andGerman-suited playing cards. The vizier may have had an important role in early playing card games as the Arabic term for vizier (na'ib) became synonymous to the name for playing cards in the Italian Renaissane (naibi) and even in Spain today (naipes).
In theMysore Chad Ganjifa, the Vizier (Amatya or Mantri), is one of six court cards. It ranks third, after the King (Raja) and Queen (Rajni), and before the Knight (Senani), Jack (Padathi or Sevaka), and Banner (Dhwaja). In these cards, the vizier is depicted sitting in aratha.
