الوزير

تاريخيًا، الوزير (يُلفظ /ˈvɪziər / ؛ [ 1 ] بالعربية : ^{وزير ، بالحروف} اللاتينية : wazīr ؛ بالفارسية : وزیر ، بالحروف اللاتينية : vazīr ) هو مستشار سياسي رفيع المستوى أو وزير في بلاد فارس الكبرى . ^{[ 2 ]} منح الخلفاء العباسيون لقب وزير لوزير كان يُسمى سابقًا كاتبًا (سكرتيرًا)، والذي كان في البداية مجرد مساعد ، ثم أصبح فيما بعد ممثلًا وخليفة للدابير ( الكاتب الرسمي أو السكرتير) لملوك الساسانيين . ^{[ 3 ]}  

في الاستخدام الحديث، يُستخدم هذا المصطلح للإشارة إلى وزراء الحكومة في معظم أنحاء الشرق الأوسط وخارجه. وتُستخدم عدة تهجئات بديلة في اللغة الإنجليزية، مثل vizir و wazir و vezir .

قد يؤدي وجود مجموعة من الوزراء إلى ظهور وزير أعظم ، ضمن حضارتهم.

يُعتقد أن كلمة "وزير" مشتقة من الكلمة العربية " وزير " ( وتعني حرفيًا " حمل عبء " )، من الجذر السامي "و-ز-ر" . ^{[ 4 ]} وقد ذُكرت الكلمة في القرآن الكريم ، حيث وُصف هارون بأنه وزير موسى، وكذلك كلمة "وزير" (وتعني "عبء") المشتقة أيضًا من الجذر نفسه. ^{[ 5 ]} وقد اعتُمدت لاحقًا كلقب، بصيغة " وزير آل محمد " ( وتعني حرفيًا " ناصر آل محمد " )، من قِبل الزعيمين الشيعيين الأوائل المختار وأبو سلمة . ^{[ 6 ]} وفي عهد الخلفاء العباسيين ، اكتسب المصطلح معنى "الممثل" أو "النائب". ^{[ 6 ]}

Another possibility is that it is an Iranian word, from the Pahlavi root of vičir, which originally had the meaning of a decree, mandate, and command, but later as its use in Dinkard also suggests, came to mean judge or magistrate.^[7] Arthur Jeffery considers the word to be a "good Iranian" word, as it has a well-established root in Avestan language.^[7] The Pahlavi vičir, is in fact from the Avestan vīčira, which means deciding.^[7] This Avestan root is behind the Modern Persian form of the word which is večer which means judge.^[7] This etymology is supported - among other scientists - by Johnny Cheung,^[8]Ernest David Klein^[4] and Richard Nelson Frye.^[9] Conversely, the Iranian etymology is strictly rejected by prominent historians of Islamic administration, who maintain that the word is purely Arabic.^[10][11] S. D. Goitein, who extensively researched the origin of the institution, explicitly debunks the Pahlavi origin theory.^[11] He argues that the semantic leap from the Middle Persian vičir (meaning a decree, mandate, or judge) to the political office of a "deputy" or "burden-bearer" is linguistically and historically improbable.^[12] Goitein demonstrates that the term evolved organically within the early Arab-Islamic context, transitioning directly from its Quranic meaning of a personal helper to a formal administrative office.^[13] This conclusion is affirmed by Dominique Sourdel, the foremost authority on the Abbasid vizierate, who confirms that both the title and the institution are strictly rooted in the Semitic root W-Z-R (to bear a burden) and were not borrowed from Sasanian models.^[14]

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.^[15] The 11th-century legal theorist al-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 powerful wazīr 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.^[16] Al-Mawardi stressed that the latter, as an effective viceroy, had to be a Muslim well versed in the Shari'a, whereas the former could also be a non-Muslim or even a slave, although women continued to be expressly barred from the office.^[17]

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 term Grand Vizier always refers to such a post), or as a shared 'cabinet rank', rather like a British secretary of state. If one such vizier is the prime minister, he may hold the title of Grand Vizier or another title.

In Islamic states

• The title was first used in the early Abbasid Caliphate, cf. Vizier (Abbasid Caliphate).
• In Muslim Persia, the prime minister under the political authority of the Shahanshah was commonly styled Vazīr-e Azam ('Supreme -, i.e. Grand Vizier'; alternative titles include Atabeg-e Azam and Sardār-e Azam), and various Ministers held cabinet rank as vazir, including a Vazir-i-Daftar (minister for finance) and a Vazir-i-Lashkar (war portfolio).
• في الأندلس ، عيّن خلفاء الأمويين في قرطبة عددًا متفاوتًا من الوزراء، كرؤساء أقسام في الجهاز البيروقراطي، ووزراء ذوي مهام محددة، ومستشارين ملكيين؛ وفي إحدى الفترات، عام 1008، بلغ عددهم 29 وزيرًا في آن واحد. وخلافًا للمشرق الإسلامي، كان أعلى منصب في الدولة الأموية هو منصب الحاجب . [ ^{18 ] وفي} ظل ممالك الطوائف، انتشر هذا اللقب وأصبح لقبًا عامًا في البلاط. ^{[ 19 ]} وخلال العصر الأموي المتأخر، عُيّن الوزراء أيضًا خارج العاصمة كحكام أو قادة إقليميين، وهي ممارسة استمرت حتى سقوط إمارة غرناطة في القرن الخامس عشر. ومن هنا اشتُقّت الكلمة الإسبانية "alguacil" (حاكم، مسؤول ذو واجبات مدنية أو جنائية). ^{[ 19 ]}
• في مصر المسلمة ، الدولة العربية الأكثر اكتظاظاً بالسكان:
  • وزير في عهد الخلفاء الفاطميين.
  • مرة أخرى منذ النهاية الفعلية للحكم العثماني، وبشكل ملحوظ منذ عام 1857 (أي قبل أن يتم تنصيب آخر والي (حاكم)، إسماعيل باشا، خديوي (حوالي نائب الملك، في 8 يونيو 1867)، وتم استبداله برؤساء وزراء الغرب في 28 أغسطس 1878 (قبل إعلان السلطنة المستقلة رسميًا).
• خلال عهد الدولة العثمانية ، كان الصدر الأعظم رئيس الوزراء - وغالبًا ما كان الحاكم الفعلي - ويأتي في المرتبة الثانية بعد السلطان، وكان رئيس الديوان، المجلس الإمبراطوري . كما كان لقب "الوزير" يُطلق على بعض حكام الأقاليم العثمانية، كما هو الحال في البوسنة والهرسك ، حيث كان استخدام هذا اللقب يُشير غالبًا إلى درجة أكبر من الاستقلال الذاتي للإقليم المعني، وإلى مكانة مرموقة لحامل اللقب (وكان هذا، على سبيل المثال، قضية محورية في انتفاضة البوسنة عام 1831). كذلك، كان العديد من الوزراء من أصول بوسنية وهرسكية، وصربية، بالإضافة إلى دول أخرى ومن مختلف الأعراق.
• في المملكة الشريفية بالمغرب (التي كانت تاريخياً سلطنة حتى تولى الحاكم اللقب الملكي الأعلى مالك في 14 أغسطس 1957، بعد فترة وجيزة من انتهاء الحماية الفرنسية والإسبانية المتزامنة؛ وظل اللقب الإسلامي الإضافي أمير المؤمنين "أمير المؤمنين" قيد الاستخدام)، كان الصدر الأعظم في منصبه حتى 22 نوفمبر 1955، وحل محله منذ 7 ديسمبر 1955 رئيس وزراء (ذو طابع سياسي جزئي)؛ وكان لقب الوزير لقب وزير دولة (ألقاب أخرى لمختلف الحقائب الوزارية).
• In the Adal Sultanate located in the Horn of Africa.^[20]
• In the HashemiteKingdom of Hejaz (later merged into present-day Saudi Arabia), the sole Vizier was (10 June 1916 –3 October 1924) the future second king Ali ibn Hussein al-Hashimi, under his father Hussein ibn Ali al-Hashimi (the first to assume the title Malik, i.e. King, instead of Grand Sharif), maintained after the assumption of the Caliphal style (only 11 March 1924 –3 October 1924)
• In the 'regency' of Tunisia, under the Husainid Dynasty, various ministers of the Bey, including:
  • Wazir al-Akbar (or El Ouzir El Kébir): 'great minister', i.e. grand vizier, chief minister or prime minister.
  • Wazir al-'Amala (or El Ouzir El Amala): Minister for the Interior.
  • Wazir al-Bahr (or El Ouzir El Bahr): Minister 'of the Sea', i.e. for the Navy/ Marine.
  • Wazir al-Harb (or El Ouzir El Harb): Minister for the Army or Minister for War.
  • Wazir al-Istishara (or El Ouzir El Istichara): Minister-Counsellor.
  • Wazir al-Qalam: Minister of the Pen.
  • Wazir ud-Daula (or El Ouzir El Dawla): Minister of State.
  • Wazir us-Shura (or El Ouzir Ech Choura): Privy Counsellor.
• In Oman the Hami/Sultan's chief minister was styled Wazir 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 the Bengal Sultanate, many local officials had the title of Wazir/Uzir
• Viziers to the Sultans of Zanzibar (a branch of the Omani dynasty); since 1890 filled by British, also known as first ministers, (1 July 1913 –23 February 1961) the British Resident (Minister)s, an extremely direct form of indirect rule (before and after chief- or prime ministers, generally native).
• Grand Viziers to the Sultan of Sokoto – however, this is disputed. The title "Waziri" is apparently a derivative of this word, and is a highly regarded chieftaincy title in most of northern Nigeria. Indeed, most of the emirs 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 – compare Diwan, Nawab wasir, Pradhan, etc.
• In the (former) sultanate of the Maldives (Divehi language), the prime minister was styled Bodu Vizier, and various Ministers held cabinet rank as vazierin (plural), including Hakura'a (portfolio of Public Works), Shahbandar (Navy portfolio, also admiral in chief), Vela'ana'a (Foreign Affairs).
• In Afghanistan, under the Durrani dynasty, the chief minister was styled Vazīr-e Azam or Wazir-i-azam (1801–1880); the Vazīr-e Darbār or Wazir al-durbar was the ('House') Minister of the Royal Court.
• List of Ghaznavid Viziers
• In the Mataram Sultanate and subsequent sultanates, a wazir was a chief minister to the sultan.
• In the Durrani Empire, numerous wazirs were appointed over different rulers.

Wazīr is the standard Arabic word for a government minister. Prime ministers are usually termed as Ra'īs al-Wuzara (literally, president of the ministers) or al-Wazīr al-'Awwal (prime minister). The latter term is generally found in the Maghreb, while the former is typical of usage in the Mashriq (broadly defined, including Egypt, Sudan, Levant, Iraq and the Arabian Peninsula). Thus, for example, the Prime Minister of Egypt is in Arabic a wazīr.

In Iran, government ministers are called Vazir in Persian (e.g. foreign/health Vazir), and the prime minister of state before the abolition of the post, was called as Nokhost Vazir.

In Pakistan, the Prime Minister as head of government is called Vazīr-e Azam (Persian for Grand vizier), while other Ministers are styled vazir, e.g. the foreign minister is called the Vazir-e-Khārjah.

In India, Vazīr is the official translation of minister in the Urdu language, and is used in ministerial oath taking ceremonies conducted in Urdu.

In East Africa, particularly Kenya and Tanzania, ministers are referred to as Waziri in Swahili and prime ministers as Waziri Mkuu.

In Brunei, the vizier is classified into five titles, which are:

• The current head vizier or Perdana Wazir of Brunei is Prince Mohamed Bolkiah. His full title is His Royal Highness Perdana Wazir Sahibul Himmah Wal-Waqar Prince Haji Mohamed Bolkiah.
• His Royal Highness Pengiran Bendahara Seri Maharaja Permaisuara Prince Haji Sufri Bolkiah
• His Royal Highness Pengiran Digadong Sahibul Mal Prince Haji Jefri Bolkiah
• Pengiran Pemancha Sahibul Rae' Wal-Mashuarah – vacant
• Pengiran Temanggong Sahibul Bahar – vacant

The Nation of Islam sometimes uses the honorific title of “Wazir” for Louis Farrakhan.

In the rare case of the Indian princely state of Jafarabad (Jafrabad, founded c. 1650), ruled by Thanadars, in 1702 a state called Janjira was founded, with rulers (six incumbents) styled wazir; when, in 1762, Jafarabad and Janjira states entered into personal union, both titles were maintained until (after 1825) the higher style of Nawab was assumed.

In contemporary literature and pantomime, the "Grand Vizier" is a character stereotype and is usually portrayed as a scheming backroom plotter and the clear power behind the throne of a usually bumbling or incompetent monarch. A well-known example of this is the sinister character of Jafar in the Disney animated film Aladdin, who plots and uses magic to take over the entire Kingdom of Agrabah under the nose of the nation's naïve sultan, just as Jaffar in the 1940 movie The Thief of Bagdad dethroned his master, caliph Ahmad. Others include Zigzag from The Thief and the Cobbler (the original inspiration for the character of Jafar in Disney's Aladdin), the character Iznogoud in the eponymous French comic book by René Goscinny and Jean Tabary, Prince Sinbad's advisor Yusuf in the DC Vertigo series Fables, and the villains of the video gamesPrince of Persia (also called Jaffar, before the release of Disney's Aladdin) and King's Quest VI: Heir Today, Gone Tomorrow.

A much older example of this archetype is the character Haman from the biblical book of Esther. The book describes the rise of a Jewish woman to Queen of Persia, and her role in stopping the plot of Haman, chief advisor to the Persian king, to wipe out all Jews living in Persia.

• Ja'far ibn Yahya of Harun al-Rashid, a member of Barmakid family and an inspiration for the aforementioned Arabian Nights Jafar
• Amir Kabir of the Qajar Iran
• Khan i-Jahan of the Delhi Sultanate
• Hasanak the Vizier of the Ghaznavid Empire
• Mahmud Gawan of the Bahmani Sultanate
• Abu'l-Fazl ibn Mubarak of the Mughal Empire
• Almanzor of the Caliphate of Córdoba
• Nizam al-Mulk of Malik Shah I in Seljuk Empire
• Sokollu Mehmed Pasha of the Ottoman Empire

In Shatranj, from which modern chess developed, the piece corresponding to the modern chess "queen" (though far weaker, only able to move one or two squares diagonally) was often called Wazīr. Up to the present, the word for the queen piece in chess is still called by variants of the word "vazīr" in many Middle Eastern, Central Asian and East European languages.

In Ganjifa cards, the vizier is a face card holding the second-highest rank in a suit, after the king. In Mamluk 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 the knight and knave in Latin-suited playing cards, and into the ober and unter in Swiss- and German-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 the Mysore 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 a ratha.

In Nabagunjara Ganjifa, the vizier is depicted as Arjuna.

• List of grand viziers of Persia
• Wasita (title)
• Wuzurg framadar

• Bianquis, Th. (2002). "Wazīr. I. In the Arab World 2. The Fāṭimid caliphate". In Bearman, P. J.; Bianquis, Th.; Bosworth, C. E.; van Donzel, E. & Heinrichs, W. P. (eds.). The Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second Edition. Volume XI: W–Z. Leiden: E. J. Brill. pp. 188–190. ISBN 978-90-04-12756-2.
• Carmona, A. (2002). "Wazīr. I. In the Arab World 4. Muslim Spain". In Bearman, P. J.; Bianquis, Th.; Bosworth, C. E.; van Donzel, E. & Heinrichs, W. P. (eds.). The Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second Edition. Volume XI: W–Z. Leiden: E. J. Brill. pp. 191–192. ISBN 978-90-04-12756-2.
• Eddé, Anne-Marie (2002). "Wazīr. I. In the Arab World 3. The Ayyūbids". In Bearman, P. J.; Bianquis, Th.; Bosworth, C. E.; van Donzel, E. & Heinrichs, W. P. (eds.). The Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second Edition. Volume XI: W–Z. Leiden: E. J. Brill. pp. 190–191. ISBN 978-90-04-12756-2.
• İnalcık, Halil (2002). "Wazīr. III. In the Ottoman Empire". In Bearman, P. J.; Bianquis, Th.; Bosworth, C. E.; van Donzel, E. & Heinrichs, W. P. (eds.). The Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second Edition. Volume XI: W–Z. Leiden: E. J. Brill. pp. 194–197. ISBN 978-90-04-12756-2.
• Lambton, Ann K. S. (2002). "Wazīr. II. In Persia". In Bearman, P. J.; Bianquis, Th.; Bosworth, C. E.; van Donzel, E. & Heinrichs, W. P. (eds.). The Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second Edition. Volume XI: W–Z. Leiden: E. J. Brill. pp. 192–194. ISBN 978-90-04-12756-2.
• Zaman, Muhammad Qasim (2002). "Wazīr. I. In the Arab World 1. The ʿAbbāsids.". In Bearman, P. J.; Bianquis, Th.; Bosworth, C. E.; van Donzel, E. & Heinrichs, W. P. (eds.). The Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second Edition. Volume XI: W–Z. Leiden: E. J. Brill. pp. 185–188. ISBN 978-90-04-12756-2.
• Etymology OnLine