Sardar

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Sardar (Persian سردار (sæɾdɑɾ), Punjabi ਸਰਦਾਰ, Hindi सरदार, pronounced [sɐrdaːr]), also Serdar , Sirdar , is an originally Persian title. It is derived from Sar , which means "head". Literally, Sardar denotes the boss or authority ; in the military application the commander . The term was spread through acculturation in Arab and Turkish domains (up to the Balkans and Caucasus ) and on the Indian subcontinent (including Nepal and Pakistan). The title, known as a loan word in many native languages, was further established under British colonial rule .

The meaning of the title Sardar and its variants is not clear and must always be viewed in context - historically it was given as a hereditary title to princes and high nobles or in other cases as an award to capable military leaders. It was and continues to be used as a subordinate form of address, as a name or part of a name, as an epithet or honorary title.

Persia and Iran

The root of the name Sar for "head" is old: the Akkadian and Assyrian royal names Sargon were derived from it, as was the Hebrew word Sar ("prince"), hence the name Sara , which means princess, mistress or princess.

Sardar in Persian is literally someone who has a head as opposed to someone who is without a mind ( bi-sar ). The meaning for Sardar can be found in Persian dictionaries as the translation "leader, general, officer, prince, role model", Sardari means "leadership". Sirdar is related , which means "confidant".

Persian princes and high aristocrats of the Persian Empire ( Safavids and subsequent dynasties) carried the title Sardar . Historical examples include:

  • Hossein Qoli Khan Sardar Qajar (1742–1831), last head of state of the Yerevan Khanate from 1807 to 1828
  • Ali-Qoli Khan Bakhtiari (1856–1917), Bakhtiyari tribal leader, became known as Sardar Asad

Before his coronation as Shah of Persia, Reza Chan carried the title of "Sardar Sepah" as commander or general of the Persian Cossack troops.

In today's Iran , Sardar is used as a salutation for high officers of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard .

Use in Islamic areas outside of Persia

In the Ottoman Empire , the Serdar was used as a military rank, especially for commanders in the border regions. The rank also found its way into the Balkans and the Caucasus, where it was later used as a title of nobility, for example in Montenegro and Serbia with a rank below a voivode . A well-known example is Janko Vukotić , a derived Croatian surname is Serdarušić . At the court in Istanbul Serdar-ı Ekrem (exalted general) was used as the name for the grand vizier. In today's Turkey, Serdar is also a (not officially used) term of respect for a commander or commander in chief. In what was then Ottoman Egypt, the sirdar was elevated to a fixed rank as military governor under the British protectorate.

In Turkey and Turkmenistan, Serdar and Sardar are popular first names to this day.

In the emirate of Afghanistan important tribal chiefs were given the honorary title of sardar . These honorary titles lived on even after the end of kingship. From 1923 to 1929 there was also the Nishan-i-Sardari order . Well-known examples of Afghan tribal titles:

Indian subcontinent

In Marathas India , sardar was a widespread title of nobility, whose bearers mostly sat in important positions in the country. Before the end of the 17th century, the initially non-hereditary, but later hereditary title designated a minister at court with military, diplomatic and sovereign tasks. The title could be combined with other tasks, such as the commander-in-chief ( Senapati ) over the Marathen armies. The title Sirdar Bahadur was awarded for governor posts.

Neighboring empires also took over these titles, for example a Sardar in the Kingdom of Gorkha was one of the highest-ranking military titles, comparable to a general. At first there were only four Sardars. Later the title was given more frequently and also to civilians; but he remained lower in rank than a kaji (high minister).

The title Sardar has been given to high Sikh officers since the time of Ranjit Singh (comparable to an accolade or an ennoblement) and could later be proudly worn as part of the name. This was followed by the British after the annexation of Punjab , who also created the high distinction of Sardar Bahadur , which could be given to loyal locals, usually Sikhs or Punjabi . Equal titles existed in the rest of British India for Muslims ( Khan Bahadur ) and Hindus ( Rai / Rao Bahadur ). The bearers of this title held high, mostly military posts (commander in chief). Compared to the rest of the population of India, a disproportionately high number of Sikhs embarked on a military career, which is why the stereotypical figure of the bearded, Dastar- wearing Sardar is identified today in India with the minority of the Sikhs (but also with Punjabi), which is also evident in Sikh Reflects jokes .

Under British rule, the title (like Sāhib or Raja ) was also used with reference to local conditions, for example Sirdar was used to refer to certain local nobles, and elsewhere also to clan heads. Thus, the honorary title of Sardar is by no means restricted to Sikhs: Vallabhbhai Patel (first Indian Minister of the Interior) carried this surname, as did the politician Sardar Swaran Singh Purewal (1907-1994).

Sherpa leaders in the Himalayas still bear the title of Sirdar to this day .

Part of the name

The following people do not use Sardar as an honorary or surname, but as a first or last name: Serdar (name)

For the variant Serdar, see Serdar (name) .

fiction

In Frank Herbert's Dune cycle, which depicts alienated earthly traditions in the distant future, a title for planetary governors is Siridar . The Padishah Emperor's troops are called Sardaukar .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Bible Lexicon
  2. ^ Francis Joseph Steingass: A Comprehensive Persian-English Dictionary . Asian Educational Services, 1992. ISBN 978-81-2060-6708 . Digitized
  3. ↑ Glossary on ranks in Nepal