Emir ( / ə ˈ m ɪər , eɪ ˈ m ɪər , ˈ eɪ m ɪər / ; Arabic : أمير ʾamīr [ʔæˈmiːr] ( listen ), also transliterated as amir , is a word of Arabic origin that can refer to a male monarch , aristocrat , holder of high-ranking military or political office, or other person possessing actual or ceremonial authority. The title has a history of use in West Asia , East Africa , West Africa , Central Asia , and South Asia . In the modern era, when used as a formal monarchical title, it is roughly synonymous with " prince ", applicable both to a son of a hereditary monarch, and to a reigning monarch of a sovereign principality , namely an emirate . The feminine form is emira ( أميرة ʾamīrah ), with the same meaning as " princess ".
4-419: Amir is a title of rulers or military leaders in many Muslim countries, alternatively written as Emir . Amir or Ameer may also refer to: Amir 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
8-580: A military title. In the 9th century the term was used to denote a ruler of a state i.e. Italy 's Emirate of Sicily . In certain decimally-organized Muslim armies, Amir was an officer rank. For example, in Mughal India , the Amirs commanded 1000 horsemen (divided into ten units, each under a sipah salar ), ten of them under one malik . In the imperial army of Qajar Persia: The following posts referred to "amir" under medieval Muslim states include: In
12-576: Is derived from the Arabic root a-m-r , "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 entered English in 1593, from the French émir . It was one of the titles or names of the Islamic prophet Muhammad . From the start, emir has been
16-503: The head of an Islamic, or Arab (regardless of religion) organisation or movement. Qatar and Kuwait 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 is Bahrain , whose monarch changed his title from emir to king in 2002. Amir , meaning "lord" or " commander-in-chief ",
#900099