Emir sayfasının kaynağını görüntüle

{{redirect|Amir|the name|Amir (name)|other uses|Amir (disambiguation)}}
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[[File:Shuja Shah Durrani of Afghanistan in 1839.jpg|thumb|The court of the [[Durrani Empire|Durrani Emirate]] of [[Afghanistan]] in 1839.]] An '''Emir''' ({{IPAc-en|ə|ˈ|m|ɪər|,_|eɪ|ˈ|m|ɪər|,_|ˈ|eɪ|m|ɪər}}; {{lang-ar|أمير}} ''{{transl|ar|DIN|ʾAmīr}}'' {{IPA-ar|ʔaˈmiːr|}}), sometimes [[Romanization of Arabic|transliterated]] (<small>''olowan'', '''Datu''' ''in Meranau'' common version</small>) '''Amir''', '''Amier''', or '''Ameer''', is an [[aristocratic|aristocratic or noble]] title of high office used in a variety of places in the [[Arab world|Arab countries]] and [[Afghanistan]].  It means "commander", "general",  or "prince". The [[female|feminine]] form is '''Emira''' ({{lang|ar|أميرة}} ''{{transl|ar|DIN|ʾAmīrah}}'').  When translated as "prince", the word "[[emirate]]" is analogous to a [[sovereign state|sovereign]] [[principality]].

== Origins ==
[[File:Dost Mohammad Khan of Afghanistan with his son.jpg|thumb|Emir [[Dost Mohammad Khan (Emir of Afghanistan)|Dost Mohammad Khan]], the first Emir of [[Afghanistan]], whose reign started in 1826, with his youngest son Emir [[Sher Ali Khan]].]]
[[File:ModernEgypt, Farouk I in Military Uniform, DHP13655-10-1 01.jpg|thumb|upright||[[Farouk of Egypt|HRH Crown Prince Farouk]], Amir of [[Kingdom of Egypt|the Kingdom of Egypt and the Sudan]], on ascension to the throne 1936 as HM King Farouk I.]]

{{anchor|amir}}''Amir'', meaning "Lord" or "commander-in-chief", is derived from the [[Arabic]] [[triconsonantal|root]] ''{{transl|ar|DIN|a-m-r}}'', "command". Originally simply meaning commander-in-chief or leader, usually in reference to a group of people, it came to be used as a title for governors or rulers, usually in smaller states, and in modern Arabic is analogous to the English word "prince". The word entered English in 1593, from the [[French language|French]] ''émir''.<ref>[http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=amir&searchmode=none EtymologyOnLine]</ref> It was one of the titles or names of the [[Islam]]ic prophet [[Muhammad]]. 

== Princely, ministerial and noble titles ==
[[File:Prokudin-Gorskii-19-v2.png|thumb|[[Mohammed Alim Khan]], Emir of Bukhara, taken in 1911 by [[Sergey Prokudin-Gorsky]].]]

* The monarchs of [[UAE]], [[Qatar]] and [[Kuwait]]  are currently titled Emirs.
* All members of the [[House of Saud]] have the title of Emir (Prince).
* The [[caliph]]s first used the title [[Amir 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 other [[Muslim]] rulers, including Sultans and Emirs. For [[Shia]] Muslims, they still give this title to the Caliph [[Ali]] as Amir al Muminin.
* The Abbasid (in theory still universal) Caliph [[Ar-Radi]] created the post of [[Amir al-Umara]] ("Amir of the Amirs") for Ibn Raik; the title was used in various Islamic monarchies; see below for military use
* In [[Lebanon]], the ruling Emir formally used the style al-Amir al-[[Hakim (title)|Hakim]] since, specifying it was still a ruler's title. Note that the title was held by Christians as well.  
* The word ''Emir'' is also used less formally for leaders in certain contexts. For example, the leader of a group of ''pilgrims'' to [[Mecca]] is called an ''Emir 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.
* ''Amirzade'', the son (hence the Persian patronymic suffix ''-zade'') of a prince, hence the Persian princely title ''[[Mirza]]''.
* The [[Nigerian traditional rulers|traditional rulers]] of the predominantly Muslim northern regions of [[Nigeria]] are known as Emirs, while the titular sovereign of their now defunct empire is formally styled as the [[Sultan of Sokoto]], Amir-al-Muminin (or ''Sarkin Musulmi'' in the [[Hausa language]]).
* The temporal leader of the [[Yazidi]] people is known as an Emir or Prince.

== Military ranks and titles ==
{{see also|Amir (Iranian Army)}}
From the start, Emir has been a military title.

In certain decimally-organized Muslim armies, Amir was an officer rank. For example, in [[Mughal India]] 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:

* ''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 al-hajj]]'', "Commander of the [[Hajj]] [caravan]"
* ''[[Amir al-ʿarab]]'', "Commander of the Arabs [Bedouin tribes]"

In the former [[History of Afghanistan|Kingdom of Afghanistan]], ''Amir-i-Kabir'' was a title meaning "great prince" or "great commander".

[[Muhammad Amin Bughra]], [[Nur Ahmad Jan Bughra]], and [[Abdullah Bughra]] declared themselves Emirs of the [[First East Turkestan Republic]].

== Other uses ==
* Amir is a masculine name in the [[Persian language]] and a prefix name for many masculine names such as Amir Ali, Amir Goul.
* Amir-i-Iel designates the head of an [[Il (tribe)|Il]] (tribe) in imperial Persia.
* The masculine ''Amir'' and feminine ''Amira'' are [[Arabic language|Arabic-language]] names common among both Arabs regardless of religion and Muslims regardless of ethnicity, much as Latin ''Rex'' and ''Regina'' ("king" and "queen," respectively) are common in the Western world. In [[Bosnia and Herzegovina]], the female name Emira, often interpreted as "princess", is a derivative of the male name Emir.

== Emirs in fiction ==
* [[Abdul Abulbul Amir]], both character and song.
* Wat Tambor in [[Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones]] took the title of Emir. In the Star Wars universe the title may relate to Tambor's military command.
* Emir Karim, a character in [[Wild at Heart (telenovela)|Wild At Heart]], a Latin American drama.
* Emir Shah in [[RuneScape]].

== See also ==
{{div col||20em}}
* [[Baig|Beg]]
* [[Bey]]
* [[Caliph]]
* [[Imam]]
* [[Mir (title)|Mir]]
* [[Padishah]]
* [[Pasha]]
* [[Prince]]
* [[Rana (title)|Rana]]
* [[Sayyid]]
* [[Shah]]
* [[Sheikh]]
* [[Sultan]]
* [[Vizier]]
{{div col end}}

;Specific emirates of note
* [[List of emirs of Harar]]
* [[List of emirs of Kuwait]] 
* [[List of emirs of Qatar]]
* [[List of Emirs of Mosul]]
* [[Emirate of Afghanistan]]

== Notes ==
{{Reflist}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Emirs| ]]
[[Category:Arab military ranks]]
[[Category:Arabic words and phrases in Sharia]]
[[Category:Court titles]]
[[Category:Executive ministers]]
[[Category:Gubernatorial titles]]
[[Category:Heads of state]]
[[Category:Islamic honorifics]]
[[Category:Military ranks]]
[[Category:Noble titles]]
[[Category:Ottoman titles]]
[[Category:Religious leadership roles]]
[[Category:Royal titles]]
[[Category:Titles in Afghanistan]]
[[Category:Titles in Iran]]
[[Category:Titles in Pakistan]]
[[Category:Titles of national or ethnic leadership]]