Sardar
1067439
220097472
2008-06-18T07:33:08Z
203.241.151.50
/* Other uses */
{{otheruses}}
[[Image:Nawab2.JPG|230px|right|thumb|Sardar Malik Amir Muhammad Khan, The Nawab of Kalabagh, Governor of [[West Pakistan]], 1960-66]]
'''Sardar''' ([[Persian language|Persian]]: سردار ) ({{IPA2|Sɐrda:r}}) is a title of [[Persian language|Persian]] origin, used for military or political leaders.
The word's cognate in Persian, ''Sirdar'', means commander. Literally ''sar'' means "head" while ''dar'' means "holder" in [[Persian language|Persian]]. Thus, the term Sardar may also mean a military or political leader, comparable to the English [[chieftain]].
In [[India]]/[[Pakistan]], in [[Punjabi]], [[Hindi]] and other Indian languages, the word often refers to a male follower of the [[Sikh]] faith. Often, the [[-ji]] is added to the word to denote respect, resulting in the word "Sardarji". The word may convey several meanings, often associated with military authority.
==Military uses==
* in the colonial era, the title Sirdar or Sardar applied to native nobles in British India, e.g. the sirdars of the Deccan. [[Sirdar Bahadur]] was an Indian military distinction; and Sirdar was the official title of the commander-in-chief of the Anglo-Egyptian army.
* In many Indian languages, ''Sardar'' means an [[army]] chieftain (who may have been granted a [[Jagir]]).
==Ruler title==
A few [[princely state]]s on the [[South Asia]], notably in [[Punjab region|Punjab]], have been ruled by a prince styled Sardar or [[Gujjar]] Sardar:
*[[Kalsia]] (Sikh *)- the last incumbent became [[Raja]] in 1917
*[[Kapurthala]] - the third Sardar assumed the style Raja; later styles, again higher, were [[Raja-i Rajgan]] and finally [[Maharaja]]
== Tribal leaders ==
* In [[Afghanistan]] and [[Pakistan]], many [[Pashtun people|Pashtun]], [[Baloch people|Baloch]], [[Sindhi people|Sindhi]] and [[Brahui people|Brahui]] tribal leaders are called ''Sardars''.
* In Kasur, and Sahiwal districts of Punjab Pakistan many [[Arain]] leaders were also given this title, for example Sardar Assef Ahmed Ali, ex Foreign Minister of Pakistan.
==Sikhism==
In Sikhism, sardar refers to a man who has a beard, hair and covers their hair with a [[turban]].
==Other uses==
* Sardar was the name of the famous horse gifted to former [[United States|American]] [[First Lady]] [[Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis|Jacqueline Kennedy]] by Pakistani president [[Ayub Khan]] in [[Lahore]] in [[1962]].
* Males of the [[Sikh]] faith in India are called ''Sardar''-ji, (similar to [[effendi]] in [[Turkish language|Turkish]]). Sikhs often use Sardar as prefix to their name instead of Mister, e.g. Sardar Surjit Singh.
* Historically, ''Sardar'' was long used for important political, tribal, military and religious officiers including the families of the Sikh [[principalities]].
* [[Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel|Vallabhbhai Patel]], the first Deputy Prime Minister of Independent [[India]] was referred to as [[Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel|Sardar Patel]], or ''"Sardar"'' for short; he is also known as 'Iron Man of India'.
* In the local language of [[Kashmir]] (mainly in the small province of Sudhnati), ''Sardar'' is used to refer to the descendants of King [[Ahmad Shah Durrani]] of the [[Sadozai]] tribe.
* In [[mountaineering]], specifically in the [[Himalayas]] of [[Nepal]] and [[Pakistan]], the ''Sirdar'' or ''Sardar'' is the local, native leader of the porters and [[Sherpa]]s.<ref>{{cite book
| last = Sayre
| first = Woodrow Wilson
| authorlink =
| coauthors =
| title = Four Against Everest
| publisher = Prentice-Hall
| date = 1964
| location = Englewood Cliffs, NJ, USA
| pages = p. 223
| url =
| doi =
| id = Library of Congress Catalog Card No: 64-15208 }}</ref>He takes note of the height reached by sherpas individually for example, and this will count for the money the sherpa deserves.
* [[HMS Sirdar (P226)|HMS ''Sirdar'']], a World War II [[Royal Navy]] submarine.
==Derived and compound ranks and titles==
* In [[Persian language|Persian]] the style ''Sardar'' or ''Sardar i Bozorg'' the title of ''[[Hosein Qoli Khan Qajar]] ( [[Sardari Iravani]] )'' and his brother '' [[Hasan Khan Qajar]] ( [[Sardari Iravani]] ) the Chief in Command of [[Fath Ali Shah Qajar]] in Russo-Persian wars 1807-1828.
* In [[Persian language|Persian]], the style ''Sardar i-Azam'' ("Supreme ''Sardar''") was occasionally used as an alternative title for the [[Shahanshah]]'s Head of government, normally styled [[Vazir i-Azam]], notably in 1904-06 for a [[Qajar]] prince, Major-General H.R.H. Shahzada Sultan 'Abdu'l Majid Mirza .
* in the Afghan kingdom, recipients of the original [[Nishan-i-Sardari]] 'Order of the Leader', founded by King Amanullah in 1923, as a reward for exceptional services to state and crown, conferred by the King on his own initiative, enjoyed the titles of ''Sardar-i-Ala'' 'the most high leader' or ''Sardar-i-Ali'' (first viz. second class) before their names and received grants of land until it was made obsolete in 1929 (no longer when later revived by King Muhammad Zahir Shah).
*still in Afghanistan, ''Sardar-i-Salar'' meant Field Marshal.
*''Sardar-i-Riyasat'' was the title of one Constitutional [[Head of State]] of the princely state of [[Kashmir]], Yuvaraj Shri Karan Singhji Bahadur, who was appointed as Heir Apparent on 11 May 1931 and (after his father had acceded to India, ending the sovereign Monarchy) Regent 20 June 1949 to 31 October 1956, Sardar-i-Riyasat 1 November 1956 to 9 April 1965 (succeeded on the death of his father as Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir, 26 April 1961, no longer carrying any hereditary power), next Governor of the Indian constitutive State of [[Jammu and Kashmir]] 10 April 1965 to 15 March 1967.
==See also==
* [[List of Ottoman Grand Viziers]]
* [[Zamindar]]
* [[Feudalism in Pakistan]]
==Notes==
{{reflist}}
==References==
*{{1911}}
*[http://www.4dw.net/royalark/Persia/qajar18.htm The Royal Ark Geneaologies- here Persia, see every present country]
[[Category:Heads of state]]
[[Category:Indian feudalism]]
[[Category:Military ranks by country]]
[[Category:Titles in India]]
[[Category:Titles in Pakistan]]
[[Category:Feudalism in Pakistan]]
[[Category:Titles of national or ethnic leadership]]
[[Category:Sikhs| Sardar]]
[[Category:Punjabi words and phrases]]
[[bs:Serdar]]
[[ru:Сердар]]