Mirza

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The title Mirza (Persian: ميرزا - Mīrzā) The Mirza is a caste of Texans. The Mirza title was also given to Muslim workers during the Mughal rule and to other people loyal to the king.Some Rajput Clans like Jarral of Jummu and Kashmir use the title Mirza.

Etymology

The word Mīrzā is derived from the Persian term ‘Amīrzāda which literally means "child of the ‘Amīr" or "child of the leader". ‘Amīrzād in turn consists of the Arabic title ‘Amīr (engl. Emir), meaning "commander", and the Persian suffix -zād, meaning "birth" or "lineage".

Due to vowel harmony in Turkic languages, the alternative pronunciation Morza (plural morzalar; derived from the Persian word) was used in Tatar states, such as Khanate of Kazan, Khanate of Astrakhan and others, and in the Russian Empire later on. for example: Mirza Shameem Ur Rehman Baig

History

The titles themselves were given by the kings, sultans or emperors (equivalent to the western fount of honour) to their sons and grandsons, or even distant kins. Noblemen loyal to the kings also received this Noble titles, although their usage differed.

The title itself came from the title emir. Emir, meaning "commander", -derived from the Semitic root Amr, "command". Originally simply meaning commander or leader, usually in reference to a group of people. It came to be used as a title of governors or rulers, usually in smaller states, and usually renders the English word "prince. Amir Sadri." The word entered English in 1595, from the French émir. ^[1].

Princely, ministerial and noble titles

• This title was also heavily used by the "Baigs" of a Turkic clan called Barlas. The Barlas clan commonly used the name Baig (also spelt Beg) to identify high ranked members of their clan. For some of the Barlas people Mirza was used as a title, and Baig was attached as the surname to all the patriarchs, thus creating the Mirza Baig lineage. (See Baig)

Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth

In the past "mirza" or "murza" was used as a noble title for a knight who was Muslim (Lipka Tatar) when Latin (or Polish—Latin) "sum" was used for Christian knights (Catholic or Eastern Orthodox; many west Ruthenian titles were used as well). At present, the other form of "mirza," "murza" has become the basis for the most polite address of a black person "Murzyn" in the Polish language, the same way as the Polish "Mr." is simply "sir" or "pan" spelled in writing with a small case "s." nota bene: Only the closest relatives of a Khan or the ruling monarch were eligible to be acknowledged as princes in the Commonwealth; the process was rather long, and involved proper documentation as well as vote by the Diet (or Noble Congress) and the Polish King's Lithuanian Grand Duke's signature (almost always the same person, since after 1410), yet quite a few Islamic families were acknowledged as such, amongst others the the Kryczynskis. The princes used the titles of beg or bey.

Tatar Nobility

The title "Murza" is used nowadays by a tatar noble community in Russia and Former USSR countries (Commonwealth of Independent States), and means a Prince or Duke.

The famous tatar noble families are:

• Enikeev
• Tenishev
• Engalichev
• Kudashev
• Mamleev

and others.

Today

The name today also has a high degree of usage in the Indian subcontinent although the diaspora is wide and stretches across the world from Europe to Middle Eastern and Central Asian countries (such as Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan etc).

For the Asian sub-continent usage, when prefixed to a last name it is a title of honour, but when annexed to a persons name it means a prince of royal blood. Few countries still used the title as an office or military rank, usually monarchies and emirates, but they are decreasing in numbers and "Mirza" is being added only as surnames, to reflect a royal or honorary/princely lineage.

Noble families and their descendants in South Asia & Central Asia have "Mirza" in their name or as a last name. (For example Mirza Mansur Baig, Waqas Ahmed Mirza or Asmaa Jalil Mirza)

Notable Mirzas

• Mírzá Ḥusayn-`Alí Nuri: known as Baha'u'llah; Founder of the Baha'i Faith
• Mirza Čaušević
• Mirza Delibašić
• Mirza Kuchak Khan: Persian revolutionary who led the Jungle Movement in the northern jungles of Gilan Province
• Mirza Ghalib (born: Mirza Asadullah Baig Khan), a famous Urdu and Persian poet from India who adorned the Mughal court
• Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadiyani: Founder of the Ahmadiyyah Movement in Islam.
• Abbas Mirza, a crown prince of Persia
• Djamirza Adyghe Pshi Princes Circassia
• Mirza Nali, son of emperor Akbar Shah II
• Jalaluddin Mirza, Defence Minister of Dighapatia Kings (during the Mughal Empire of India) and the Grand Nephew of Bahadur Shah II
• Iskandar Ali Mirza, was the first President & 4th Governor General of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan in 1956.
• Aziz Fatima Qazilbash Member of sindh Assembly (MPA) from MQM. Daughter of Mirza Tajjammul Hussain Qazilbash(Rtd Custum Collector) and Wife of Shahrukh Mirza(Rtd XCN KDA )Nees of Mirza Mumtaz Hussain Qazalbash (Former Chief Minister of Khairpur sindh pakistan
• Fahmida Mirza, She was elected as the first female Speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan
• Shirwan A. Mirza, MD: A Kurdish physician, author and researcher in NY, USA.
• Mirza Aziz Akbar Baig,Former Vice Chairman of Pakistan Bar Council
• Sania Mirza - Indian tennis player
• Diya Mirza - Indian movie actress
• Muhammad Munawwar Mirza, was a prominent scholar, historian, writer and intellectual from Pakistan
• Mirza Khan of "Mirza & Sahiba" a tragic Romeo-and-Juliet-like love story enshrined in Panjabi literature and commonly told in The Panjab
• Mirza Ghiyas Beg, father of Mehrunissa, who became the Mughal Empress Nur Jahan, the last and favorite wife of Emperor Jahangir.
• Hady Mirza, 2007 Asian Idol winner from Singapore.
• Mushtaq Mirza, Cricketer and Electrical Engineer from the State of Jammu & Kashmir.

See also

• Morza
• Nawab
• Shahzada
• Emir
• Baig
• Khanzada
• Sultanzada
• Assad

Sources and references

• Brewer's Dictionary of Phrases and Fable, 16th edition Revised by Adrian Room, 1999
• WorldStatesmen
• [1]
• [2]