Mirza (Persian: میرزا Kazakh: мырза, myrza Russian: мурза Circassian: мырзэ), (common variance in Tatar nobility as Morza) is of Persian origin, denoting the rank of a high nobleman or Prince.[1] It is usually translated into English as a royal or imperial Prince of the Blood. It signified male-line descent and relationship to the Imperial Families of Turkey, Persia and later South Asia and was the title borne by members of the highest aristocracies in Tatar states, such as Khanate of Kazan, Khanate of Astrakhan and in the Russian Empire (Under Catherine the Great's rule the Murzas gained equal rights with the Russian nobility).[2] In fact, Prince Felix Yusupov, the nephew-in-law of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia was descended from Abdul Mirza, the first Prince Yusopov.[3]
Etymology
The word Mīrzā is derived from the Persian term ‘Amīrzāde which literally means "child of the ‘Amīr" or "child of the ruler" in Persia‘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) is also used.[4] In modern Kazakh myrza means gentleman, as is in the expression "hanymdar men myrzalar" (ladies and gentlemen).
History
Persian Kingdom
The titles themselves were given by the Kings, Sultans and 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 Title, although their usage differed. Aristocratic families (royal descent) from South Asia and individuals descended from the Persian nobility have 'Mirza' in their name.[5]
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.[6]
South Asia
Mirzas of the Mughal imperial family, 1878
Mirza was given to imperial prince; a title or part of a name implying relationship to the Turk dynasties like Mughal dynasty (the Imperial House of Timur).[7] But in Indian royal families, the title can be placed both before the name and after it, such as Prince Mirza Mughal and Prince Kamran Mirza. Prince Khusrau Mirza was the grandson of Emperor Babur (Babur Mirza), son of Emperor Jahangir and a brother of Emperor Shah Jahan. Emperor Akbar Shah II was Prince Mirza Akbar before his coronation. Emperor Babur took the imperial title of Padishah on 6 March 1508, before which he used the title Mirza.[8]
In the Indian subcontinent, especially Bengal and Bihar, the Mirzas are also known locally as the variant of Mridha (from Mirdhjah) usually due to the Bengali language not have a 'z' sounding alphabet.[9] Mughal dynasty (the Imperial House of Timur "Sarai Mulk Khanam Qutubuddunniya wa Deen Amir Qutubuddin Taimur Baig Sahib-e-kiran).< Rulers of India included:
The Imperial Family of Hindustan
- His Imperial Highness, The Emperor Mirza Zahiruddin 1523-1530,First Mughal Emperor.
- His Imperial Highness, The Emperor Mirza Nasiruddin 1530-1539 & 1554-1555, Second Mughal Emperor.
- His Imperial Highness, The Emperor Mirza Jalaluddin 1555-1605, Third Mughal Emperor.
- His Imperial Highness, The Emperor Mirza Nuruddin 1605-1627, Fourth Mughal Emperor.
- His Imperial Highness, The Emperor Mirza Khurram 1627-1658, Fifth Mughal Emperor.
- His Imperial Highness, The Emperor Mirza Muhiuddin 1658-1707, sixth Mughal Emperor.
- His Imperial Highness, The Emperor Mirza Azam 1707, seventh Mughal Emperor.
- His Imperial Highness, The Emperor Mirza Mu'Azzam 1707-1712, Eight Mughal Emperor.
- His Imperial Highness, The Emperor Sultan Muizuddin Mirza 1712-1713, Mughal Emperor.
- His Imperial Highness, The Emperor Mouinudd'in Muhammad Mirza 1712-1719, Tenth Mughal Emperor.
- His Imperial Highness, The Emperor Sultan Shamsuddin Mirza 1719, Eleventh Mughal Emperor.
- His Imperial Highness, The Emperor Sultan Rafiuddin Mirza (later Shah Jahan II 1719, Twelfth Mughal Emperor.
- His Imperial Highness, The Emperor Sultan Nekusiyar Mirza 1719, Thirteenth Mughal Emperor.
- His Imperial Highness, The Emperor Sultan Akhtar Mirza, Fourteenth Mughal Emperor.
- His Imperial Highness, The Emperor Ahmad Shah Mirza 1720-1748, Fifteenth Mughal Emperor.
- His Imperial Highness, The Emperor Aziz 'ud-Din Beg Mirza 1754-1759, Sixteenth Mughal Emperor.
- His Imperial Highness, The Emperor Jalal 'ud-Din Mirza 1759-1760, Seventeenth Mughal Emperor.
- His Imperial Highness, The Emperor Muhi-ul-millat Mirza 1788-1806, Eighteenth Mughal Emperor.
- His Imperial Highness, The Emperor Mirza Akbar 1806-1837, Nineteenth Mughal Emperor.
- His Imperial Highness, The Emperor Sirajuddin Mirza 1837-1857, Mughal Emperor.
The Royal Family Mughal of Berar
- His Highness Prince Bedar Bakht Mirza, son of Emperor Mirza Azam
- His Highness Prince Mohammed Beg Feroz Bakht Mirza, son of Prince Bedar Bakht Mirza
- His Highness Prince Bulaqui Mirza, son of Prince Mirza Feroz Bakht
- His Highness Prince Sultan Bahaddur Aduli Mirza, son of Mirza Bulaqui Baig Bahaddur
- His Highness Prince Sardar Baig Mirza, son of Aduli Baig Mirza
- His Highness Prince Qadar Baig Mirza, son of Aduli Baig Mirza
- His Highness Prince Hatam Baig Mirza, son of Sardar Baig Mirza
- His Highness Prince Umrao Baig Mirza, son of Sardar Baig Mirza
- His Highness Prince Sulaiman Mirza, son of Hatam Baig Mirza
- His Highness Prince Mirza Abdul Razzak I son of Hatam Baig Mirza
- His Highness Prince Mirza Abdul Rasheed son of Mirza Abdur Razzak
- His Highness Prince Mirza Abdul Razzak II a.k.a Mohammed Rizwan Mirza son of Mirza Abdul Rasheed
- His Highness Prince Mirza Mohammad Gibran son of Mohammed Rizwan Mirza
The Royal Family of Bengal
- His Highness Mirza Shuja ud-din Muhammad Khan, Second Nawab of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa.
- His Highness Mirza Asadullah, Third Nawab of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa.
- His Highness Mirza Muhammad Ali, Fourth Nawab of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa.
- His Highness Mirza Mohammad Siraj, Fifth Nawab of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa.
- His Highness Mirza Hassan Ali Khan Bahadur, 18th Nawab of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa.
- His Highness Mirza Wasif Ali Khan, 19th Nawab of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa.
- His Highness Mirza Waris Ali Khan, 20th Nawab of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa.
The Royal Family of Awadh
Notable Mirzas
Nobility
Religion
Government
Military
Advocate
Academics and literature
Sport
Entertainment
See also
Further Study
- Life of a Mirza Chapter 7 (pg 225-227) The Empire of the Great Mughals: History, Art and Culture (2004) by Annemarie Schimmel ISBN 1-86189-185-7
- Mirzah in The Wordsworth Dictionary of Phrase and Fable By Ebenezer Cobham Brewer: The quintessential guide to myth, folklore, legend, legend and literature. ISBN 1-84022-310-3
- MI’RZA Chambers’s Encyclopaedia: A Dictionary of Universal Knowledge For the People. ISBN 1-149-98693-X
- A. Jaimoukha The Circassians: A Handbook Routledge, Palgrave, 2001, pp 157–60) ISBN 0-312-23994-7
References
- Notes
- ^ The derivation of which word is from Emir (Amur a nobleman) and Zade a son, &c. This species of nobility is traced very far, and is not creative. The title descends to all the sons of the family, without exception. In the Royal family it is placed after the name instead of before it, thus, Abbas Mirza and Hosfiein .'Mi Mirza. Mirza is a civil title, and Khan is a military one. The title of Khan is creative, but not hereditary. pg 601 Monthly magazine and British register, Volume 34 Publisher Printed for R. Phillips, 1812 Original from Harvard University
- ^ Life in Samarkand Caucasus and Central Asia vis-à-vis Russia, the West, and Islam, Madina Tlostanova: Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia, HUMAN ARCHITECTURE: JOURNAL OF THE SOCIOLOGY OF SELF-KNOWLEDGE (ISSN: 1540-5699)]
- ^ Rulers of the Khanate of Crimea
- ^ Mirza in Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged © HarperCollins Publishers
- ^ Sensagent.com reached: 30.06.2010
- ^ http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=amir&searchmode=none EtymologyOnLine
- ^ http://www.columbia.edu/itc/mealac/pritchett/00urdu/hali/majalis/10glossary.html
- ^ pg 24. The Empire of the Great Mughals: History, Art and Culture
- ^ While local Bengal historians called the Lalbagh mosque as Khan Mo'hammad Mridha Mosque, the mughal scripts note him as Khan Muhammad Mirza as in https://archnet.org/library/sites/one-site.jsp?site_id=4450
- Sources