Sardar
Sardar, also spelled as Sirdar, Sardaar, Shordar or Serdar, is a title of nobility that was originally used to denote princes, noblemen, and other aristocrats. It has also been used to denote a chief or leader of a tribe or group. It is used as a Persian synonym of the Arabic title Emir.
The term and its cognates originate from Persian sardār and have been historically used across Persia, Ottoman Empire and Turkey, Mesopotamia, Syria, South Asia, the Caucasus, Central Asia, the Balkans and Egypt.
The term was widely used by Maratha nobility, who held important positions in various Maratha States of the imperial Maratha Empire.
After the decline of feudalism, Sardar later indicated a Head of State, a Commander-in-chief, and an Army military rank. As a military rank, a Sardar typically marked the Commander-in-Chief or the highest-ranking military officer in an Army, akin to the modern Field Marshal, General of the Army or Chief of Army. The more administrative title Sirdar-Bahadur denoted a Governor-General or Chief Minister of a remote province, akin to a British Viceroy.
In Himalayan mountaineering, a Sirdar is a local leader of the Sherpas. Among other duties, he records the heights reached by the individual Sherpas, which factors into their compensation. Sardar is also colloquially used to refer to adult male followers of Sikhism, as a disproportionate number of Sikhs have served in high-ranking positions within the Indian Army. Sometimes, it has also been used to describe Punjabi Muslims.
Princes
- Several princely states in British India have been ruled by a prince styled Sardar. For example, the Prince of Lahore used the title Sardar. Sardars of these princely states hold a primogeniture hereditary title, similar to British hereditary peers.
- The Kapurthala State, have been ruled by kings of state styled Sardar. For example, the king of Kapurthala used the title of Sardar.
Noblemen
- In Baluchistan, the title Sardar marked the chief of his tribe.
- In the Royal Afghan Kingdom, the original Nishan-i-Sardari, founded by King Amanullah in 1923, was bestowed for exceptional service to the Crown by the Afghan monarch. Recipients enjoyed the titles of Sardar-i-Ala or Sardar-i-Ali before their names and also received grants of land. The original Order was disbanded in 1929, and was later revived by King Muhammad Zahir Shah.
- In Ottoman Turkey, Serdar was a rank in Montenegro and Serbia. Serdar was also used in the Principality of Montenegro and the Principality of Serbia as an honorary "title" below that of Vojvoda. For example, Janko Vukotić who was a military leader and former prime minister of Montenegro with title of Serdar. However, this were not noble titles as there was no nobility in Serbia and Montenegro and no hereditary titles apart from those borne by members of the reigning families of both countries.
- In Persia, Sardar-i-Bozorg was the title of both Hossein Khan Sardar and his brother Hasan Khan Qajar. Both were uncles of Agha Khan Qajar, the King-Emperor of Persia and the Commander-in-chief under Emperor Fat′h-Ali Shah Qajar in the Russo-Persian Wars of 1804 and 1826.
- The early feudal Maratha Empire prior to Peshwa administration used the title Sardar to identify an imperial court minister with military and diplomatic functions. If granted land, the title Sardar also marked a feudal superior responsible for administration, defense and taxing of the granted territory. These Sardars of the early Maratha Empire were life peers; the title was not hereditary.
- If the Sardar was appointed to Commander-in-Chief of all Maratha forces, the style Senapati was used in combination.
Aristocrats
- In the Hazara Division of Pakistan, the word Sardar is used by the Karlal tribe before their names, traditionally, to stress their upper-caste status, e.g., Sardar Muhammad Aslam, Sardar Haider Zaman etc.
- In the small district of Sudhanoti, Kashmir, Sardar is used by the hybrid Sudhan tribe to refer to their putative part-descent from the Sadduzai clan of King Ahmad Shah Durrani. Also, Poonch families in this region use Sardar at the beginning of their names.
- Similarly Sardar is used by Khattar tribe noble men, native to the districts of Attock and adjacent areas of Rawalpindi.
- Sardar was used for important political, tribal, military and religious officers rankings by the Sikhs during the period of Maharaja Ranjit Singh and this title was borrowed from Muslims.
Head of state
- In Persian, Sardar i-Azam 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, Prince Major General Abdol Majid Mirza.
- Vallabhbhai Patel, the first Deputy Prime Minister of India was referred to as Sardar Patel; he is also now known as the "Iron Man of India".
- Sadr-e-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 in 1931. After his father had acceded to India, ending the sovereign Monarchy, Regent in 1949 to 1956. Sardar-i-Riyasat 1956 to 1965, next Governor of the Indian constitutive State of Jammu and Kashmir 1965 to 1967.
- Mohammed Daoud Khan of Afghanistan had the title of Sardar as President.
- Saparmurat Niyazov, the authoritarian ruler of Turkmenistan in 1990—2006, carried a few glorifying titles, one of which was Serdar.
Military title
- The later Maratha Empire under Peshwa administration used the title Sardar to denote a Field Marshal or General of the Army.
- Sirdar was the official title of the British Commander-in-Chief of the Anglo-Egyptian army.
- The title Serdar is also common amongst Ottomans in referring to a Commander-in-Chief. The Serbs adopted this usage from the Ottomans.
- In Turkish, Serdar or Serdar-i-Ekrem was the title of the Commander-in-Chief in several military operations throughout the Ottoman Empire history.
- In Afghanistan, Sardar-i-Salar meant Field Marshal or General of the Army.
- In Iran, Sardar is used to address Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps high-ranking officers.
- During the time of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the term Sardar became even more common as a title given to Sikh men. Although it was officially reserved to address a high ranking official or a commanding chief such as a general or officer.
Modern usage
- The term Sardar is today most commonly used to refer to adult male followers of the religion of Sikhism, as a disproportionate number of Sikhs have honorably served in many high-ranking positions within the Indian Army. Notable examples include Generals Joginder Jaswant Singh and Harbaksh Singh.
- In Himalayan mountaineering, a Sirdar is the local leader of the Sherpas and porters. Among other duties, he records the heights reached by individual Sherpas, which dictates the amounts the Sherpas will be paid.
- HMS Sirdar was a World War II Royal Navy submarine.
- "Siridar" is a title of planetary rulers in Frank Herbert's Dune. The Padishah Emperor's elite troops are also called the Sardaukar.