Dewan
Encyclopedia
The originally Persian title of dewan (also quite commonly known as Diwan; also spelled -van) has, at various points in Islamic history
, designated various differing though similar functions.
The original meaning was "bundle (of written sheets)", hence "book", especially "book of accounts," and hence "office of accounts," "custom house," "council chamber". The meaning divan
"long, cushioned seat" is due to such seats having been found along the walls in Middle Eastern council chambers.
of Omar I (A.D. 634–644). As the Caliphate
state became more complicated, the term was extended over all the government bureaus.
The divan of the Sublime Porte was the council or Cabinet
of the state. In the Ottoman Empire
, it consisted of the usually (except in the Sultan
's presence) presiding Grand Vizier
and other vizier
s, and occasionally the Janissary
Ağa.
In 19th Century Romania
the Ad hoc Divan was a body which played a role in the country's development towards independence from Ottoman rule.
In Javanese
and related languages, the cognate
Dewan is the standard word for council, as in the Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat or (Indonesia
's Council of People's Representatives) and Dewan Negara
(Senate of Malaysia).
, the dewan served as the chief revenue officer of a province.
Later, when most vassal states gained various degrees of self-determination, the finance — and/or chief minister and leader of many princely state
s (especially Muslim
, but also many Hindu
, including Baroda, Hyderabad
, kot
Fateh khan state, Mysore, Kochi
, Travancore
— referred as Dalawa until 1811) became known as a dewan.
Exceptionally, a ruler was himself titled Dewan or Nawab notably
Nowadays, the title is used amongst certain upper-middle-class families in the South Asia; several landlords in villages and provinces across the subcontinent have names prefixed with this title. The title, in its variant form "Dewan", is especially common amongst Muslim
land-owners in Bengal
and the Punjab
.
of Cooch, held by a junior branch of the ruling Naraya
n dynasty
, Diwan denoted the highest officials in the court after the king; the suffix '-ji' is added as a mark of respect in India.
or suzerainty
over India, either just before or during the British Raj
.
, one of its colonies, Yanaon, had Zamindar
and Diwan. They were active in its local and municipal administration during French rule. The Zamindar of Yanam was given a 4 gun salute by French counterparts.
Muslim history
Muslim history is the history of Muslim people. In the history of Islam the followers of the religion of Islam have impacted political history, economic history, and military history...
, designated various differing though similar functions.
Etymology
The word is Persian in origin, and was loaned into Arabic.The original meaning was "bundle (of written sheets)", hence "book", especially "book of accounts," and hence "office of accounts," "custom house," "council chamber". The meaning divan
Divan (furniture)
A divan is a piece of couch-like sitting furniture; or in the UK, a box-spring based bed....
"long, cushioned seat" is due to such seats having been found along the walls in Middle Eastern council chambers.
Council
The word first appears under the CaliphateCaliphate
The term caliphate, "dominion of a caliph " , refers to the first system of government established in Islam and represented the political unity of the Muslim Ummah...
of Omar I (A.D. 634–644). As the Caliphate
Caliphate
The term caliphate, "dominion of a caliph " , refers to the first system of government established in Islam and represented the political unity of the Muslim Ummah...
state became more complicated, the term was extended over all the government bureaus.
The divan of the Sublime Porte was the council or Cabinet
Cabinet (government)
A Cabinet is a body of high ranking government officials, typically representing the executive branch. It can also sometimes be referred to as the Council of Ministers, an Executive Council, or an Executive Committee.- Overview :...
of the state. In the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
, it consisted of the usually (except in the Sultan
Sultan
Sultan is a title with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic language abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", and "dictatorship", derived from the masdar سلطة , meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be used as the title of certain rulers who...
's presence) presiding Grand Vizier
Grand Vizier
Grand Vizier, in Turkish Vezir-i Azam or Sadr-ı Azam , deriving from the Arabic word vizier , was the greatest minister of the Sultan, with absolute power of attorney and, in principle, dismissable only by the Sultan himself...
and other vizier
Vizier
A vizier or in Arabic script ; ; sometimes spelled vazir, vizir, vasir, wazir, vesir, or vezir) is a high-ranking political advisor or minister in a Muslim government....
s, and occasionally the Janissary
Janissary
The Janissaries were infantry units that formed the Ottoman sultan's household troops and bodyguards...
Ağa.
In 19th Century Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
the Ad hoc Divan was a body which played a role in the country's development towards independence from Ottoman rule.
In Javanese
Javanese language
Javanese language is the language of the Javanese people from the central and eastern parts of the island of Java, in Indonesia. In addition, there are also some pockets of Javanese speakers in the northern coast of western Java...
and related languages, the cognate
Cognate
In linguistics, cognates are words that have a common etymological origin. This learned term derives from the Latin cognatus . Cognates within the same language are called doublets. Strictly speaking, loanwords from another language are usually not meant by the term, e.g...
Dewan is the standard word for council, as in the Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat or (Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
's Council of People's Representatives) and Dewan Negara
Dewan Negara
The Dewan Negara is the upper house of the Parliament of Malaysia. The Dewan Negara consists of 70 members, of which 26 are indirectly elected by the states, with two senators for every state in the Federation, and the other 44 being appointed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong .The Dewan Negara...
(Senate of Malaysia).
Title
During the effective rule of the Mughal empireMughal Empire
The Mughal Empire , or Mogul Empire in traditional English usage, was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids...
, the dewan served as the chief revenue officer of a province.
Later, when most vassal states gained various degrees of self-determination, the finance — and/or chief minister and leader of many princely state
Princely state
A Princely State was a nominally sovereign entitity of British rule in India that was not directly governed by the British, but rather by an Indian ruler under a form of indirect rule such as suzerainty or paramountcy.-British relationship with the Princely States:India under the British Raj ...
s (especially Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
, but also many Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
, including Baroda, Hyderabad
Hyderabad State
-After Indian independence :When India gained independence in 1947 and Pakistan came into existence in 1947, the British left the local rulers of the princely states the choice of whether to join one of the new dominions or to remain independent...
, kot
Kot
Kot is the surname of a Polish szlachta family.Although its literal meaning is cat, the surname origin is probably Polish mediaeval name of a person who starts settling people in a village or in a town...
Fateh khan state, Mysore, Kochi
Kochi (India)
Kochi , formerly Cochin, is a major port city on the west coast of India by the Arabian Sea. Kochi is part of the district of Ernakulam in the state of Kerala. Kochi is often called by the name Ernakulam, which refers to the western part of the mainland Kochi...
, Travancore
Travancore
Kingdom of Travancore was a former Hindu feudal kingdom and Indian Princely State with its capital at Padmanabhapuram or Trivandrum ruled by the Travancore Royal Family. The Kingdom of Travancore comprised most of modern day southern Kerala, Kanyakumari district, and the southernmost parts of...
— referred as Dalawa until 1811) became known as a dewan.
Exceptionally, a ruler was himself titled Dewan or Nawab notably
- in Jaso (Jassu) and in Bandhora (which was split from it circa 1750)
- in KhilchipurKhilchipurKhilchipur is a town and a nagar panchayat in Rajgarh district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is the administrative headquarters of Rajgarh district.-History:...
till 1873, then Rai Bahadur - in AttockAttockAttock is a city located in the northern border of the Punjab province of Pakistan and the headquarters of Attock District...
, where Gheba Khan, having married the foster sister of MughalMughal EmpireThe Mughal Empire , or Mogul Empire in traditional English usage, was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids...
Emperor Akbar and was granted the hereditary titleHereditary TitleHereditary titles, in a general sense, are titles, positions or styles that are hereditary and thus tend or are bound to remain in particular families....
of Diwan in 1551 for his services in command of the force that took AttockAttockAttock is a city located in the northern border of the Punjab province of Pakistan and the headquarters of Attock District...
from the Afghans, till the dynasty was promoted in 1910 to the rank of NawabNawabA Nawab or Nawaab is an honorific title given to Muslim rulers of princely states in South Asia. It is the Muslim equivalent of the term "maharaja" that was granted to Hindu rulers....
, with the full style Zubdat ul-Mulk Diwan Mahakhan, Sardar ul-Mulk and latter Nawab of kot - in JunagadhJunagadhJunagadh is the headquarters of Junagadh district in the Indian state of Gujarat. The city is the 7th largest in Gujarat. The city is located at the foot of the Girnar hills, 355 km south west of state capital Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad. The city is in western India. Literally translated,...
, where Shah Nawaz BhuttoShah Nawaz BhuttoSir Shah Nawaz Bhutto, CIE, OBE, OBI was a politician hailing from Larkana in Sindh province of British India, which is now part of Pakistan.-Early life:Bhutto, the son of Ghulam Murtaza Bhutto, was born into Arain family of Sindh...
was the prime-minister of the former princley state.
Nowadays, the title is used amongst certain upper-middle-class families in the South Asia; several landlords in villages and provinces across the subcontinent have names prefixed with this title. The title, in its variant form "Dewan", is especially common amongst Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
land-owners in Bengal
Bengal
Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...
and the Punjab
Punjab (India)
Punjab ) is a state in the northwest of the Republic of India, forming part of the larger Punjab region. The state is bordered by the Indian states of Himachal Pradesh to the east, Haryana to the south and southeast and Rajasthan to the southwest as well as the Pakistani province of Punjab to the...
.
Derived and compound titles
Diwan Deo was the hereditary title borne by the Chief MinisterChief Minister
A Chief Minister is the elected head of government of a sub-national state, provinces of Sri Lanka, Pakistan, notably a state of India, a territory of Australia or a British Overseas Territory that has attained self-government...
of Cooch, held by a junior branch of the ruling Naraya
Naraya
Naraya is a company in Thailand that produces fabric bags and accessories. The company was started by Vassilios Lathouras and Wasna. R Lathouras on 6 October 1989, both continue as the company's CEOs. The first year their profits were $10,000 US dollar with products only sold in Thailand...
n dynasty
In India
As a title used in various Middle kingdoms of IndiaMiddle kingdoms of India
Middle kingdoms of India refers to the political entities in India from the 3rd century BC after the decline of the Maurya Empire, and the corresponding rise of the Satavahana dynasty, beginning with Simuka, from 230 BC...
, Diwan denoted the highest officials in the court after the king; the suffix '-ji' is added as a mark of respect in India.
Abstract use
The term Diwani is sometimes used to refer to British sovereigntySovereignty
Sovereignty is the quality of having supreme, independent authority over a geographic area, such as a territory. It can be found in a power to rule and make law that rests on a political fact for which no purely legal explanation can be provided...
or suzerainty
Suzerainty
Suzerainty occurs where a region or people is a tributary to a more powerful entity which controls its foreign affairs while allowing the tributary vassal state some limited domestic autonomy. The dominant entity in the suzerainty relationship, or the more powerful entity itself, is called a...
over India, either just before or during the British Raj
British Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
.
French India
In French IndiaFrench India
French India is a general name for the former French possessions in India These included Pondichéry , Karikal and Yanaon on the Coromandel Coast, Mahé on the Malabar Coast, and Chandannagar in Bengal...
, one of its colonies, Yanaon, had Zamindar
Zamindar
A Zamindar or zemindar , was an aristocrat, typically hereditary, who held enormous tracts of land and ruled over and taxed the bhikaaris who lived on batavaslam. Over time, they took princely and royal titles such as Maharaja , Raja , Nawab , and Mirza , Chowdhury , among others...
and Diwan. They were active in its local and municipal administration during French rule. The Zamindar of Yanam was given a 4 gun salute by French counterparts.
- ZamindarZamindarA Zamindar or zemindar , was an aristocrat, typically hereditary, who held enormous tracts of land and ruled over and taxed the bhikaaris who lived on batavaslam. Over time, they took princely and royal titles such as Maharaja , Raja , Nawab , and Mirza , Chowdhury , among others...
— ManionManionManion may refer to:* Daniel Anthony Manion , Federal judge* Ed Manion, American saxophone player* Jack Manion , San Francisco Police Sergeant* John Manion , retired Canadian civil servant...
Canacaya - Diwan — Bouloussou Soubramaniam Sastroulou
- SovereigntySovereigntySovereignty is the quality of having supreme, independent authority over a geographic area, such as a territory. It can be found in a power to rule and make law that rests on a political fact for which no purely legal explanation can be provided...
— French Colonial EmpireFrench colonial empireThe French colonial empire was the set of territories outside Europe that were under French rule primarily from the 17th century to the late 1960s. In the 19th and 20th centuries, the colonial empire of France was the second-largest in the world behind the British Empire. The French colonial empire...