Sahib
Encyclopedia
Sahib is an Urdu
term which literally translates to "Owner" or "Proprietor". The primary Arabic meaning of Sahib (صاحب) is "associate, companion, comrade, friend" though it also includes "(with foll. genit.) man, owner, possessor, holder, master, lord, commander, representative, author or originator of ..." (Cowan 1994, 588).
It has passed on to several languages including Hindi
-Urdu
(Hindustani
), Punjabi
, Bengali
, Gujarati
, Pashto
, Persian
, Turkish
and Marathi
. It has been translated in the Indian sub-continent after the advent of colonialism as: grace or, as in the Sikh
religion, "Guru
's honor". It comes from the Arabic ṣāḥib صاحب.
mentioned are as in 1947, some may be the result of one or more promotions)
of Junagadh
used Nawabzada before their personal name, then Khanji and the father's name, finally Sahib.
Again this could be combined titles:
in North Africa, also known as 'regency' since the French protectorate
, used the style Basha Bay Tunis, Sahib al-Mamlaka at-Tunisiyya ("Pasha Bey of Tunis, Lord of the Tunisian Realm"; in French: Bey de Tunis, Seigneur de la Régence de Tunis), suggesting their realm was at par with that of a Malik
(Arabic for King), until the last incumbent changed it in 1956 (till 25 July 1957) in "King (Padshah) of the Tunisians and Commander of the Faithful".
'. This derivation using the Persian suffix -zada(h), literally 'son (or further male descendant; compare Shahzada) of a Sahib', was also (part of) the formal style for some princes of the blood of Muslim dynasties, e.g.:
This could be further combined, e.g.:
The term sahib was applied indiscriminately to any person whether Indian or Non-Indian. This included Europeans who arrived in the Sub-continent as traders in the 16th Century and hence the first mention of the word in European records is in 1673.
Pukka sahib
was also a term used to signify genuine and legitimate authority, with pukka meaning "absolutely genuine".
Sahiba is the authentic form address to be used for a female. Under the British Raj, however, the word used for female members of the establishment was adapted to memsahib, a corruption of the English word "ma'am" which was added to the word sahib.
The same word is also appended to the names of Sikh
guru
s.
" shows what the term implied in British society at the time.
- Cornoner: "What kind of a man was Captain Cathart?"
- Duke of Denver: "Well - he was a Sahib and all that. I don't know what he did before joining up in 1914. I think he lived on his income; his father was well off. Crack shot, good at games, and so on."
in the Roman empire, it became a title for a favourite (of a Sahib, especially a prince), and such 'personally close' positions as aide-de-camp
, in some princely states even a Minister.
Urdu
Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
term which literally translates to "Owner" or "Proprietor". The primary Arabic meaning of Sahib (صاحب) is "associate, companion, comrade, friend" though it also includes "(with foll. genit.) man, owner, possessor, holder, master, lord, commander, representative, author or originator of ..." (Cowan 1994, 588).
It has passed on to several languages including Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
-Urdu
Urdu
Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
(Hindustani
Hindustani language
Hindi-Urdu is an Indo-Aryan language and the lingua franca of North India and Pakistan. It is also known as Hindustani , and historically, as Hindavi or Rekhta...
), Punjabi
Punjabi language
Punjabi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by inhabitants of the historical Punjab region . For Sikhs, the Punjabi language stands as the official language in which all ceremonies take place. In Pakistan, Punjabi is the most widely spoken language...
, Bengali
Bengali language
Bengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script...
, Gujarati
Gujarati language
Gujarati is an Indo-Aryan language, and part of the greater Indo-European language family. It is derived from a language called Old Gujarati which is the ancestor language of the modern Gujarati and Rajasthani languages...
, Pashto
Pashto language
Pashto , known as Afghani in Persian and Pathani in Punjabi , is the native language of the indigenous Pashtun people or Afghan people who are found primarily between an area south of the Amu Darya in Afghanistan and...
, Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
, Turkish
Turkish language
Turkish is a language spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo,...
and Marathi
Marathi language
Marathi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people of western and central India. It is the official language of the state of Maharashtra. There are over 68 million fluent speakers worldwide. Marathi has the fourth largest number of native speakers in India and is the fifteenth most...
. It has been translated in the Indian sub-continent after the advent of colonialism as: grace or, as in the Sikh
Sikh
A Sikh is a follower of Sikhism. It primarily originated in the 15th century in the Punjab region of South Asia. The term "Sikh" has its origin in Sanskrit term शिष्य , meaning "disciple, student" or शिक्ष , meaning "instruction"...
religion, "Guru
Guru
A guru is one who is regarded as having great knowledge, wisdom, and authority in a certain area, and who uses it to guide others . Other forms of manifestation of this principle can include parents, school teachers, non-human objects and even one's own intellectual discipline, if the...
's honor". It comes from the Arabic ṣāḥib صاحب.
Combined ruler styles
(This list may well be incomplete; gun salutes21-gun salute
Gun salutes are the firing of cannons or firearms as a military or naval honor.The custom stems from naval tradition, where a warship would fire its cannons harmlessly out to sea, until all ammunition was spent, to show that it was disarmed, signifying the lack of hostile intent...
mentioned are as in 1947, some may be the result of one or more promotions)
- MaharajaMaharajaMahārāja is a Sanskrit title for a "great king" or "high king". The female equivalent title Maharani denotes either the wife of a Maharaja or, in states where that was customary, a woman ruling in her own right. The widow of a Maharaja is known as a Rajamata...
Jam SahibJam SahibJam Sahib is the title of the ruling prince of Nawanagar, now known as Jamnagar, an Indian princely state. The Jam Sahibs were from the Jam Jadeja clan , who are a branch of Samma Rajput...
was unique to the rather major princely state (13-gun salute) of NawanagarNawanagarNavanagar was an Indian princely state, in Kathiawar region, situated on the south of the Gulf of Kutch. It was ruled by the Jadeja dynasty from its formation in c 1540 until 1948 when it succeed to newly formed, India. The district is now known as Jamnagar. It had an area of and a population... - Maharaja Raj Sahib of the rather minor Gujurati salute states of Dhrangadhra-Halvad (13-gun salute) and Maharana Raj Sahib of WankanerWankanerWankaner is a city and a municipality in Rajkot district in the Indian state of Gujarat.Wankaner has thorny plantation in the area !-Geography:Wankaner is located at . It has an average elevation of 81 metres ....
(11-gun salute) - Maharaja Rana Sahib of the rather major princely statePrincely stateA 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 ...
(13-gun salute) PorbandarPorbandarPorbandar is a coastal city in the Indian state of Gujarat, perhaps best known for being the birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi and Sudama... - Thakur sahib was significantly rarer and higher than Thakur (often below the status of princely state, never a gun salute), being used for several minor salute stateSalute stateA Salute state was a princely state in India during the time of British rule which had been granted a gun salute by the British Crown ; i.e., the protocollary privilege for its ruler to be greeted - originally by Royal Navy ships, later also on land - with a number of gun shots, as recognition of...
s (9 guns, the lowest class in India, until independence excluded from the style 'His Highness'): DhrolDhrolDhrol is a city and a municipality in Jamnagar district in the state of Gujarat, India.-History:Jadeja dynasty ruled over the Saurastra since 450 years above,the Hardhrolji and Jamravalji came from the Kutch. They spread huge Jadeja state in Saurastra. Dhrol was the second class state in...
, LimbdiLimbdiLimbdi is a city and a municipality in Surendranagar district in the Indian state of Gujarat.Limbdi has a proud place in women's education. It is home to Lady Wellingdon Girls School, now Municipal school number 3. This school was established in Limbdi on 1 March 1859 when India had hardly any...
, PalitanaPalitanaPalitana is a city in Bhavnagar district, Gujarat, India. It is located 50 km southwest of Bhavnagar city and is a major pilgrimage centre for Jains.-History:...
and Rajkot
Subsidiary ruler styles
In various dynasties, members of certain genealogical rank were awarded various combinations of additional styles, in se not their rank, which may include sahib. This could even happen in a Muslim dynasty, e.g. sons of the ruling NawabNawab
A 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....
of Junagadh
Junagadh
Junagadh 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,...
used Nawabzada before their personal name, then Khanji and the father's name, finally Sahib.
Again this could be combined titles:
- Sahib-i-Jah "Lord, or Possessor of Dignity" was a title of the ruling Nawab of Baoni.
Non-Indian ruler title
The ruling Bey of Tunis, an Arabo-Barbaresque satellite state under Ottoman suzeraintySuzerainty
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...
in North Africa, also known as 'regency' since the French protectorate
Protectorate
In history, the term protectorate has two different meanings. In its earliest inception, which has been adopted by modern international law, it is an autonomous territory that is protected diplomatically or militarily against third parties by a stronger state or entity...
, used the style Basha Bay Tunis, Sahib al-Mamlaka at-Tunisiyya ("Pasha Bey of Tunis, Lord of the Tunisian Realm"; in French: Bey de Tunis, Seigneur de la Régence de Tunis), suggesting their realm was at par with that of a Malik
Malik
Malik is an Arabic word meaning "king, chieftain".It has been adopted in various other, mainly Islamized or Arabized, Asian languages for their ruling princes and to render kings elsewhere. It is also sometimes used in derived meanings...
(Arabic for King), until the last incumbent changed it in 1956 (till 25 July 1957) in "King (Padshah) of the Tunisians and Commander of the Faithful".
Sahibzada
Sahibzada was a muslim title equivalent to a 'princePrince
Prince is a general term for a ruler, monarch or member of a monarch's or former monarch's family, and is a hereditary title in the nobility of some European states. The feminine equivalent is a princess...
'. This derivation using the Persian suffix -zada(h), literally 'son (or further male descendant; compare Shahzada) of a Sahib', was also (part of) the formal style for some princes of the blood of Muslim dynasties, e.g.:
- the sons of a ruling Nawab of Arcot (the head of the family; political pensionerPolitical pensionerA political pensioner enjoys a pension awarded due to his or political career or significance.-UK domestic politicians:By the British Political Offices Pension Act of 1869, pensions were instituted for those who had held political office...
s, the only princely title still recognized by the Indian Republic) are styled: Sahibzada (personal name) Khan BahadurKhan (title)Khan is an originally Altaic and subsequently Central Asian title for a sovereign or military ruler, widely used by medieval nomadic Turko-Mongol tribes living to the north of China. 'Khan' is also seen as a title in the Xianbei confederation for their chief between 283 and 289...
, not Nawabzada (literally 'son of the Nawab'). - in BahawalpurBahawalpurBahawalpur , located in the province of Punjab, is the twelfth largest city in Pakistan. The city was once the capital of the former princely state of Bahawalpur. The city was home to various Nawabs and counted as part of the Rajputana states...
, in Pakistan, the younger sons of the ruling Nawab/Amir are styled: Sahibzada (personal name) Khan Abassi; but the Heir Apparent: Nawabzada (personal name) Khan Abassi, Wali Ahad Bahadur - in Baoni, the younger sons and other male descendants of the ruling Nawab, in the male line, were styled Sahibzada (personal name) Khan Bahadur, while the Heir Apparent was: Nawabzada (personal name) Khan, Wali Ahad Bahadur; either could be personally promoted to Nawab
- in Bhopal, the grandsons of the ruling Nawab were styled: Sahibzada (personal name) Khan, while the Heir Apparent was the Wali Ahad Bahadur, the younger sons: Nawab (personal name) Khan Bahadur
- in Jaoroa, more distant male relatives of the ruling Nawab then the sons (who were Nawabzada) were styled: Sahibzada (personal name) Khan
- in Khudadad, Tippu Sultan's short-lived Muslim empire, the grandsons and other male descendants of the sovereign Padshah bahadur were styled: Sahibzada (personal name), until in 1860 the colonial (British) Indian Government extended to them the existing style for sons of the ruling Nawab: Shahzada (personal name) Sahib
- in MalerkotlaMalerkotlaMalerkotla is a city and a municipal council in Sangrur district in the Indian state of Punjab. It was the seat of the eponymous princely state during the British Raj...
, where the Heir Apparent was Nawabzada (personal name) Khan Bahadur, the younger sons of the ruling Nawab were styled: Sahibzada (personal name) Khan Bahadur - in SavanurSavanurSavanur is a town and taluk headquarters of Savanur Taluk in Haveri District of Karnataka state, India.- History :Savanur was one of the princely states of British India, under the Bombay Presidency, and later the Deccan States Agency...
, where sons of the ruling Nawab were Nawabzada, the other male descendants in the male line: Sahibzada (personal name) Khan SahibKhan SahibKhan Sahib - a compound of khan and sahib - was a formal title of respect and honour, which was conferred exclusively on Muslim, Parsi and Jewish subjects of the British Indian Empire...
, and the more remote male descendants of the ruler: SardarSardarSardar is a title of Indo-Aryan origin that was originally used to denote feudal princes, noblemen, and other aristocrats. It was later applied to indicate a Head of State, a Commander-in-chief, and an Army military rank...
(personal name) Khan Sahib.
This could be further combined, e.g.:
- in HyderabadHyderabad 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...
, the great, mainly Muslim state of the NizamNizamNizam-ul-Mulk of Hyderabad popularly known as Nizams of Hyderabad was a former monarchy of the Hyderabad State, now in the states of Andhra Pradesh , Karnataka , and Maharashtra in India...
, every son of the ruler was fully styled Walashan Nawab (personal title), Sahibzada Mir (personal name) Khan Bahadur; in the case of the Heir Apparent, all this was followed by The Prince of BerarBerar ProvinceBerar Province, known also as the Hyderabad Assigned Districts, was a province of British India. The province, formerly ruled by the Nizam of Hyderabad, was administered by the British after 1853, although the Nizam retained formal sovereignty over the province...
, with the style of His Highness, normally reserved for ruling princes with at least an 11 (later 9) guns-salute; - in LoharuLoharuLoharu is a city and a municipal committee in Bhiwani district in the Indian state of Haryana. It is the administrative headquarters of one of the 4 administrative sub-divisions of the district which comprises 119 villages....
, where the Heir Apparent was Nawabzada Mirza (personal name) Khan, both the younger sons, and male descendants, of a ruling Nawab, in the male line, were styled: Sahibzada Mirza (personal name) Khan. - in MurshidabadMurshidabadMurshidabad is a city in Murshidabad district of West Bengal state in India. The city of Murshidabad is located on the southern bank of the Bhagirathi, a distributary of the Ganges River. It was the capital of undivided Bengal during the Mughal rule. Nawabs of Bengal used to rule Bengal from this...
(present title-seat of the royal house of BengalBengalBengal 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...
), the other sons and male descendants of the reigning Nawab, in the male line: Sahibzada Sayyid (personal name) Mirza; - in SachinSachinThe name Sachin is derived, via Indic languages like Bengali and Marathi, from the Sanskrit name Shachindra. Shachindra is a name given to Hindu mythological god Indra which means Shachi's Indra. Shachi was one of the wives of Indra. It is the other name of Hindu god Shiva...
, the grandsons and other male descendants of the ruling Nawab, in the male line, were styled: Sahibzada Sidi (personal name) Khan Bahadur, while the Heir ApparentHeir apparentAn heir apparent or heiress apparent is a person who is first in line of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting, except by a change in the rules of succession....
was Nawabzada Sidi (personal name) Khan Bahadur, Wali Ahad Sahib, and the other sons: Nawabzada Sidi (personal name) Khan Bahadur. - in BengalBengalBengal 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...
, male members muslim zamindars with distant connections to ruling or formerly ruling royal families, were styled Sahibzada if the head of the family was called sahib. It could be affixed to more titles or family names.
Wali-ahad Sahib
- In PalanpurPalanpurPalanpur is a city and a municipality of Banaskantha district in the Indian state of Gujarat. Palanpur is the largest city and the administrative headquarters of the district....
, the younger sons of the ruling Nawab, and other male descendants in the male line, were styled Sahibzada (personal name) Khan; but the Heir Apparent: Nawabzada (personal name) Khan, Wali-ahad Sahib.
Colonial and modern use
Sahib means "friend" in Arabic and was commonly used in the Indian Sub-continent as a courteous term in the way that "Mister" (also derived from the word "master") and "Misses" (derived from the word "mistress") is used in the English language. It is still used today in the Sub-continent just as "Mister" and "Misses", and continues to be used today by English language speakers as a polite form of address.The term sahib was applied indiscriminately to any person whether Indian or Non-Indian. This included Europeans who arrived in the Sub-continent as traders in the 16th Century and hence the first mention of the word in European records is in 1673.
Pukka sahib
Pukka sahib
Pukka sahib was a slang term taken from Hindi words for "Absolute" and "master", but meaning "true gentleman" or "excellent fellow"...
was also a term used to signify genuine and legitimate authority, with pukka meaning "absolutely genuine".
Sahiba is the authentic form address to be used for a female. Under the British Raj, however, the word used for female members of the establishment was adapted to memsahib, a corruption of the English word "ma'am" which was added to the word sahib.
The same word is also appended to the names of Sikh
Sikh
A Sikh is a follower of Sikhism. It primarily originated in the 15th century in the Punjab region of South Asia. The term "Sikh" has its origin in Sanskrit term शिष्य , meaning "disciple, student" or शिक्ष , meaning "instruction"...
guru
Guru
A guru is one who is regarded as having great knowledge, wisdom, and authority in a certain area, and who uses it to guide others . Other forms of manifestation of this principle can include parents, school teachers, non-human objects and even one's own intellectual discipline, if the...
s.
Literary Reference
The following dialogue in Dorothy Sayers' 1926 novel "Clouds of WitnessClouds of Witness
Clouds of Witness is a 1926 novel by Dorothy L. Sayers, the second in her series featuring Lord Peter Wimsey.It was adapted for television in 1972, as part of a series starring Ian Carmichael as Lord Peter.-Plot introduction:...
" shows what the term implied in British society at the time.
- Cornoner: "What kind of a man was Captain Cathart?"
- Duke of Denver: "Well - he was a Sahib and all that. I don't know what he did before joining up in 1914. I think he lived on his income; his father was well off. Crack shot, good at games, and so on."
Musahib
This title (pl. musāhibān), etymologically the active part. of to associate, or consort (with), means originally companion, associate, friend (the abstract term is musāhabat); not unlike the Hellenistic Greek Philos and the Latin ComesComes
Comes , plural comites , is the Latin word for companion, either individually or as a member of a collective known as comitatus, especially the suite of a magnate, in some cases large and/or formal enough to have a specific name, such as a cohors amicorum. The word comes derives from com- "with" +...
in the Roman empire, it became a title for a favourite (of a Sahib, especially a prince), and such 'personally close' positions as aide-de-camp
Aide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
, in some princely states even a Minister.