Çavuş, also anglicized Chaush and Chiaus (from tr, çavuş / , "messenger"),

Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walter ...

'shawish, شاويش', (from

Old Turkic Old Turkic (also East Old Turkic, Orkhon Turkic language, Old Uyghur) is the earliest attested form of the Turkic languages, found in Göktürk and Uyghur Khaganate inscriptions dating from about the eighth to the 13th century. It is the old ...

''Çabuş'' or ''Çawuş'', "person who gives order, person who yells") was an Ottoman title used for two separate soldier professions, both acting as messengers although differing in levels. It was a rank below '' agha'' and ''

kethüda ( ota, كدخدا), often corrupted to or in daily speech, was an Ottoman Turkish title meaning "steward, deputy, lieutenant". It derives from the Persian word ("master of a household", later "chieftain, headman"). The term originated in med ...

'' (from

Persian Persian may refer to: * People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language ** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples ** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...

, kad-khuda, "magistrate"), in units such as the Janissaries and

Sipahi ''Sipahi'' ( ota, سپاهی, translit=sipâhi, label=Persian, ) were professional cavalrymen deployed by the Seljuks, and later the Ottoman Empire, including the land grant-holding (''timar'') provincial '' timarli sipahi'', which constituted ...

, and was also a term for members of the specialized unit of '' çavuşān'' (, also ''çavuşiyye'', ''çavuş(an)-i divan(i)'') consisting of combined cavalry and infantry serving the Imperial Council (as in Ottoman Egypt). The leaders of the council's ''çavuş'' were titled ''çavuşbaşı'' / (or ''başçavuş'' / ). The ''çavuşbaşı'' was an assistant (or deputy) to the Grand Vizier, dealing with security matters, accompanying ambassadors visiting the Grand Vizier, and also carried out the first examination of petitions submitted to the Council, and led council meetings when the Grand Vizier was not present. The title has its origin in Uyghur use, where it was the title of ambassadors, and then entered Seljuq use for

Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...

imperial messengers, and Persian and Arabic use for various court attendants. The word gave rise to surnames, such as Çavuş (Turkish), Çavuşoğlu (Turkish), Čaušević (Serbo-Croatian), Čaušić (Serbo-Croatian), Baščaušević (Serbo-Croatian), Çaushaj (Albanian), Ceaușu (Romanian), Ceaușescu (Romanian), Τσαούσης (Tsaousis in Greek), and others. It is also the stem of place names, such as Çavuş (in Turkey), Çavuşlu (in Turkey), Çavuşlar (in Turkey), Çavuşköy (in Turkey), Çavuşbayırı (in Turkey), Čauševac (in Bosnia), Čauševići (in Bosnia and Serbia), Čaušev Do (in Bosnia), Čauševina (in Bosnia), Čaušlije (in Bosnia), Čaušlija (in Macedonia),

Chavusy Chaussy, Chavusy or Chausy ( be, Чавусы; pl, Czausy; russian: Чаусы; Łacinka: Čavusy) is a town in the eastern Belarusian Region of Mogilev. Chavusy serves as an administrative center of Chavusy Raion. As of 2009, its population ...

(in Belarus), Çaushi (in Albania), and others. In the past in

former Yugoslavia The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, commonly referred to as SFR Yugoslavia or simply as Yugoslavia, was a country in Central and Southeast Europe. It emerged in 1945, following World War II, and lasted until 1992, with the breakup of Yu ...

, the word ''čauš'' was also sometimes applied to the wedding-planner. __NOTOC__

List of ''çavuşbaşı''

*Daut Bey (fl. 1484), served Sultan Bayezid II (r. 1481–1512) *Kuyumcu Süleyman Agha, served Grand Vizier Ipşir Pasha (1653–54) *Mehmed Raşid, served Sultan

Mahmud II Mahmud II ( ota, محمود ثانى, Maḥmûd-u s̠ânî, tr, II. Mahmud; 20 July 1785 – 1 July 1839) was the 30th Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1808 until his death in 1839. His reign is recognized for the extensive administrative, ...

(r. 1808–1839) *Mustafa Agha *Ahmed Agha *Selim Pasha *Zulfiqar Agha *Mohammed Haji-Ajvazade *Abdul Kerim Izet

Modern Turkish military usage

In the modern

Turkish Armed Forces The Turkish Armed Forces (TAF; tr, Türk Silahlı Kuvvetleri, TSK) are the military forces of the Republic of Turkey. Turkish Armed Forces consist of the General Staff, the Land Forces, the Naval Forces and the Air Forces. The current Chi ...

, the rank of ''Çavuş'' is equivalent of "sergeant" (and NATO OR-5 rank), and ranks above the rank of ''Onbaşı'' ("corporal"). The insignia is two inverted chevrons, in red or camouflage pattern, depending on the dress.

References

Sources

* * * * * * *

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cavus Turkish titles Turkish words and phrases Ottoman titles Military ranks of the Ottoman Empire Military ranks of Turkey

List of ''çavuşbaşı''

Modern Turkish military usage

See also

References

Sources

External links