Mantri is a word of

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural diffusion ...

origin (meaning sage, i.e. the "person who thinks and says" in that language, cf.

Mantra A mantra ( Pali: ''manta'') or mantram (मन्त्रम्) is a sacred utterance, a numinous sound, a syllable, word or phonemes, or group of words in Sanskrit, Pali and other languages believed by practitioners to have religious, ...

), and it is used for a variety of public offices, from fairly humble to ministerial in rank. The term was used in various Asian cultures and eventually was used by early European traders. The term also forms part of a number of compounds. It is the root of the English word mandarin, for a bureaucrat of the Chinese empire (though the word was never used by the Chinese themselves).

South Asia

Bangladesh

*Montri is used synonymously with Minister in Bengali language. *Prodhanmontri: Prime Minister *Montri: Minister *Protimontri: Minister of state *Upomontri: Deputy minister *Montri-Shobha: Cabinet *Montri-Porishod: Council of Ministers

India

*The word Mantri is often used to mean 'Minister' in Hindi as well as in many other Indian languages, several variations such as Mukhyamantri (chief minister) and Pradhanmantri (prime minister) are also used. *In Satara, where the

Peshwa The Peshwa (Pronunciation: e(ː)ʃʋaː was the appointed (later becoming hereditary) prime minister of the Maratha Empire of the Indian subcontinent. Originally, the Peshwas served as subordinates to the Chhatrapati (the Maratha king); later ...

(formally First Minister) took over political power from the nominal Monarch: Mantri was used as synonymous Sanskrit version of Waqnis (Fourth Minister) *In Coastal Maharashtra Mantri surname is used by

Somvanshi Kshatriya Pathare Panchkalshi or SKP is a Hindu community. They are one of the original native communities of Bombay (Mumbai) metropolitan area in the Konkan division of India. Since the 19th century the community has called itself Somvanshi Kshatriya Pathare. His ...

Community residing in coastal region of Maharashtra. *Mantri is a surname used by

Maheshwari Maheshwari, also spelled Maheshvari, is a Hindu caste of India, originally from what is now the state of Rajasthan. Their traditional occupation is that of commerce and as such they form part of the wider Bania occupation-based community that ...

caste, part of Marwadi community. *Mantri is a surname used by

Yadav Yadav refers to a grouping of traditionally non-elite, Quote: "The Yadavs were traditionally a low-to-middle-ranking cluster of pastoral-peasant castes that have become a significant political force in Uttar Pradesh (and other northern state ...

People in North Districts of Tamil Nadu. *Mantri is a surname used by Niyogi Brahmins in Andhra Pradesh. *Mantri is also the brand name of a real estate company based in Bangalore, founded by Sushil Mantri. *Mantri is a surname used by Bardeskar Gaud Saraswat Brahmin community in Goa. Mantri are Mhajan of Shree Shantadurga Temple Kavlem and Vetal Maharudra Sansthan Shirodwadi Mulgao Goa.

Nepal

*Mantri: Minister of State *Pradhan Mantri: Prime Minister (compare

Pradhan Pradhan (Devanagari: प्रधान) is generally ministerial title of Sanskrit origin in cultures of Hindu tradition, mainly used in the Indian subcontinent. The Sanskrit ''pradhāna'' translates to "major" or "prime"; however, the more modern ...

)

South East Asia

Brunei

Mentri (or Mantri): ministerial rank below

vizier A vizier (; ar, وزير, wazīr; fa, وزیر, vazīr), or wazir, is a high-ranking political advisor or minister in the near east. The Abbasid caliphs gave the title ''wazir'' to a minister formerly called '' katib'' (secretary), who was ...

Cambodia

*/nieyʊək roat~roattʰaʔ mʊəntrəy/ (នាយករដ្ឋមន្ត្រី; nāyaka raṭṭha mantrī): Prime Minister */ʔuʔpaʔnieyɔǝk roat~roattʰaʔ mʊəntrəy/ (ឧបនាយករដ្ឋមន្ត្រី; upanāyaka raṭṭha mantrī): Deputy Prime Minister */roattʰaʔmʊəntrəy/ (រដ្ឋមន្ត្រី; raṭṭha mantrī): Minister */keaʔnaʔroattʰaʔmʊəntrəy/(គណៈរដ្ឋមន្ត្រី; gaṇa raṭṭha mantrī): Council of Ministers */mʊəntrəy/ (មន្ត្រី, mantrī): official, minister, counsellor

Indonesia

* Mantri, in the form of Menteri is a Sanskrit loanword that describes ministers of the government. Perdana Menteri (corresponding exactly to

Mantri) is used to describe

prime ministers A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is no ...

(as Indonesia is a presidential country, it is mainly used to describe prime ministers of other countries adopting the parliamentary system). *in

Buleleng Buleleng ( ban, ᬓᬩᬸᬧᬢᬾᬦ᭄ᬩᬸᬮᭂᬮᭂᬂ, Kabupatén Buléléng) is a regency (''kabupaten'') of Bali, Indonesia. It has an area of 1,365.88 km2 and population of 624,125 at the 2010 census and 791,910 at the 2020 cen ...

Mantri occurred (rank unclear) *in

Deli Deli may refer to: * Delicatessen, a shop selling specially prepared food, or food prepared by such a shop * Sultanate of Deli, a former sultanate in North Sumatra, Indonesia Places * Deli, Boyer-Ahmad, a village in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Pro ...

the title of ''Tengku Perdana Mantri'' was created 1 February 1923 for Tengku Harun al-Rashid ibni al-Marhum Sultan Ma'amun al-Rashid Perkasa 'Alam Shah, eldest brother of the Crown Prince (Sultan the next year) and

Wakil In Islamic law, a wakīl (), in older literature vakeel, is a deputy, delegate or agent who acts on behalf of a principal. It can refer to an attorney, a diplomat or the custodian of a mosque or religious order. ''Wakīl'' is also one of the nam ...

of Bedagai 1932 *in

Kutai Kutai is a historical region in what is now known as East Kalimantan, Indonesia on the island of Borneo and is also the name of the native ethnic group of the region (known as ''Urang Kutai'' or "the Kutai people"), numbering around 300,000 w ...

, Perdana-mantri was the first great Officer of state, or Chief Minister *in Sambas, Radin Mantri was a high title for princes of the blood, e.g. borne by Sri Paduka al-Sultan Tuanku 'Abu Bakar Taj ud-din I l-Marhum Janggutibni al-Marhum Sultan 'Umar Akam ud-din, future Sultan of Sambas, before his accession on the death of his father, 1790 *in

Yogyakarta Yogyakarta (; jv, ꦔꦪꦺꦴꦒꦾꦏꦂꦠ ; pey, Jogjakarta) is the capital city of Special Region of Yogyakarta in Indonesia, in the south-central part of the island of Java. As the only Indonesian royal city still ruled by a monarchy, ...

and

Surakarta Surakarta ( jv, ꦯꦸꦫꦏꦂꦠ), known colloquially as Solo ( jv, ꦱꦭ; ), is a city in Central Java, Indonesia. The 44 km2 (16.2 sq mi) city adjoins Karanganyar Regency and Boyolali Regency to the north, Karanganyar Regency and Su ...

palaces—the term is part of administrative titles for positions within the palaces and places that they control.

Malaysia

*Perdana Menteri: Prime Minister *Timbalan Perdana Menteri: Deputy Prime Minister *Menteri: Minister *Jemaah Menteri: Cabinet *in various constitutive

sultanate This article includes a list of successive Islamic states and Muslim dynasties beginning with the time of the Islamic prophet Muhammad (570–632 CE) and the early Muslim conquests that spread Islam outside of the Arabian Peninsula, and continuin ...

s, also in compounds

Thailand

*Nayok Rattha Montri (นายกรัฐมนตรี): Prime Minister *Rawng Nayok Rattha Montri (รองนายกรัฐมนตรี): Deputy Prime Minister *Rattha Montri Waa Kan (รัฐมนตรีว่าการ): Minister *Khana Rattha Montri (คณะรัฐมนตรี): Cabinet

Sources and references

{{reflist Executive ministers Titles in Bangladesh