Agha (;
; ; "chief, master, lord"
) is an
honorific
An honorific is a title that conveys esteem, courtesy, or respect for position or rank when used in addressing or referring to a person. Sometimes, the term "honorific" is used in a more specific sense to refer to an Honorary title (academic), h ...
title for a civilian or officer, or often part of such title. In the Ottoman times, some court functionaries and leaders of organizations like bazaar or the janissary units were entitled to the ''agha'' title. In rural communities, this term is used for people who own considerable lands and are influential in their community. Regardless of a rural community, this title is also used for any man who is influential or respected.
Etymology
The word ''agha'' entered English from Turkish,
and the Turkish word comes from the
Old Turkic
Old Siberian Turkic, generally known as East Old Turkic and often shortened to Old Turkic, was a Siberian Turkic language spoken around East Turkistan and Mongolia. It was first discovered in inscriptions originating from the Second Turkic Kh ...
''aqa'', meaning "elder brother". It is an equivalent of
Mongolian
Mongolian may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to Mongolia, a country in Asia
* Mongolian people, or Mongols
* Bogd Khanate of Mongolia, the government of Mongolia, 1911–1919 and 1921–1924
* Mongolian language
* Mongolian alphabet
* ...
word ''aqa'' or ''aka''.
Other uses
"Agha" is nowadays used as a common
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 ...
honorific title for men, the equivalent of "mister" in
English. The corresponding honorific term for women is
khanum
Khanum, Hanum, Hanım, Hanem, Khanom, or Khanoum (Uzbek language, Uzbek: Xonim/Хоним, , Mongolian language, Mongolian: Ханым, , , , , , , ) is a female royal family, royal and aristocracy, aristocratic title that was originally derived t ...
which is also of Turkic origin.
However, the title is considered a baron in comparison to European nobility.
[Imperial, royal and noble ranks
Wikipedia Page]
See also
*
State organisation of the Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire developed over the years as a despotism with the Sultan as the supreme ruler of a centralized government that had an effective control of its provinces, officials and inhabitants. Wealth and rank could be inherited but were ...
*
Agha Petros
Petros Elia of Baz (; 1 April 1880 – 2 February 1932), better known as Agha Petros (), was an Assyrian military leader and statesman, best known for his role during World War I. He is considered a national hero for the Assyrians and other ...
*
Agaluk
An agaluk () was a feudal unit of the Ottoman Empire governed by an ''agha'' (tax collector landlord).
In Bosnian history, the word ''agaluk'' often refers to land ''owned'' by an ''aga''.
See also
*Subdivisions of the Ottoman Empire
*Kadiluk
...
*
Aga Khan
Aga Khan (; ; also transliterated as ''Aqa Khan'' and ''Agha Khan'') is a title held by the Imamate in Nizari doctrine, Imām of the Nizari Isma'ilism, Nizari Isma'ilism, Ismāʿīli Shia Islam, Shias. The current holder of the title is the ...
*
Agha of the Janissaries
The Agha of the Janissaries or Janissary Agha (; ) was a top Ottoman Empire, Ottoman military official and courtier, and the commander of the Janissary corps. Apart from the commander-general of the entire corps, the title of "Agha of the Janissar ...
*
Kapi Agha
The Kapi Agha (, " Agha of the Gate"), formally called the Agha of the Gate of Felicity (''Bâbüssaâde ağası''), was the head of the eunuch servants of the Ottoman Seraglio until the late 16th century, when this post was taken over by the Kizla ...
*
Kizlar Agha
The Kizlar Agha (, , ), formally the Agha of the House of Felicity (, ), was the head of the eunuchs who guarded the Ottoman Imperial Harem in Constantinople.
Established in 1574, the post ranked among the most important in the Ottoman Empire un ...
*
Silahdar Agha
The Silahdar Agha was a palace office of the Ottoman Empire, denoting the principal page of the Ottoman Sultan. As such its holders were persons of great influence, and provided many senior officials and even Grand Viziers.
The title derives from ...
References
{{Authority control
Court titles
Government of the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman titles
Titles in Iran
Titles of national or ethnic leadership
Titles in Lebanon
Military ranks of the Ottoman Empire
Janissaries
Titles in Bosnia and Herzegovina during Ottoman period