A ''binbashi'', alternatively ''bimbashi'', (from , "chief of a thousand", "

chiliarch Chiliarch is a military rank dating back to antiquity. Originally denoting the commander of a unit of about one thousand men (a chiliarchy) in the Macedonian army, it was subsequently used as a Greek translation of a Persian officer who function ...

") is a major in the Turkish army, of which term originated in the

Ottoman army The Military of the Ottoman Empire () was the armed forces of the Ottoman Empire. It was founded in 1299 and dissolved in 1922. Army The Military of the Ottoman Empire can be divided in five main periods. The foundation era covers the years ...

. The title was also used for a major in the Khedivial Egyptian army as ''Bimbashi'' (1805–1953). It was also used by the

Serbian revolution The Serbian Revolution ( / ') was a national uprising and constitutional change in Serbia that took place between 1804 and 1835, during which this territory evolved from an Sanjak of Smederevo, Ottoman province into a Revolutionary Serbia, reb ...

aries as ''Bimbaša'' ( sr-cyr, Бимбаша) in 1804–1817. The collar mark (later

shoulder mark A shoulder mark, also called a rank slide or slip-on, is a flat cloth sleeve worn on the shoulder strap of a uniform. It may bear rank or other insignia. A shoulder mark should not be confused with a (an elaborate shoulder strap), a (a brai ...

) and

cap A cap is a flat headgear, usually with a visor. Caps have crowns that fit very close to the head. They made their first appearance as early as 3200 BC. The origin of the word "cap" comes from the Old French word "chapeau" which means "head co ...

(until 1933) of a ''Binbaşı'' had two stripes and one star during the early years of the Turkish Republic.

References

* Dictionary.com
Binbashi entry
* Dunn, John P. "Khedive Ismail's Army" Routledge Press, 2005
p. 156
Military ranks of Turkey Turkish words and phrases Military ranks of the Ottoman Empire {{mil-rank-stub tr:Binbaşı

See also

References