In modern Lebanon, many families still retain the honorific noble titles of “Sheikh”, “Muqaddam”, “Emir” & “Beg”. The Lebanese government formally recognizes their rights by including the honorific titles in the official Lebanese ID documents (with title preceding the first name; except for the Turkish “Beg” title which follows the first name). This practice of including the honorific titles in the ID cards started at the time of the “Mutasarrifate”. At these times, only powerful local feudal families were holding these honorific titles, which were originally granted to them by the Ottoman authorities or the “Emir of Mount Lebanon”.

Not all descendants of medieval noble families were able to retain their honorific titles. The survival of these titles within certain branches of the old noble families depended on their political connections, wealth & relative clout within their respective communities. Many families, who were originally of high noble stock, have lost their social stature over time (to a lower rank, or were stripped from all titles of nobility).

Others have moved the opposite way, from lower titles of nobility to higher stature, normally with the Ottoman central government or its representatives bestowing upon them honorific titles for services rendered, or upon appointment to official post.

“Emir” أمير (aka “Amir”; Plural: “Amirs”)

In Arabic, the literal meaning of the term “Amir” is “Commander”; it is generally used in the following contexts: 

• Commander: In medieval Islamic context, “Emir” is the title used for a military commanding officer. This title is still in use forleaders of Muslim religious armed groups. For Navy Admirals, the formal title was “Amir al-Bahr”أميرالبحر (literally meaning “commander of the sea").  Also, the supreme religious leader for Muslims who took the title of “Caliph” (i.e. successor of the Prophet); have alternatively used the title of “Amīr al-Mu'minīn” أمير المؤمنين (Spanish: “Miramolín”), meaning“Commander of the Faithful”. The Ottoman army included the ranks of “Mirliva [1]”أمير لواء “ "Miralay [2]” أمير آلاي (فوج).

• Governor: in the Arab world, historically the title of “Amir” was given to the governor of a semi-autonomous district or province; these were mainly military governors.

• Monarch: “Emir” is the official title used for the monarch of a sovereign emirate (i.e. principality) in the Arab world. In the UAE, the president & rulers of its constituent emirates use the term“Sheikh” instead.

• Prince: “Emir” is also used as an honorific title to address a person who is descendant from a ruling dynasty, either ancient or modern.

• Chieftain: the title of “Amir” was sometimes used in the“Arab World” by certain clans to address their heads; as an alternative to the more traditional title of “Sheikh” (loosely applied for members of the ruling branch within the clan). In ancient Arabia, some powerful tribal alliances (or single large tribes) used the title of “Malik" (i.e. king) to refer to their highest chief.

• Pilgrimage caravan: “Amir al-Hajj” was a medieval title used for the commander of the camel train caravan carrying pilgrims to Mecca. He’ll be responsible for the security measures & for selecting the safest routes.

During Ottoman times, the honorific title of “Emir” was used in Lebanon to denote the ruler of a “Sanjak” سنجق (aka “Liwa” لواء). It was the Arabic term used to translate the Turkish title of “Bey” or “Beg”; i.e. The Arabic formal title will be “Amir” of the “Sanjak” rather than the Turkish title “Sanjak Bey” or “Sanjak Beg”.

Emir Fakhreddine II (r. 1590-1635 AD) was the first in Mount Lebanon to be appointed as “Sanjak Beg” (he was the governor of the Sanjaks of “Beirut” & “Sidon”; later, he was appointed to govern the Sanjak of “Safed” in North Palestine). The “Sanjak” was a sub-division of a larger Ottoman administrative province, called “Beglerbeglic” (ruled by a “Beylerbey”) or “Eyalet” إيالة (later known as “Vilayet” ولاية, governed by a “Vali” والي).

The term “al-Amir al-Hakim” (meaning “the ruling Emir”) was the title used by the “Multazim”of the taxes for whole of Mount Lebanon; the “Iltizam” of which sometimes included districts from more than one “Sanjak”. These multazims came from the most prominent families in Mount Lebanon who were already holding the traditional title of “Amir”. The “Multazim” will be in advance the Tax required from his“Iltizam”; he will later collect the taxes from the local feudal lords (normally much higher than what he paid). The “Multazim” was not appointed for life; he had to renew his mandate every year [3]. The authority to grant the mandate initially was with the “Sanjak Beg” of the respective district(s); later it was mainly the Ottoman “Vali” who appointed the “Multazim” for “Mount Lebanon” (Lebanese historians referred to the Multazim by the title of “Emir of Mount Lebanon”).

The Ottoman governors found it easier to directly rule big cities & delegate the “Iltizam” function of the mountainous areas to powerful local families. The“Emir of Mount Lebanon” was not free to interfere in the affairs of the other feudal lords in Mount Lebanon. Each lord (whether “Emir”, “Muqaddam” or“Sheikh”) was an independent governor of his sub-district. The relationship of the “Multazim” with them was more of “Primus inter pares” (i.e. “First among equals”), than that of an overlord & subordinate rulers.

Amongst the feudal families holding the traditional title of “Amir” In the 16^th& 17^th centuries AD, the families of “Maan” (Adjective:“Maanid”) & “Alameddine” were the most prominent in Mount Lebanon, followed  by the families of “Tanukh” (aka “Buhtur”; adjectives: “Tanukhid” &“Buhturid”) & Arslan (aka “Rislan”). By the year 1711 AD, the ruling branches of the “Maan”, “Alameddine” &“Tanukh” were mostly wiped out. After which, the “Shihab” family (aka “Chehab”) became the most prominent in Mount Lebanon; followed by the “Abillama” family. In 1842 AD, the Shihab family lost its premium status in Mount Lebanon & was no longer influential.

In modern Lebanon, few families still officially retain the honorific title of“Amir”. These include the families of "Shihab" & "Abillama"(both converted to Christianity in the 18th century) as well as the Druze family of “Arslan”.

“Muqaddam [4] ” (مقدّم) in the Mamluk & Ottoman feudal systems

This Arabic honorific title is rooted in the military-administrative history of Mount Lebanon, both during the “Mamluk” & “Ottoman” periods.

During the time of the “Mamluk Sultanate of Egypt”, the Levant was ruled by a viceroy of the Sultan. Local districts were ruled by military officers who were members of the “Halqah Troops” أجناد الحلقة (the third corps of the Mamluk army, mainly consisted of auxiliary troops from Turkmen, Kurdish, and Arab tribesmen). Each district within the Levant had a local Halqah division, which was headed by a commanding officer called “Muqaddam al-Halqah”. The “Muqaddam” will normally have the rank of “Amir of Tablkhanah”, which is the second highest rank in the “Halqah Corps”after the rank of "Amir of 100 & Muqaddam Alf [5] ”.

The “Amir of Tablkhanah” was normally entitled to command 20 to 40 cavalrymen. He had a higher rank than the “Amir of 5” &“Amir of 10” (commanding 5 & 10 cavalrymen respectively). Each “Amir” was responsible for security tasks & for collecting taxes in his respectivesub-district. In return, the local “Amir” was entitled to keep part of the taxes to support him & his troops (provide for equipment, salaries, horses …).

The “Muqaddam al-Halqah”commanding authority over lower ranking “Amirs” was limited to wartime. He was responsible for the call-up to battle of the troops under his command, where he will be stationed under the command of a “Muqaddam Alf” (a commanding officer holding the rank of “Amir of 100”, who will act as a “Commander of 1000” troops during wartime).

In the area comprising modern Lebanon, the Mamluk authorities brought military governors (along with their troops) from outside the traditional powerful local families. Many Turkmen & Kurdish troops came into Lebanon as part of the “Halqah Corps” & assumed governing positions (e.g. Beqaa Valley, Tripoli & Northern Mount Lebanon). In Southern Mount Lebanon, the Mamluk Sultan agreed to keep the local chieftains as rulers of their territories & he incorporated them as “Amirs” (i.e. officers) in the “Halqah Corps”. The highest rank the local Amirs got was that of “Muqaddam al-Halqah”. However, the lower ranking “Amirs” were independent in their respective sub-districts; the Muqaddam was entitled to command them only in military expeditions.

The Iqta’ (i.e. fief) of the “Muqaddam” was bigger than that of the lower ranking Amirs. The district comprising each respective Iqta’ was based on its estimated Tax revenues as indicated by the Mamluk cadastral surveys known as the “Rawk”. The first such survey was finalized in October 1298 AD (“Husami Rawk” الروك الحُسامي) & was followed by a more comprehensive survey in 1314-1315 AD (“Nasirl Rawk” الروك الناصري).

When the Ottomans conquered the Levant in 1516 AD, they adopted a similar system to the “Halqah Corps”; the Ottoman called it the “Timarli Sipahi” Corps (aka “Timariots”). The “Timariots” were also a cavalry corps, whose members had similar functions as that of the earlier “Halqah Corps”.

The local nobility in Mount Lebanon were given Timars (i.e. fiefs) that were allocated based on their estimated tax revenues as indicated by the Ottoman cadastral surveys known as the “Tapu Tahrir”.

The “Timar” was a non-hereditary form of land management [6] representing temporary land grants given as compensation for annual military service, for which the “Timariot” received no pay. The “Timariot” was entitled to all of the income from that land during the period in which he holds the“Timar”. The Timariot will act as an agent of the central Ottoman government in supervising the possession, transfer, and rental of lands within his territory and collecting tax revenue, in return for military service. Under the “Timar system”, the “Timarli Sipahi” was allowed to live on the land along with the farmers. He collected tax revenues, usually in-kind, to subsidize the costs of training & equipping his troops, dedicated to serving the sultan. The locals on the “Timar” used the land & all it produced. The “Timariot” was also responsible for the security of the people in their “Timar”, enlisting & training soldiers for the army.

There were three levels of Timars:

• Tîmâr (تيمار): standard “Timar” was the smallest unit of land held by a “Timarli Sipahi”, providing annual revenue of no more than 20,000 akçe [7] (آقچه), which was between two and four times what a teacher earned. A Tîmâr Sipahi was obliged to provide the army with up to 5 fully armored & mounted cavalrymen.

• Ziamet (زعامت): A “Ziamet” (aka “Zeamet”) was a larger unit of land, yielding between 20,000 to 100,000 akçe, and was granted to “Timarli Sipahis” of the officer rank. A “Ziamet Sipahi” was obliged to provide the army with up to 20 fully armored & mounted cavalrymen. The “Ziamet-holder” will be referred to as “Zaim [8]” (زعيم).

• Has (خاص): A “Has” (aka “Khass”) was the largest unit of land, giving revenues of more than 100,000 akçe, and was only held by the highest-ranking members of the military.  A “Has Sipahi”was obliged to provide the army with far more than 20 fully armored & mounted cavalrymen. “Has” concessions were normally given to the highest ranking officials; normally with the title of “Pasha”.

The “Ziamet” & “Has” were granted directly by the Sultan; whereas the smaller“Tîmâr” concessions were given by the provincial governors; i.e. the“Beylerbey” or “Vali”. The large “Ziamet” or “Has” were not necessarily made up of contiguous property, but could have consisted of property scattered among different villages.

The “Timar” system was not applied in all conquered provinces by the Ottomans. Egypt, Baghdad, Yemen, Habesh, Basra, al-Hasa, Algiers, Tripoli & Tunis were considered “Salyaneli”. This tax system required a fixed annual tax, known as the “Salyane”, to be paid by the whole province (as opposed to collecting provincial tax revenues through the “Timarli Sipahis”).

The “Timariot” did not inherit the land; he had to periodically renew his concession. Gradually, some “Timar” concessions were converted into the “Chiflik”system (aka “Çiftlik”; i.e. “Farm”, "مزرعة" أو "عزبة"), whereby the land stayed in the hands of the feudal lord for life & was allowed to pass it on to his sons. However, even then, the land was not considered a private property, but rather an inheritable form of land tenure.

The “Timariot Cavalry” was essentially similar to the “Halqah”. In wartime,“Timarli Sipahis” and their cavalry were gathered under their “Alay Bey” (i.e.“regiment commanders”). Subsequently, “Alay Beys” were gathered with their troops under their “Sanjak Bey, and “Sanjak Beys” gathered under their “Beylerbey”.

The Ottoman authorities gave the title of “Muqaddam” to the rulers of a small administrative unit called “Nahiyah” ناحية (aka “Nahiye” or “Bucak”); which constituted a part of a larger administrative unit called “Sanjak” سنجق (aka “Liwa” لواء).  In Lebanon, this term is still being used as an honorific title for a few families, who had an ancestor appointed to the position of “Muqaddam” during Ottoman times. In Mount Lebanon during the 16^th century, the “Muqaddam” post was not restricted to Muslims or Druze; rather many Christians were appointed to the post.

During the times of the “Maan” & “Shihab” families, persons with the title of “Sheikh” in Mount Lebanon were those feudal lords that governed a local sub-district (normally a sub-division of a “Nahiyah”, composed of one or more villages). They were responsible for the Tax “Iltizam” function in their sub-districts; where they will pay the collected tax to the appointed “Multazim” for “Mount Lebanon”. Powerful feudal families (e.g. “Jumblatt” family), sometimes bypassed the appointed “Multazim” & got their Iltizam concession directly from the“Vali”.

This term has to be differentiated from the following contexts:

• Village “Sheikh”: “Village Sheikh” (شيخ قرية او شيخ صلح) was a term used to denotethe title for the elected heads of villages during the “Mutassarifiate” period (1861-1918 AD).

• Muslim “Sheikh”: is the honorific title used to address Islamic religious scholars.

• Druze “Sheikh”: Druze community is traditionally split into two parts: religious adherents (i.e. those who are initiated to the“Druze” faith) & seculars (constituting the bulk of the community). Any member of the Druze religious community is formally addressed as “Sheikh”.

Originally, it was Emir Fakhreddine II who started the practice of granting the formal title of “Sheikh” to powerful families in Mount Lebanon. Normally, these families were sub-allocated local iltizam of the sub-districts in which they were located. The practice of granting the noble title of “sheikh” continued during the period of the Shihab family. Technically, the head of the family will be granted the title of “Sheikh” after receiving a letter from “al-Amiral-Hakim”; the letter will start by addressing the recipient with the term “الأخ العزيز” “Dear brother”. Many powerful Christian families got the hereditary noble title of "Sheikh" in the 17th & 18th centuries AD.

In modern Lebanon, “Sheikh” is still used as a title of respect for persons with high social stature within the community; i.e. not just restricted to those who are officially recognized by the Lebanese government. Though, the formal title of“Sheikh” is still the only title that can be officially granted by the Lebanese government (eligible applicants can obtain the title, after paying the required fees).

“Sharif” شريف (plural: Sharifs or “Ashraf”) & سيد “Sayyid” (Plural: Sayyids or “Sada”)

The Arabic honorific titles of “Sharif” & “Sayyid” were titles of nobility usedby Muslims to refer to the descendants of the Prophet. Mostly, the title of “Sharif” is applied to the descendants of Imam “Hasan ibn Ali” & “Sayyid” to the descendants of Imam “Husayn ibn Ali”. In Ottoman times, the descendants of the prophet had high respect within their respective communities; they were granted privileges & were the only persons allowed to wear the green turban. Currently, within the Shiite community, religious scholars who are holders ofthe “Sayyid” title are allowed to wear the black turban, other Shiite religious scholars will be using the title of “Sheikh” & are allowed to wear only the white turban.

The Syndicate of “Al-Ashraf” الأشراف (or“Al-Sada Al-Ashraf” السادة الأشراف) is the official body established in many parts of the Islamic world to issue formal certificate authenticating the lineage of “Sharifs” &“Sayyids”.The first Ashraf syndicate was established in Egypt in 968 AD, formed by a decree issued by the Fatimid Caliph of Egypt “al-Mu'izz Li-Dinillah” (r. 953-975 AD).

Historically, people of noble lineage other than“Sharifs” or “Sayyids” used to authenticate their pedigree formally from a notable “Qadi” of a major city. The Qadi will investigate the lineage & sign the document along with other notable members of the community (whosign in their capacity as witnesses).

Ottoman honorific titles were mostly based on their earlier usage in the military-administrative history. With time, these same titles started to be given to the civilian high ranking officials. Many of these terms were Persian in origin. Unlike Arabic honorific titles, an Ottoman title comes directly after the first name (instead of preceding it).

During the time of the “Mutasarrifate of Mount Lebanon”, only the “Mutasarrıf” (i.e. governor) was granted the honorific title of “Pasha”, other high ranking officials were given the title of “Beg”. The lower ranking officials held the title of “Agha”.

Ottoman honorific titles were formally abolished in modern Turkey with Law No. 2590 (dd. 26 November 1934).

“Pasha” باشا:

An Ottoman honorific title bestowed by the Sultan or his representative on senior civil officials & high ranking military officers; starting from the rank of “Mirliva” لواء (Major General; literally: Commander of a Brigade i.e. “Liva”). There were many different ranks of pashas; higher ranks had the privilege of bearing a higher number of horse-tails on their standard (flagstaff). Normally the Grand Vizier, viziers & governors oflarge provinces (e.g. Eyalet/Vilayet) held the title of “Pasha”.

Retired generals/admirals or high-ranking civil servants continued to carry this titlein civilian life, i.e. a “pasha” will not be demoted to the rank of "Bey"after retiring from active military or civic service. However, the male descendantsof a “Pasha” will not normally inherit the title; instead, they will carry the lower ranking title of “Beg”. The title of “Pasha” is still given to high rankingmilitary officials in the kingdom of Jordan. In modern Lebanon, this honorifictitle is no longer in use.

During Ottoman times, very few Lebanese individuals got this honorific title between the 17^th & 19^th centuries. In the period 1861-1918 AD, the title of “Pasha” was given to the "Mutassarif [9] of Mount Lebanon" (a non-Lebanese Christian). In the early 20th century, few Lebanese Christian immigrants to Egypt were appointed to high civil posts & subsequently were granted the honorific title of "Pasha".

“Beg” بك (aka “Baig” بيك,“Bek”, “Bey” بيه أو باي):

“Baig/Beg”is an old Turko-Mongol title meaning “Chief” or “Commander”. The Ottomans used the terms “Beg” or “Bey” as an honorific title junior to “Pasha”. It was used to refer to different categories of provincial governors like “Sanjak Bey” (Sanjak Lord), “Beylerbey” (Beglerbeglic Governor, literally: “Lord of Lords”) & “Uçbeyi” ("Margrave"; literally: "Frontier Lord"). The “Sanjak Beys” were normally rotated every few years.

Later, it was granted to powerful feudal lords, high ranking civil & military officers, as well as male descendants of a “Pasha”. In the Ottoman army, it was given to the holder of the ranks “Kaymakam” عقيد (Colonel) & “Miralay” عميد (aka “Alaybeyi”; Brigadier General; literally: Commander of a regiment i.e. “Alay”).

Starting the 18th century AD, many powerful Lebanese families who were holders of the traditional title of “Sheikh” were also granted the Ottoman hereditary title of “Beg”. In the 19th century, the title of “Beg” was also granted to many powerful Lebanese Christian feudal families; especially during the “Mutasarrifate of Mount Lebanon” period, where all high ranking officials reporting to the “Mutassarif” carried this title. The honorific title of “Beg” is still recognized in modern Lebanon & is included after the first name in the Lebanese ID cards.

“Agha” آغا (aka “Ağa”; Persian: آقا‎):

The Ottomans used the title “Ağa” originally for high ranking military officers & tribal chieftains; it signified the meaning of “Chief” or“Master”. It was used as an honorific title junior to “Beg” (roughly equivalent to the Arabic title of “Sheikh”). In the 19^th century, the term“Agha” was used for lower ranking officers (military & gendarmerie) and as general a title of respect for senior civil servants. In modern Lebanon, the term “Agha” is no longer in use.

Historically, the term was mainly used in the following contexts:

• Chieftain: “Agha” title is used in the Kurdish society as the honorific title for tribal chieftains. In modern usage, the term is used liberally for powerful members of society; e.g. wealthy landlords & village heads.

• Ruler حاكم: Aga was the title given to rulers of certain districts called “Ağalık” (aka Agaluk). In Bosnia, the term also referred to a land owned by an “Aga”.

• Commander: the term “Ağa” was a generic title used for commanding officers in the Ottoman army; e.g. "Bölük Ağası", "Ocak Ağası [10]","Yeniçeri Ağası" (آغا الإنكشارية), "Azap Ağası","Beşli Ağası" & “İstanbul Ağası”.

• “Aga Khan” (literally, “Master Lord”) is the official title used by the Imam of “Nizari Ismailis” since 1818 AD.

• The “Ağa” title was also given to the principal members of the imperial household; e.g. “Kapı Ağası” (i.e. “Chief of the White Eunuchs”) & “Kızlar Ağası” (i.e. “Chief of the Black Eunuchs”).

• After the abolition of the Janissaries in 1826, the term “Agha” started to be used in reference to illiterate “Zabits” ضباط (i.e. officers) from the rank of “Mülâzım-ı Sani” (i.e.Second Lieutenant) up to the rank of “Binbaşı” مقدم (i.e. Lieutenant Colonel). The literate army officers of same rank were addressed as “Effendi”.
  

“Effendi” أفندي

The term “Effendi” is an adaption of the Medieval Greek word “Afendēs” (αφέντης); literally meaning “lord” or “master”. From early times in the Ottoman Empire, it was applied as an honorific title for educated men; especially those who are ofhigh social standing.

The title “Effendi” was formally mainly used in the following contexts:

• Part of the formal titles of royal princes, their official wives, and the husbands & sons of royal princesses.

• “Reis Effendi”: the formal title of the “Chief Secretary of the Divan”; an important minister of state.

• “İstanbul Efendisi”: the formal title of the highest civil magistrate for the city of Istanbul.

• Courtesy title: the term “Effendi” was used as a courtesy title for the sons of “Beys”.

• Army Officer: used to address literate army officers with a rank lower than that of “Kaymakam”.

“Kaymakam” قائمقام (aka“Qaimaqam”)

Historically, this title was used in the following contexts:

• Military rank: The “Kaymakam” was a rank in the Ottoman army equivalent to “Colonel” عقيد [11].

• District Governor: It was used as a title to the governors of provincial districts.

• Deputy Governor: used by the representatives of the “Grand Vizier” or as the title to the deputy of the “Governor of Istanbul”.

• Acting Governor: In Ottoman Egypt, this title was alsoused to refer to the acting governor in the time between the departure from the office of the previous Ottoman-appointed governor and the arrival of the next one.

In the period 1842-1860 AD; Mount Lebanon was split to 2 districts: northern & southern. Each district was ruled by a governor holding the title of “Kaymakam”. In modern Lebanon, “Kaymakam” is the title given to a civil governor of a “Qadaa”قضاء district (aka “Kaza”). In Lebanon, administrative units’ names eventually became “Mohafazah” محافظة (i.e. governorate; replacing “Sanjak”) & “Qadaa” (i.e. composed of “Nahiyah” sub-districts).