Khan
Khan (sometimes spelled as
Xan,
Han,
Ke-Han) is a title with many meanings, originally commander, leader or ruler, in
Mongolian and
Turkish. Khan also means a leader of a tribe. Presently Khans exist mostly in
South Asia and
Central Asia.
The word is believed to be a contraction of
Khagan (though that apparently means 'khan of khans'). It was known in Europe since the 13th century, when Mongol hordes overran Eastern and Central Europe, e.g. Latin
chanis, Greek
kanes, Old French
chan; recorded in English circa 1400.
Ruling Khans
A khan controls a
khanate (sometimes spelled
chanat). Whenever appropriate as ruler of a monarchy, Khan is also translated, albeit imprecisely, as
king.
Originally khans only headed relatively minor tribal entities, generally in or near the vast Eurasian steppe, the scene of an almost endless procession of nomadic people riding out into the history of the neighbouring sedentary regions, mainly Europe and the Far East.
|
Eurasia on the eve of the Mongol invasions, c. 1200 CE. |
Some managed to establish principalities of some importance for a while, as their military might repeatedly proved a serious threat to such empires as China, Rome and Byzantium.
Khan was also probably the title used by early
Bulgar rulers, but is not attested in any inscriptions referring to them- the only similar title found so far,
Kanasubigi, was used by only three of the Bulgarian rulers, namely
Krum,
Omurtag and
Malamir , which were grandfather, son and a grandson, after them the title disappears. Starting from compound, non-ruler titles which were attested among Bulgarian noble class,
kavkhan (vicekhan),
tarkhan, and
boritarkhan, scholars assume (if there was a vicekhan (kavkhan) so there was a khan, too) the title khan for the early Bulgarian leader. In fact, the inscriptions speak of
archontеs (commander or magistrate in
Greek) and
knyaze (duke or prince in
Slavic). The greatest Bulgar clan was the "
Dulo". The Bulgar Khans came to prominence in the fourth and fifth centuries AD, when the they came to Europe. Among the best known Bulgar khans were:
Khan Kubrat, founder of
Great Bulgaria;
Khan Asparukh, founder of
Danubian Bulgaria (today's
Bulgaria);
Khan Tervel, "The savior of Europe";
Khan Krum, "the Terrible". "Khan" was the official title of the ruler until
864 AD, when
Kniaz Boris (known also as
Tsar Boris I) adopted the
orthodox faith.
The title Khan became unprecedently prominent when the tribal Mongol
Temujin proved himself a military genius by creating the
Mongol empire, the greatest land empire the world ever saw, which he ruled as
Genghis khan. His title was
khagan 'Khan of Khans', see below, but is often 'shortened' to Khan (rather like the Persian
Shahanshah -also meaning '
King of Kings'- is usually called
Shah, equally incorrect, in most Western languages) or described as 'Great Khan' (like the Ottoman Padishah being called 'Great Sultan').
After Genghis' death, the empire would soon start a process of gradual disintegration. Soon the Mongol element waned nearly everywhere, except in desolate regions like its native Outer Mongolia (even in China's 'Inner Mongolia') by sedentary people, and mainly Turkic, nomadic tribes that entered the scene rather like the Mongols had done before, conquering on horseback, to be in turn either sedentarized or overrun. Still, Genghis' prestige was such that a claim to descent from him was as prized as would be descent from Caesar in the West.
The title Khan was also used to designate the rulers of the
Jurchens, who, later when known as the
Manchus, founded the
Qing dynasty of China. The Mongolian title of the
Qing emperors,
Bogdikhan, would later be transmitted to the Russians in late 17th century. (Hsu, 1990, Rise of Modern China 4th Edition)
Once more, there would be numerous khanates in the steppe in and around Central Asia, often more of a people than a territorial state, e.g.:
*of the
Kazakhs (founded 1465, since 1601 divided into three geographical 'zuzes' each under a
bey, 1718 split into three different khanates, eliminated by the Russian empire by 1847)
*in present
Uzbekistan, the main khanate, named after its capital
Buchara, was founded in 1500 and restyled
emirate in 1753 (after three Persian governors since 1747); the
Ferghana (valley's) khanate broke way from it by 1694 and became known after its capital
Kokhand since that was established in 1732; the khanate of
Khorazm, dating from c.1500, became the
Khiva khanate in 1804 but fell soon under Russian protectorate;
Karakalpakstan had its own rulers (khans?) since c. 1600.
While most Afghan principalities were styled emirate, there was a khanate of ethnic Uzbeks in
Badakhshan since 1697.
Khan was the title of the rulers of various break-away states later reintegrated in
Iran, e.g. 1747 - 1808 Khanate of
Ardebil (in northwestern Iran east of Sarab and west of the southwest corner of the Caspian Sea), 1747 - 1813 Khanate of
Khoy (northwestern Iran, north of Lake Urmia, between Tabriz and Lake Van), 1747 - 1829 Khanate of
Maku (in extreme northwestern Iran, northwest of Khoy, and 60 miles south of Yerevan, Armenia), 1747 - 1790's Khanate of
Sarab (northwestern Iran east of Tabriz), 1747 - c.1800 Khanate of
Tabriz (capital of Iranian Azerbeidjan).
There were various small khanates in and near
Transcaucasia. In present
Armenia, there was a khanate of
Erivan (sole incumbent 1807 - 1827 Hosein Quli Khan Qajar). Diverse khanates existed in
Azerbaijan, including
Baku (present capital),
Ganja,
Jawad,
Quba (Kuba),
Salyan,
Shakki (
Sheki, ruler style
Bashchi since 1743) and Shirvan=
Shamakha (1748 - 1786 temporarily split into
Khoja Shamakha and
Yeni Shamakha),
Talysh (1747-1814);
Nakhichevan and (Nagorno)
Karabakh.
The title Khan was common in some of the polities of the various - generally Islamic - people called Ta(r)tars (not to be confused with the modern
Volga Tatars)
[an anachronistic reference to tartaros, the classical Greek hell, since Genghis Khan's conquering, ransacking Mongol hordes terrorized Islam and Christianity without precedent, as if the apocalypse had started] in territories of the Mongol
Golden Horde and its successor states, all in time to be subdued by Muscovia which became the Russian Empire, including a few major ones:
*
Khanate of Kazan (Mongol term khan became active since Genghizide dynasty was settled in
Kazan Duchy in
1430s; imperial Russian added to its titles the former
Kazan khanate with the royal style
tsar.
*
Sibir Khanate (giving its name to Siberia as the first significant conquest during Russia's great eastern expansion across the Ural range) *
Sibirean Khanate (giving its name to Siberia as the first significant conquest during Russia's great eastern expansion across the Ural range)
*
Astrakhan Khanate*
Crimean Khanate.
Examples of other, humbler Tatar khanate dynasties made vassals of Muscovy/ Russia are:
* the
Qasim Khanate (hence modern Kasimov), named after its founder, a vassal of
Moscovia/Russia
* the nomadic state founded in 1801 as the
Inner Horde (also called
Buqei Horde, under Russian suzerainty) between Volga and
Yaik (Ural) rivers by 5,000 families of Kazakhs from Younger Kazakh Zhuz tribe under a
Sultan was restyled by the same in 1812 as Khanate of the Inner Horde; in 1845 the post of Khan was abolished);
* the
Kalmyk khanate (established c.1632 by the Torghut branch of the Mongolian Oirats, settled along the lower Volga River (in modern Russia and Kazakhstan)
*
Nogai Khanate * the khanate of
Tuva near Outer Mongolia.
Further east, in imperial China's western
Turkestan flank:
*
Dörben Oyriad ('Four Confederates') or
Dzungar (Kalmyk or Kalmuck people branch) Khanate formed in 1626, covering
Xinjiang region of China, Kyrgyzstan, eastern Kazakhstan and western Mongolia; 2 Dec 1717 - 1720 also styled
Protector of Tibet; 1755 tributary to China, 1756 annexed and dissolved in 1757
* Khanate of
Kashgaria founded in 1514 as part of Djagataide Khanate; 17th century divided into several minor khanates without importance, real power going to the so-called
Khwaja, Arabic islamic religious leaders; title changed to
Amir Khan in 1873, annexed by China in 1877.
Compound and derived princely titles
The higher, rather imperial title
Khagan (Persian: خاقان) ("Khan of Khans") applies to probably the most famous rulers known as
Khan: the
Mongol imperial dynasty of
Genghis Khan (his name was Temujin,
Genghis Khan a never fully understood unique title), and his successors, especially grandson
Kublai Khan: the former founded the
Mongol Empire and the latter founded the
Yuan Dynasty in
China. The ruling descendants of the main branch of Genghis Khan's dynasty are referred to as the
Great Khans.
 |
Mongol Empire's largest extent outlined in red; Timur's empire is shaded |
The title
Khan of Khans was among numerous titles used by the
Sultans of the
Ottoman empire as well as the rulers of the
Golden Horde and its descendant states. The title
Khan was also used in the
Seljuk Turk dynasties of the near-east to designate a head of multiple tribes, clans or nations, who was below an
Atabeg in rank.
Jurchen and
Manchu rulers also used the title Khan (
Han in
Manchu); for example,
Nurhaci was called Genggiyen Han. Rulers of the
Gokturks,
Avars and
Khazars used the higher title Kaghan, as rulers of distinct nations.
*
Gur Khan, allegedly meaning supreme or universal Khan, was the ruler of the Turkic
Kara-Kitai* For
Ilkhan (both a generic term for a 'provincial Khan'
and traditional royal style for one of the four khanates in Genghis's succession, based on Persia) see that article
*
Khan-i-Khanan 'Lord of Lords'
*
Khan Sahib Shri Babi was the complex title of the ruler of the Indian
princely state of
Bantva-Manavadar (state founded 1760; September 1947 acceded to Pakistan, but 15 February 1948 rescinded accession to Pakistan, to accede to India).
* In southern
Korean states, the word
Han or
Gan, meaning "leader", quite possibly derived from Khan, was used for various ruling princes, until
Silla, one of the
Three Kingdoms of Korea, united them under a now hereditary king, titled
Maripgan, which would then originally have been
Marib-Khan, meaning the 'head of kings' (e.g. King Naemul Marib-Khan).
Khanzada (
Persian: خانزادہ)(the Persian suffix
-zadeh means son or more generally male descendant; not to be confused with
Khannazad: female harem attendant; for analogous titles see
Prince of the Blood and links there) is a title conferred to princes of the dynasties of certain princely states, such as
*
Jandala (Muslim
Jadoon dynasty, Pakistan's
North-West Frontier Province), always before the personal name, but itself predeced by
Mir, both being maintained by the ruling Khan (who uses that title after his name)
*
Sardargarh-Bantva (Muslim
Babi dynasty, fifth class state in
Kathiawar,
Gujarat) in front of the personal name,
Shri in between; the ruler replaces Khanzada by Khan
Khatun, or
Khatan (
Persian: خاتون) is roughly equal to a
King's
queen in
Mongolian, as by this title a ruling Khan's Queen-consort (wife) is designated with similar respect after their proclamation as Khan and Khatun. Also used in
Hazari (instead of Khanum).Famous Khatuns include:
*
Töregene Khatun*
Habba KhatunKhanum (
Persian: خانم) is another female derivation of Khan, notably in Turkic languages, for a Khan's Queen-consort, or in some traditions extended as a courtesy title (a bit like Lady for women not married to a Lord) to the wives of holders of various other (lower) titles; in Afghanistan, for example, it ended up as the common term for 'Miss', any unmarried woman. The compound
Galin Khanum was the title accorded to the principal noble wife of a
Qajar..
Military ranks
The title khan was also used as a military officer rank in certain armies, especially following the decimal organisation (already known from Achaemenid Persia) of
Genghis Khan's conquering '
hordes' (actually under the strictest discipline).
In some Muslim-states in India, especially the Delhi sultanate (which absorbed all under the
Mughal dynasty), a Khan was a high-ranking imperial general, commanding at least a
lac (i.e. 100.000) horseman, being placed over 10
Maliks, each of which commanded
Amirs (so 100 under a Khan), who each command 10
Sipah salars (so 1000 per Khan), each commanding 10
Sar-i-khails (so 10.000 per Khan) who each commanded 10 ordinary horsemen - thus it was described in person by
Nasir ud din Mahmud,
Sultan of Delhi, advising his son
Muiz ud din Kaiqobad.
Nobiliar and honorary titles
In imperial
Persia, Khan (female form
Khanum) was the title of a nobleman, higher than Beg (or bey) and usually used after the given name. At the Qajar court, precedence for those not belonging to the dynasty was mainly structured in eitht classes, each being granted an honorary rank title, the fourth of which was Khan, or in this context synonymously Amir, granted to commanders of armed forces, provincial tribal leaders; in descending order, they thus ranked below
Nawab (for princes), Shakhs-i-Awwal and Janab (both for high officials), but above 'Ali Jah Muqarrab, 'Ali Jah, 'Ali Sha'an (these three for lower military ranks and civil servants) and finally 'Ali Qadir (masters of guilds, etc.)
The titles Khan (the lowest commonly awarded) and
Khan Bahadur (
Bahadur from Mongolian bataar 'brave, hero'; but in India meaning simple 'one class higher') were also bestowed in feudal India by the
Great mughal (whose protocol was largely Persian-inspired) upon Muslims and Parsis, and later by the
British Raj, as an honor akin to the ranks of nobility, often for loyalty to the crown.
Khan Sahib was another title of honour, one degree higher than Khan, conferred on Muslims and Parsis; again like Khan Bahadur, it was also awarded with a decoration during British rule.
In the major Indian Muslim state of
Hyderabad, Khan was the lowest of the aristocratic titles bestowed by the ruling
Nizam upon Muslim retainers, ranking under
Khan Bahadur,
Nawab (homonymous with a high Muslim ruler's title),
Jang,
Daula,
Mulk,
Umara,
Jah. The equivalent for the courts Hindu retainers was
Rai.
In
Swat, a presently Pakistani Frontier State, it was the title of the secular elite, who, together with the
Mullahs (Muslim clerics), proceeded to elect a new
Amir-i-Shariyat in 1914.
It seems unclear whether the series of titles known from the Bengal sultanate, including Khan,
Khan ul Muazzam,
Khan-ul-Azam,
Khan-ul-Azam-ul-Muazzam etc. and Khaqan,
Khaqan-ul-Muazzam,
Khaqan-ul-Azam,
Khaqan-ul-Azam-ul-Muazzam etc., are merely honorific or perhaps relate to a military hierarchy.
Other uses
Like many titles, the meaning of the term has also extended downwards, until in Persia and Afghanistan it has become an affix to the name of any Muslim gentleman, like
Effendi in Osmanli,
Esquire in English.
See
jirga for local mediators called Khan.
Furthermore, at a lower feudal level,
Khanzada is the nickname(?) of the Muslim Shaik saidi
Taluqdars (using various titles, last style
Nawab raja) of
Mahmudabad taluq in
Oudh, not a title (the incumbent's sons are presently styled
Rajkumar)
Khan and its female forms occur in many personal names, generally without any nobiliary of political relevance (although it remains a common part of noble names as well). Notably on the Indian subcontinent it has become a part of many Muslim names, especially when
Pathan descent is claimed; thus Khan is used as a surname by the
Usafzais,
Utmanzais & [[Jah
N.B: As far as the {{Pathan}} association with the term Khan is concerned, it goes very deep. The word is used by them as a coutesy title for any rural aristocratic landowner, or for tribal and village notables in most areas. It is also the formal social term by which such classes here have styled themselves since time immemorial. Moreover ,it forms a suffix to the name of almost 80% of all classes of Pathans, and though it can't be really defined as a surname, many now use it as such. This term is believed to have come to this area with the invasion of Northern {{Persia}}, {{Afghanistan}} and {{Gandhara}}, in Northern {{India}}, by the {{Epthalite}} {{Huns}} lasting from circa {{450}} to {{550}} {{AD}}. The Epthalites introduced the {{feudal}} tenure in Pathan areas, of which fertile Gandhara formed the base. It is believed that this word was the title of Epthalite princes, as it was of all Hunnish and {{Khazar}} tribes; and many believe that "Khan" is actually the Persian corruption of the word "Hun" itself. From Northern India and Persia this name later spread to the rest of India, as it was from these regions that {{Islam}} got introduced to the Indian {{subcontinent}}, whose rulers for almost a millennium were {{Central Asian}} {{Muslims}}. Proof of the Hunnish origin for "Khan" in Pathan culture also lies in the fact that many Pathan "Khan families" have {{European}} physical features, that can be attributed to the Hunnish influence. (Though local legends abound, attributing these to the {{Greek}} influence under {{Alexander}} who invaded this place, that seems highly improbable. See the book "The Pathans", by {{Sir Olaf Caroe}} in this regard).During the Russian civil war following the bolshevik takeover of 1917, White general {{Roman Ungern von Sternberg}}, who, admittedly was trying to reconstitute the empire of {{Genghis Khan}}, was often styled as "
Ungern Khan" between 1919 and his death in 1921.
* {{Elteber}}
* {{Tsar}}
* {{Crimean Khanate}}
* {{Khong Tayiji}}
* {{List of Mongol Khans}}
*
on-line encyclopaedia on all Bengal, in English*
Etymology OnLine*
RoyalArk- see under each present country*
Princely states in British India - look each up by name, in that section, BUT a taluq in Oudh in that section
*
WorldStatesmen- see under each present country
