Dowlat

Dowlat (Persian: دولت) is a term meaning state or government. It derives from the shared Middle Eastern root dawla, carried into Persian through historical contact with Arabic. In Persian-language contexts, dowlat denotes political authority or the institution of the state, and it is used to refer to the government in modern discourse as well as to dynastic realms in historical writing.

In addition to its political sense, dowlat appears in place names across Iran and neighboring regions. As a toponymic element, it often signals historical ties to governance, royalty, or administration, and is commonly found in compound names such as Dowlatabad or similar formations. The exact meaning of a given place name can vary with local history and language practices.

Dowlat is also used as a personal name. In Persian-speaking communities and in parts of South Asia, Dowlat (and its transliterations such as Dawlat) function as given names or surnames. Variants arise from different transliteration schemes of Persian and Arabic scripts.

Related terms include Dawla, the Arabic form of the same root, and various compound expressions that embed dowlat to indicate governance, statehood, or the authority of a ruling dynasty. When encountered in texts, dowlat typically points to concepts of state, government, or territorial rule, though the exact sense depends on historical and linguistic context.