Vazirlar

Vazirlar is a plural noun in Turkic languages such as Uzbek and Azerbaijani, meaning government ministers. The singular vazir means "minister"; vazirlar are members of the executive who head or advise on specific ministries. The term derives from the Persian vizier or Arabic wazir, historically used for high-ranking officials who advised the ruler and often ran the administration.

In historical contexts across the Islamic world, viziers were central to governance. In the medieval and early modern empires—Persian, Ottoman, Mughal—the vizier or grand vizier acted as the ruler’s chief minister, sometimes controlling the state’s day-to-day administration and diplomacy.

In modern nation-states where Uzbek and Azerbaijani are official languages, the term vazirlar persists in government vocabulary, though national conventions vary. In Uzbekistan, the cabinet is called the Vazirlar Mahkamasi, and its members are vazirlar (ministers) who lead ministries. In Azerbaijan, nazirlər is the standard term for ministers, with vazirlər appearing mainly in historical or formal/legal language. Elsewhere in Turkic-speaking regions, vazirlar similarly denote ministers and appear in legal, governmental, or academic usage.

The concept remains closely linked to the generic idea of a cabinet minister or head-of-government function, and is distinct from the monarch or president alone in systems where a separate head of government exists. See also vizier, cabinet, minister.