wazirs

Wazir, plural wazirs, is a title used for a high-ranking political advisor or minister in many Muslim and Persianate states. The term derives from the Arabic wazir, meaning “helper” or “deputy,” and entered Persian, Turkish, and other languages. In governance, a wazir often served as the ruler’s chief minister, handling administration, finance, diplomacy, and daily affairs. The Ottoman Empire employed a grand vizier, the empire’s head of government and frequently the de facto ruler under the sultan. Similar roles existed in the Mughal Empire in India, the Safavid and Qajar dynasties in Iran, and other polities where vizier or wazir titles were used with varying authority. In modern usage, wazir (or vezir) is frequently rendered as minister, and the title appears in several current governments, including Afghanistan and Pakistan, among others, where it denotes a cabinet minister or senior official.

In chess and related games, wazir is also the name of a fairy chess piece that moves one square orthogonally (north, south, east, or west). It is not a part of standard chess, but appears in some variants and problem compositions as a simple, limited-move piece. The historical term vizier or wazir in Shatranj (an ancestor of chess) referred to the ruler’s advisor, though the exact movement and role differ across sources.