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Revision as of 20:03, 8 November 2005
Atabeg is a title of nobility of Turkic origin, indicating a governor of a nation or province who was subordinate to a muslim monarch (e.g. Sultan or Shah)
The word atabeg means "father of the prince". When a Seljuq prince died leaving minor heirs, a guardian would be appointed to protect and guide the young princes. These guardians would often marry their ward's widowed mothers, thus assuming a sort of surrogate fatherhood.
The title of Atabeg was common during the Seljuq (Turkic tribes) rule of the near-east starting in the 12th century. It was common in Mesopotamia (now Iraq) and Persia (now Iran). The most famous Atabeg was perhaps Zengi, who became Atabeg of Mosul in 1128 and soon established himself as an independent ruler of much of northern Mesopotamia and Syria (including Aleppo). After the end of Seljuq rule the title was used only intermittently.
Amongst the Turcoman tribes, as in Persia, the rank was senior to a Khan (unlike the Mongol system).
- In Persian, the style Atabeg i-Azam was occasionally used as an alternative title for the Shahinshah's Vazir i-Azam (i.e. Grand Vizier), notably in 1916 for a Qajar (imperial dynasty) prince, Major-General H.R.H. Shahzada Sultan 'Abdu'l Majid Mirza
Sources
- Maalouf, Amin. Crusades Through Arab Eyes, 1984
- Royal Ark - Qajar dynasty in Iran