Beglerbeg
/ˌbɛɡlərˈbɛɡ/noun
A high Ottoman administrative and military governor who ruled a large province or group of provinces.
Did you know?The Ottoman beglerbeg was not merely a governor: the title marked authority over other provincial beys and became associated with the empire’s highest military-administrative elite.
Etymological Timeline
Early Turkic
Turkic
beg
“A lord, prince, chieftain, or high-ranking official.”
Medieval Turkic
Turkic
begler
“The plural of beg: lords or beys.”
Medieval Turkic
Turkic
beglerbeg
“Literally, “bey of beys,” a superior ruler over other beys.”
15th–16th Century
Ottoman Turkish
beylerbeyi
“A senior provincial governor and military commander in the Ottoman administrative system.”
16th–19th Century
Ottoman Turkish
beglerbeg
“A formal title for the governor-general of a major Ottoman province or territorial division.”
Modern English
English
beglerbeg
“An Ottoman governor-general or high provincial military official, usually discussed in historical contexts.”