Agha

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Aga

Agha (or Aga) (modern Turkish: Ağa, Bosnian: Aga, Persian: آغا ) from Turkish Agha 'big brother' , ‘leader’, ‘ruler’. As a title for a civil or military officer, or often part of such title, it was placed after the name of certain military functionaries. At the same time some Court functionaries were entitled to the agha title.

1 Military titles
2 Civilian titles
3 Other uses
4 Honorific
5 Sources and references
6 See also

[edit] Military titles

In the Ottoman Empire, commanders of the different branches of military services were called the aghas e.g. azap agha, besli agha, janissary agha: the commanders of azaps, beslis, and janissaries.

This designation was given to commanders of smaller military units too, for instance the beuluk agha, odzsak agha: the commander of a beuluk and odzsak both meaning troops.

[edit] Civilian titles

The Kizlar Agha was the Chief Black Eunuch; the Kapi Agha was the Chief White Eunuch- both held very important offices at the Sultan's court, within the Topkapi Seraglio Miles Agha
Aga Khan is the title of the leader of the Shia Muslim Nizari Ismaili sect. The title Agha Khan was an honorific title bestowed by Qajar Shah Fath Ali Shah of Iran on his son-in-law Hassan Ali Shah (ca.1800-1881), the leader of the Ismaili Shi'as of Persia.

[edit] Other uses

Aga is used for grandfather by Turks in the west Balkans.
Agha is both title and family name in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
In Romanian, the Turkish title, spelled Aga, was used for the chief of an agie, a law enforcement office
In Persian, agha is normally used to refer to a male superior, similar to Mister.

[edit] Honorific

Pakistan's former President Yahya Khan also had Agha as the hereditary title. In usage, the title followed the given name. Although the word serves as a non-hereditary title, English-speakers have commonly used Agha as if it formed part of a personal name, as for instance in Mohammad Agha.