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Malik

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For other uses, seeMalik (disambiguation).

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Page from aRosh Hashanahprayerbook with Hebrewמלך‎ (melekh) in large red text.

Malik(Phoenician:𐤌𐤋𐤊;Hebrew:מֶלֶךְ;Arabic:ملك;variously RomanizedMallik,Melik,Malka,Malek,Maleek,Malick,Mallick,Melekh) is theSemiticterm translating to "king",recorded inEast SemiticandArabic,and asmlkinNorthwest Semiticduring theLate Bronze Age(e.g.Aramaic,Canaanite,Hebrew).

Although the early forms of the name were to be found among the pre-Arab and pre-Islamic Semitic speakers ofthe Levant,Canaan,andMesopotamia,it has since been adopted in various other, mainly but not exclusivelyIslamizedorArabizednon-SemiticAsian languagesfor their ruling princes and to render kings elsewhere. It is also sometimes used in derived meanings.

The female version of Malik isMalikah(Arabic:ملكة;or its various spellings such asMalekehorMelike), meaning "queen".

The name Malik was originally found among various pre-Arab and non-Muslim Semitic speakers such as the indigenous ethnicAssyriansofIraq,Amorites,Jews,Arameans,Mandeans,Syriacs,and pre-IslamicArabs.It has since been spread among various predominantly Muslim and non-Semitic peoples inCentral Asia,theMiddle East,andSouth Asia.

Etymology

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Further information:Moloch

The earliest form of the nameMalokawas used to denote a prince or chieftain in theEast SemiticAkkadianlanguage of theMesopotamianstates ofAkkad,Assyria,BabyloniaandChaldea.[1][full citation needed]The Northwest Semiticmlkwas the title of the rulers of the primarilyAmorite,Sutean,Canaanite,PhoenicianandArameancity-states of theLevantandCanaanfrom theLate Bronze Age.Eventual derivatives include the Aramaic, Neo-Assyrian, Mandic and Arabic forms:Malik,Malek,Mallick,Malkha,Malka,Malkaiand theHebrewformMelek.

Molochhas traditionally been interpreted as the epithet of a god, known as "the king" likeBaalwas an epithet "the master" andAdonan epithet "the lord", but in the case of Moloch purposely mispronounced asMoleḵinstead ofMeleḵusing the vowels of Hebrewbosheth"shame".[2]

Political

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Primarily amalikis the ruling monarch of akingdom,calledmamlaka;that term is however also used in a broader sense, like realm, for rulers with another, generally lower titles, as inSahib al-Mamlaka.Malik is also used for tribal leaders, e.g. among thePashtuns.

SomeArabkingdoms are currently ruled by a Malik:

Other historic realms under a Malik include:

Malikhas also been used in languages which adopted Arabicloanwords(mainly, not exclusively, in Muslim cultures), for variousprincelyor lower ranks and functions.

The word Malik is sometimes used in Arabic to render roughly equivalent titles of foreign rulers, for instance the chroniclerBaha al-Din Ibn Shaddadrefers to KingRichard I of EnglandasMalik al-Inkitar.

Religious

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  • The sacrament ofHoly Leavenin theAssyrian Church of the East[3]
  • It is also one of theNames of God in Islam,and is thenal-Malik(الملك) orThe King, Lord of the Worldsin the absolute sense (denoted by the definite article), meaning theKing of Kings,above all earthly rulers.
    • Hence, Abdelmelik ( "servant of [Allah] the King" ) is an Arabic male name.
  • In Biblical Hebrew,Molochis either the name of a god or a particular kind of sacrifice associated historically with Phoenician and related cultures in North Africa and the Levant.
  • Melqart( "king of the city" ) was a Phoenician and Punic god.
  • TheMelkites(from Syriacmalkāyâ,ܡܠܟܝܐ, "imperial" ) are the members of several Christian churches of the Middle East, originally those who sided with the Byzantine emperor.

Compound and derived titles

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  • Malikais the female derivation, a term of Arabic origin used in Persia as the title for aQueen consort.Frequently also used as part of a lady's name, e.g.Malika-i-Jahan'Queen of the World'.
  • Sahibus-Sumuw al-Malik(female Sahibat us-Sumuw al-Malik) is an Arabic title for His/HerRoyal Highness,notably for Princes in the dynasty of the Malik of Egypt.

The following components are frequently part of titles, notably in Persian (also used elsewhere, e.g. in India's Moghol tradition):

  • - ul-Mulk(orul-Molk): – of the kingdom; e.g. Malik Usman Khan, who served theSultanofGujaratas Governor ofLahore,received the title ofZubdat ul-Mulk'best of the kingdom' as a hereditary distinction, which was retained as part of the style of his heirs, the rulingDiwans(only since 1910 promoted toNawab) ofPalanpur.
  • - ul-Mamaluk(plural oful-mulk): – of the kingdoms.

In the great Indian Muslimsalute stateofHyderabad,a first rank- vassal of the Mughalpadshah(emperor) imitating his lofty Persian court protocol, the wordMolkbecame on itself one of the titles used for ennobled Muslim retainers of the rulingNizam's court, in fact the third in rank, only belowJah(the highest) andUmara,but aboveDaula,Jang,Nawab,Khan BahadurandKhan;for the Nizam's Hindu retainers different titles were used, the equivalent of Molk being Vant.

Usage in South Asia

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Further information:Kakazai,Malik (Punjab),Malik (Bihar),andMalik (Jat)

Pashtun usage

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The Arabic term came to be adopted as a term for "tribal chieftain"in thetribalareas of northwesternPakistan.In tribal Pashtun society in Pakistan, the Maliks serve asde factoarbiters in local conflicts, interlocutors in state policy-making, tax-collectors, heads of village and town councils and delegates to provincial and nationaljirgasand Parliament.

Punjabi usage

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In thePunjab,"Malik", literally meaning "King" or "Lord"is a title used by some well-reputed specific Punjabi aristocrat bloodlines with special lineage, more formally known asZamindars.The Actual clans to hold and originate this esteemed title are the "Awan"Tribe, They are Martial Warrior Tribes which are also associated with different aspects throughout different generations and periods of history, It is believed that they originated as a clan of warriors who later on settled as wealthy landlords. Malik Awans in Punjabi Ethnology are considered to be Honourable Warriors.

The Muslim Malik community is settled all over Pakistan, and the Sikh Malik are settled in India. The Malik are also known as the Gathwala. The Gathwala are now designating themselves as Maliks. Due to the popularity of the Malik title, many Punjabi sub-castes, such as Gujarati⠀Punjabis and many others, have adopted title to gain acceptance in thePunjabicaste system.

General usage

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Malik or Malek is a common element in first and family names, usually without any aristocratic meaning.

Given name

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  • Malik Yoba(born 1967), American actor and occasional singer

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Surname

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See also

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  • Maalik– In Islam, an angel of hell (Jahannam)
  • Malak (disambiguation),a Semitic word meaning "angel"
  • Maluku islands,an archipelago in Indonesia whose name is thought to have been derived from the Arab traders' term for the region, Jazirat al-Muluk ('the island of many kings')
  • Melech (name),a given name of Hebrew origin that means 'king'.
  • Minicoy,an island in India that was the ancient capital ofLakshadweepa,whose local name (Maliku) is thought to have been derived from the Arab traders' term for it, Jazirat al-Maliku ('the island of the king').[4]
  • Mleccha,a Sanskrit term referring to those of an incomprehensible speech, foreign or barbarous invaders as contra-distinguished from Aryan Vedic tribes

References

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  1. ^F.Leo Oppenheim – Ancient Mesopotamia
  2. ^"Molech".Encyclopædia Britannica Encyclopedia.2008.Retrieved22 March2008.
  3. ^Bowker, John (2003)."Malka or Malca".The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions.Oxford: Oxford University Press.ISBN9780191727221.Retrieved30 July2016– via Oxford Reference.
  4. ^Lutfy, Mohamed Ibrahim. Thaareekhuge therein Lakshadheebu
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Look upmalikin Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
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