Grand Vizier

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See also Vizier.

	State organisation of the Ottoman Empire
House of Osman (Ottoman Dynasty)
Grand Vizier (1320–1922)
Dīvān (1586?–1908) - Imperial Government (1908–1920)
See also	Subdivisions – Vassal & tributary states

Grand Vizier, Sadr-ı Azam (Sadrazam) or Serdar-ı Ekrem (in Ottoman Turkish "صدر اعظم" or "وزیر اعظم"; see below for the evolution of the term), deriving from the originally Persian word "Vizier" (وزير) was the greatest minister of the Sultan with absolute power of attorney and, in principle, dismissable only by the Sultan himself. He held the imperial seal and he could convene all other viziers to attend to affairs of the state, their whole conference being called "Kubbealtı viziers" (viziers of (under) the dome) in reference to the architecture of their meeting place.

Grand Vizier, Vazīr-e Azam, is also the official Urdu title of the Pakistani official officially known as "prime minister" in English. (Ministers are titled "vizier").

During the nascent phases of the Ottoman state, "Vizier" was the only title used. The first of these Ottoman Viziers who was titled "Grand Vizier" was Çandarlı Kara Halil Hayreddin Pasha. The purpose in instituting the title "Grand Vizier" was to distinguish the holder of the Sultan's seal from other viziers who seconded him. The initially more frequently used title of "vezir-i âzam" was gradually replaced by "sadrazam", both meaning grand vizier in practice. Throughout Ottoman history, the grand viziers have also been termed under such titles as "sadr-ı âlî (high vizier)", "vekil-i mutlak (absolute attorney)", "sâhib-i devlet (holder of the state)" ,serdar- ekrem , serdar-ı azam and "zât-ı âsafî (vizierial person)".

In the Köprülü Era (1656–1703) the Empire was controlled by a series of powerful grand viziers. The relative ineffectiveness of the coming sultans and the diffusion of power to lower levels of the government was behind of the Köprülü Era.

After the Tanzimat period of the Ottoman Empire in the 19th century, the grand viziers came to assume a role more similar to that of the prime minister of contemporary Western monarchies.

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The title of Grand Vizier was used in the fictional Star Wars series to refer to the head of government of the Galactic Empire^{[citation needed]}.

In Western culture, Viziers are usually depicted as schemers whose high position in society is not enough for them.^{[citation needed]} Examples include the comic character Iznogoud, Jafar from the Disney film "Aladdin", Hoodunnit of Asterix and the Magic Carpet and Chattar Lal from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.

The Grand Vizier's Garden Party is a three part instrumental of Pink Floyd's Ummagumma album.

In Turkish the saying "Sen Sadrazamin sol tassagimisin?" is often used by parents to chide children who have been too arrogant. It means: "What do you think you are, the left testicle of the Sadrazam?"

List of Ottoman Grand Viziers

v • d • e State organisation of the Ottoman Empire
House of Osman	Ottoman Dynasty - Imperial Harem - Palace Schools see also: Ottoman Caliphate
Porte (Divan)	Grand Vizier - Vizier - Sheikh ul-Islam see also: Ottoman Senate (2^nd Constitutional Era)
Imperial Government	Minister of War - Education Minister see also: List of parties
Administrative Subdivisions	Bey, Elder (religious), Millet (Ottoman Empire)