Mirza and Mirzad (man), and Mirzada (woman) ( or ; ) is a multi-ethnic name of Persian origin. It is used as a surname or prefix to identify patriarchal lineage. It is derived from the term Mirzada ().
Mirza and Mirzad for men, and Mirzada for women are titles inherited by descendants of their mothers who hold the title Sharifa / Sayyida / Habiba / Lalla and their fathers who are not Sayyid / Sharif / Habib / Moulay / Sidi and do not have a title inherited from their father.
A Mirza can inherit the titles Mirza, Mirzad and Mirzada to subsequent descendants while a Mirzada cannot be inherited to subsequent descendants.
It is a historical royal and noble title, denoting the rank of a prince (mirza or mirzad) or a princess (mirzada), high nobleman, distinguished military commander, or a scholar. Specifically, it was used as a title by (and today signifies patriarchal lineage to) the various Persian Empires, the Nogai Horde, Shirvanshahs and Circassians of the North Caucasus and the Mughals of the Indian subcontinent. It was also a title bestowed upon members of the highest aristocracies in Tatar states, such as the Khanates of Kazan and Astrakhan.
Etymology Mirzadeh The original title or is derived from the Persian term which literally means 'child of the Mīr' or 'child of the ruler'. in turn consists of the Arabic title (English: Emir), meaning 'commander' and the Persian suffix (, meaning 'born of' or 'lineage of'). Due to vowel harmony in Turkic languages, the alternative pronunciation (plural ; derived from Persian) is also used.
History Mirza first emerged during the 15th century as an appellative term for members of the Timurid dynasty, adopted in deference to their progenitor, the Central Asian conqueror Timur, who used Amir as his principal title. During the early Timurid era, Mirza preceded a prince's given name, therefore adhering to the Persian fashion, though subsequently the Turkish style was adopted, with the title instead being placed after. This was continued by later rulers such as the Aq Qoyunlus, Safavids, Ottomans and Mughals.
Originally restricted to only monarchs and princes, the title eventually spread among other social groups, though only the former could have it placed after their given name. During the 16th century, the Safavids conferred it upon high-ranking viziers such as Mirza Shah Hossein and Mirza Ata-Allah Isfahani. By the Qajar era, the title simply marked a person as a clerk or a literate man of consequence. Writing in 1828, Frederic Shoberl records that "as a prefix to the name, it may be assumed by, or conferred on any person. It is right, however, to observe, that none but well-educated men, or such as follow respectable professions, or hold honourable posts, take the title of Mirza."
Persian empires
Safavid dynasty
Padeshah Ali Mirza Prince Alqas Mirza Crown Prince Mohammad Baqer Mirza Vizier Mirza Shokrollah Isfahani Vizier Mirza Salman Jaberi Vizier Mirza Shah Hossein
Afsharid dynasty
Prince Reza Qoli Mirza Prince Shahrokh Mirza Prince Ebrahim Mirza Statesman Mirza Mehdi Khan Crown Prince Nader Mirza
Qajar dynasty
Prince Iraj Mirza Prince Malek Mansur Mirza Shoa as-Saltaneh Prince Bahram Mirza Sardar Mass'oud Crown Prince Abbas Mirza Prince Abdol Majid Mirza Prince Bahram Mirza Prince Jahangir Mirza Prince Eskandar Mirza Prince Hamid Mirza Prince Khanlar Mirza Prince Khosrow Mirza Prince Muhammad Mirza Prince Mahmoud Mirza Crown Prince Mohammad Hassan Mirza Prince Mohammad Hassan Mirza II Prince Ahmad Shah Qajar Prince Firuz Mirza Prince Firouz Nosrat-ed-Dowleh III Prince Ali Mirza Qajar Prince Nosrat al-Din Mirza Salar es-Saltaneh Prince Abdol-samad Mirza Ezz ed-Dowleh Prince Mass'oud Mirza Zell-e Soltan Prince Mohammad-Ali Mirza Dowlatshah Prince Mohammad Taqi Mirza Prince Kamran Mirza Nayeb es-Saltaneh
Shirvanshahs Three consecutive titular kings of Shirvan, of the Shirvanshah Dynasty (present-day Azerbaijan), adopted the title as well following the death of Qorban Ali Mirza. Gasim Mirza Kavus Mirza Abu Bakr Mirza
Circassians
Circassian dynasty
The hereditary title of Mirza was adopted by the nobility class of the Circassians. Idar of Kabardia, also known as "Mirza Haydar Temruk Bey", was the great-grandson of Prince Inal – Sultan of Egypt the founder of the "Temruk dynasty" of the Kabardian princes, known in Russia as the "Cherkassky" a Circassian princely family.
Circassian nobility with the name Mirza include: Mirza Haydar Temruk Bey (ca. 1470 – 1571) Princely Issues: Temruk Mirza (ca. 1501 – 1571) Kambulat Mirza (ca. 1510 – 1589) Zhelegot Mirza (ca. 1520- ?)
Russian empire Under Catherine the Great, empress of Russia, the Mirzas gained equal rights with the Russian nobility due to their extreme wealth. Abdul Mirza was given the title Prince Yusupov, and his descendant Prince Felix Yusupov married Princess Irina Alexandrovna of Russia, the only niece of Tsar Nicholas II.
Mughal Empire
The title Mirza was borne by an imperial prince. It was adopted as part of ones name, implying relationship to the Mongol dynasties like the Mughal dynasty (the Imperial House of Timur). In the traditional naming sequence of the Indian royal families, the title can be placed both before the name and after it, such as Prince Mirza Mughal or Prince Kamran Mirza. Prince Khusrau Mirza was the grandson of Emperor Akbar (Akbar Mirza), son of Emperor Jahangir and a brother of Emperor Shah Jahan. Emperor Akbar Shah II was known as Prince Mirza Akbar before his coronation. Emperor Babur took the imperial title of Badshah on 6 March 1508, before which he used the title Mirza.pg 24. The Empire of the Great Mughals: History, Art and Culture
Mughal dynasty
Mirza Zahiruddin 1494–1530, first Mughal Emperor. Mirza Nasiruddin 1530–1539 & 1554–1555, second Mughal Emperor. Mirza Jalaluddin 1556–1605, third Mughal Emperor. Mirza Nuruddin Salim 1605–1627, fourth Mughal Emperor. Mirza Salafuddin Shahryar 1627–1628, de facto Ruler Mirza Shahabuddin Khurram 1628–1658, fifth Mughal Emperor. Mirza Muhiuddin Aurangzeb 1658–1707, sixth Mughal Emperor. Mirza Qutbuddin Azam 1707, seventh Mughal Emperor. Mirza Mu'azzam 1707–1712, eighth Mughal Emperor. Mirza Muizuddin Muhammad 1712–1713, ninth Mughal Emperor. Mirza Muinuddin Muhammad 1712–1719, tenth Mughal Emperor. Mirza Shamsuddin 1719, eleventh Mughal Emperor. Mirza Rafiuddin 1719, twelfth Mughal Emperor. Mirza Muhammad Nekusiyar 1719, thirteenth Mughal Emperor. Mirza Nasiruddin Roshan Akhtar, fourteenth Mughal Emperor. Ahmad Shah Mirza 1720–1748, fifteenth Mughal Emperor. Azizuddin Beg Mirza 1754–1759, sixteenth Mughal Emperor. Jalaluddin Mirza 1759–1760, seventeenth Mughal Emperor. Muhi-ul-Millat Mirza 1788–1806, eighteenth Mughal Emperor. Mirza Akbar 1806–1837, nineteenth Mughal Emperor. Sirajuddin Mirza 1837–1857, Mughal Emperor. Mirza Abdullah, son of Bahadur Shah II 1850–1897, Mughal Emperor. Mirza Aziz Koka (1542–1624), foster-brother of Akbar, son of Ataga Khan
Imperial families of Central India and Bengal
The archaic Bengali form of Mirza was Mridha in Bengal and Bihar.The Khan Mohammad Mridha Mosque is named for a man known in Mughal records as Khan Muhammad Mirza; see https://archnet.org/library/sites/one-site.jsp?site_id=4450 Mughal dynasty (the Imperial House of Timur "Sarai Mulk Khanam Qutubuddunniya wa Deen Amir Qutubuddin Taimur Baig Sahib-e-kiran"). Mirza Shuja ud-din Muhammad Khan, second Nawab of Bengal, Bihar and Odisha. Mirza Asadullah, third Nawab of Bengal, Bihar and Odisha. Mirza Muhammad Ali, fourth Nawab of Bengal, Bihar and Odisha. Mirza Mohammad Siraj, fifth Nawab of Bengal, Bihar and Odisha. Mirza Hassan Ali Khan Bahadur, 18th Nawab of Bengal, Bihar and Odisha. Mirza Wasif Ali Khan, 19th Nawab of Bengal, Bihar and Odisha. Mirza Waris Ali Khan, 20th Nawab of Bengal, Bihar and Odisha.
Royal family of Awadh
Mirza Muhammad Muqim Ali Khan, second Nawab Subahdar of Awadh (Oudh) Mirza Amani Asif-ud-Dawlah, fourth Nawab Subahdar of Awadh Mirza Asif Jah Wazir Ali Khan, fifth Nawab Subahdar of Awadh Mirza Wajid Ali Shah, eleventh Nawab Subahdar (fifth King) of Awadh
Rajput dynasty Rajputs of Northern India
Originally being adversaries and opponents to the Mughal emperors, the title Mirza was also adopted by the Muslim Rajputs of northern India. Many of the Rajput imperial families were descendants of ancient warriors, who strategically formed blood alliances with Mughal aristocracy. The Rajputs were rulers of princely states comprising vast territories of Northern India, including the Punjab, Kashmir and Rajasthan. Inter-marriage between Mughal aristocracy and Rajput aristocracy became very common and various factions of Rajput kingdoms embraced the Islamic faith, giving rise to the term "Muslim Rajputs".Lord Lawrence and the Reconstruction of India Under The Crown by Sir Charles Aitcheson, K.C.S.I., M.A., LL.D., Rulers of India series, Clarendon Press 1897, V p117 Rajput rulers were also granted the title Mirza on account of being high-ranked commanders in the Mughal military.30. Ra´jah Ma´n Singh, son of Bhagwán Dás – Biography Ain-i-Akbari, Vol. I. The meaning of Mirza (Persian origin) is identical to the meaning of Rājpūt ( of Prakrit origin, ultimately from Sanskrit Rājaputra).
Other notable people named Mirza Sport Sania Mirza, Indian tennis player, former WTA number 1 Fadi Merza, Syrian-Austrian middleweight kickboxer, former world champion kickboxing and Muay Thai Mirza Ali Baig, Pakistani mountaineer Mirza Baig, Pakistani cricketer Mirza Bašić, Bosnian tennis player, winner 2018 Sofia Open Mirza Begić, Bosnian-Slovenian Olympic basketball player Mirza Delibašić, Bosnian basketball player Mirza Delimeđac, Bosnian football player Mirza Džomba, Croatian handball player Mirza Golubica, Bosnian football player Mirza Hajdinović, Serbian-Bosniak politician Mirza Halvadžić, Bosnian football player Mirza Hasanbegović, Bosnian football player Mirza Hasanović, Bosnian football player Mirza Jelečak, Bosnian football player Mirza Kapetanović, Bosnian football player Mirza Khan, Pakistani hurdler Mirza Mešić, Bosnian football player Mirza Muratovic, Australian football player Mirza Mustafić, Bosnian football player Mirza Sarajlija, Bosnian-Slovenian basketball player Mirza Teletović, Bosnian basketball player Mirza Varešanović, Bosnian football manager Rasul Mirzaev, Russian MMA fighter Salman Mirza, Pakistani cricketer
Academics and literature Meerza Delawar Hosaen Ahmed (1840–1913), first Muslim graduate of the British Raj Mirza Muhammad Yusuf Ali (1858–1920), Bengali writer and social activist Mirza Ali-Akbar Sabir (1862-1911), Azerbaijani satirist and poet Heidi Safia Mirza (born 1958), British academic Iraj Mirza, Persian folk poet, also known as Jalaal-al-mamalek. Mirza Abu Taleb Khan, tax-collector and administrator from northern India, writer of an early travel guide to Europe. Mirza Athar Baig is a Pakistani novelist, playwright and short story writer. Mirza Gʻafur Gʻulom, Uzbek poet, writer, and literary translator, considered one of the most influential Uzbek writers of the 20th century. Mirza Ghalib (born Mirza Asadullah Baig Khan), an Urdu and Persian poet from the Indian subcontinent who adorned the Mughal court. Mirza Kalich Beg, Sindhi writer. Mirza Khan of "Mirza & Sahiba", a tragic romance story, based on true events, which is enshrined in Punjabi literature and commonly told in Punjab. Mirza of "Mirza & Sahiba" was of Kharal Jat Muslim tribe. Muhammad Munawwar Mirza, a prominent scholar, historian, writer and intellectual from Pakistan. Nawab Mirza Khan "Daagh Dehlvi", Urdu poet.
Arts and entertainment Aziz Mirza (born 1947), Indian film director, producer and writer. Bashir Mirza (also known as BM), a Pakistani painter. Hady Mirza (born 1980), Singaporean singer. Haroon Mirza, British Pakistani artist born in London. Jeff Mirza, British comedian