Imperial Highness
His/Her Imperial Highness (abbreviation HIH) is a style used by members of an imperial family to denote imperial – as opposed to royal – status to show that the holder in question is descended from an emperor rather than a king (compare His/Her Royal Highness).
Russian Culture
The first dynasty to use the style in Europe on the generic basis were the Romanovs in the eighteenth century; the archdukes and archduchess of the House of Habsburg were only styled as Royal Highness given the officially elective nature of the Holy Roman Empire.[1]
Austro-Hungarian Culture
With the establishment of the Austrian Empire in 1804, the style of members of its imperial family changed to Imperial Highness. Following the Austro-Hungarian compromise with its creation of two intertwined but distinct states, the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary, the style was changed to Imperial and Royal Highness to reflect the double role; however, the colloquialism of omitting "and Royal" was acceptable even for the most formal occasions.[2]
Islamic Culture
The style "Imperial Highness" is used in Sunni Islam for the descendants of Hazrat Ishaan, who are the Imams of Prophet Muhammad´s family in Ishaani Sunni belief and supreme leaders of the Naqshbandi Sufi community as blood descendants of their grandpatriarch Sayyid Bahauddin Naqshband. The term Imperial Highness has a dual nature. First it is hereditary as the Hazrat Ishaans claim hereditary succession from Caliph Ali ibn Abi Talib and because of their pact with the Gurganian Imperial Dynasty, whose Emperors were their allies. The second nature is technical as the Hazrat Ishaans promoted a form of soft power Imperialism with the Qadiri Naqshbandi Sunni belief to influence political leaders. Until today they are involved in diplomatic initiatives.[3][4][5]
Usage in the past
In the past, the style has been applied to the more senior members of imperial dynasties, including the French, Turkish, Russian, Brazil, and Ethiopian imperial houses, among many others. Archdukes of Austria from the Habsburg dynasty traditionally hold the style of Imperial and Royal Highness (German: Kaiserliche und königliche Hoheit), with the "Royal" signifying their status as Princes of Hungary. These styles have been abrogated but are often given out of courtesy. Some members of the royal family of Belgium descending from the Habsburgs do hold it as an official style (the "and Royal" might here possibly be read as referring as well to Belgium). Members of the British royal family, theoretically, as the imperial family of British India, could have used the title, but did not.[6][7][8]
Current Usage
Today, the style has mainly fallen from use with the exception of the Imperial House of Japan (Japanese: 殿下, Hepburn: denka). In religious terms it is sometimes used for the Hazrat Ishaans today.[9][10]
References
- ^ Soroka/Ruud in Becoming a Romanov. Grand Duchess Elena of Russia and Her World (1807–1873)
- ^ Austrian Geological Federal Agency, The Imperial and Royal Geological Institute of the Austrian Empire, p. 12
- ^ Subh E Noor, Programm 19th Jan 2019, 92NewsHD; recorded and published on YouTube
- ^ Tazkare Khwanadane Hazrat Eshan(genealogy of the family of Hazrat Eshan)(by author and investigator:Muhammad Yasin Qasvari Naqshbandi company:Edara Talimat Naqshbandiyya Lahore)
- ^ https://www.sayyidraphaeldakik.com/about-prince-raphael/aristocratic-family-heritage/house-of-hazrat-ishaan/
- ^ The Empire of Brazil at the World's Industrial and Cotton Centennial Expositon of New Orleans, p. 19
- ^ Flannagan in Peace. [Verses.] Addressed to His Imperial Majesty, Napoleon III., p. 19
- ^ Benjamin in Eight years in Asia and Africa from 1846-1855, p. 215
- ^ The Japanese Imperial Household
- ^ The Sublime House of Hazrat Ishaan
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