Malik

Malik (Arabic: ملك ) is an Arabic word meaning "king". It has been adopted in various other, mainly Asian languages, and it is sometimes used in derived meanings. Malik is one of the names of Allah, "King" in the absolute sense. The term Malik is used in Afghanistan and the tribal areas of Pakistan, especially among Pashtuns, for a tribal leader or a chieftain. Alternative forms are Malek and Maalik. The female version of Malik, Malika, means "queen".

The cognate Hebrew word melech (מלך) has the same meaning, and the name of the pagan god Moloch is derived from the same linguistic root.

Political

Primarily a Malik is the ruling monarch of a kingdom, called mamlaka; that term is however also used in a broader sense, like realm, for rulers with another, generally lower titles, as in Sahib al-Mamlaka. Malik is also used for tribal leaders, e.g. among the Pashtuns.

Although monarchy is sometimes viewed as a non-Islamic form of government, some Arab kingdoms are presently ruled by a Malik:

• Bahrain, formerly under a Hakim al-Bahrayn {"Ruler of Bahrain"); from 16 August 1971 an Amirate; from 14 February 2002: Malik al-Bahrayn (King of Bahrain);
• Jordan, formerly the Emirate of Transjordan;
• Morocco, formerly a Sultanate;
• Saudi Arabia, on 10 June 1916 the Grand Sharif of Mecca assumed the title of King of the Hejaz; from 29 October 1916 "King of the Arabs and Commander of the Faithful; from 6 November 1916 recognized by the allied powers only as King of the Hejaz, Commander of the Faithful, Grand Sharif and Emir of Mecca; also assumed the title of Caliph on 11 March 1924; from 3 October 1924: King of the Hejaz and Grand Sharif of Mecca; 22 September 1932 Hejaz and Nejd united as Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, full style: Malik al-Mamlaka al-`Arabiyya as-Sa'udiyya ("King of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia"); from 1986 prefixed to the name: Khadim al-Haramayn ash-Sharifayn ("Servant (i.e. Protector) of the Two Exalted Holy Places [Mecca and Medina]").

Other historic realms under a Malik include:

• Egypt — the former Ottoman khediviate and subsequently independent sultanate was ruled by Malik Misr ("King of Egypt") between 1922 and 1951; from 19 October 1951 Malik Misr wa's Sudan {"King of Egypt and the [Anglo-Egyptian] Sudan") till the republic (18 June 1953)
• Iraq — between 23 August 1921 and 2 May 1958, Iraq was ruled by a Hashemite Malik al-`Iraq ("King of Iraq")
• Libya — Idris I (b. 1890 - d. 1983) (Sayyid Muhammad Idris as-Sanusi, heir of a Muslim sect's dynasty) reigned as Malik al-Mamlaka al-Libiyya al-Muttahida ("King of the United Libyan Kingdom") from 24 December 1951 through 25 April 1963 and Malik al-Mamlaka al-Libiyya ("King of the Libyan Kingdom") until 1 September 1969
• Maldives — between 1965 and 1968, Muhammad Fareed Didi ruled Maldives as Jala'ala ul-Malik ("King" and the style of "His Majesty"); previous rulers were styled: Sultan of Land and Sea and Lord of the twelve-thousand islands, holding both the Arabic title of Sultan and the more ancient Divehi title of Maha Radun or Ras Kilege
• Oman — the Nabhani dynasty ruled Oman between 1154 and 1470, later it was an imamate/ sultanate
• Yemen — between *1918 and 27 September 1962, and in dissidence to March 1970, the imamate of Yemen was ruled by Imam al-Muslimin, Amir al-Mu'minin, Malik al-Mamlaka al-Mutawakkiliyya al-Yamaniyya ("Imam of the Muslims, Emir of the Faithful, King of the Mutawakkilite Yemeni Kingdom")

In Mughal and colonial India, the princely state of Zainabad was ruled by a Malek Shri (Shri is an emphatical honorific without intrinsic meaning).

The title Malik has also been used in languages which adopted Arabic loanwords (mainly, not exclusively, in Muslim cultures), for various princely or lower ranks and functions.

• In miaphysite Armenia, the title of Melik was bestowed upon princes who ruled various principalities, often referred to as Melikdoms.
• In Orthodox Georgia, among the numerous Grandees:
  • In the fourth class, (Sul-didibuli-tavadi) of the Kingdom of Kartli, commanders of banners (drosha), sixth and last in that class, the Malik of Somkheti (Somkheti-meliki).
  • In the sixth class, Grandees of the second class (mtavari) of the Kingdom of Kartli, ranking first of the second subclass, Grandees under the Prince of Sabaratiano: the Malik of Lori, head of the house of Melikishvili.

The word Malik is sometimes used in Arabic to render roughly equivalent titles of foreign rulers, for instance the chronicler Baha al-Din Ibn Shaddad refers to King Richard I of England as Malik al-Inkitar.

Military

Like many princely titles, Malik has also been used as a military rank, notably in certain decimally organized Muslim armies in India, a high rank commanding 10,000 horseman (each 1000 commanded by an Amir), ten Maliks serving under a Khan

Supernatural

• It is also one of the "99 Names of Allah", and is then al-Malik (الملك) or The King - Lord of the Worlds in the absolute sense (denoted by the definite article), meaning the King of Kings, above all earthly rulers.
  • Hence, Abdelmelik ("server of [Allah] the King ") is an Arabic male name.
• The related Hebrew word mal'ach (מלאך) is the Biblical word for angel.
• In Biblical Hebrew, Moloch is either the name of a god or the name of 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.
• Melek Taus ("the peacock angel") is the central figure of the Kurdish religion Yazidism.
• The Melkites (from Syriac malkāyâ, 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

• Malika is the female derivation, a term of Arabic origin used in Persia as the title for a Queen consort (i.e. not ruling, which no Islamic state's tradition does allow to women). Frequently also used as part of a lady's name, e.g. Malika-i-Jahan 'Queen of the World'.
• Sahib us-Sumuw al-Malik (female Sahibat us-Sumuw al-Malik) is an Arabic title for His/Her Royal 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 (or ul-Molk): - of the kingdom; e.g. Malik Usman Khan, who served the Sultan of Gujarat as Governor of Lahore, received the title of Zubdat ul-Mulk 'best of the kingdom' as a hereditary distinction, which was retained as part of the style of his heirs, the ruling Diwans (only since 1910 promoted to Nawab) of Palanpur.
• - ul-Mamaluk (plural of ul-mulk): - of the kingdoms.

In the great Indian Muslim salute state of Hyderabad, a first rank- vassal of the Mughal padshah (emperor) imitating his lofty Persian court protocol, the word Molk became on itself one of the titles used for ennobled Muslim retainers of the ruling Nizam's court, in fact the third in rank, only below Jah (the highest) and Umara, but above Daula, Jang, Nawab, Khan Bahadur and Khan; for the Nizam's Hindu retainers different titles were used, the equivalent of Molk being Vant.

Other uses

By analogy, the word malik is also used in the weaker meaning of 'chief' in various modest titles, such as, in Persian:

• Malik ul-Shu'ara: 'King of the Poets',, i.e. poet laureate.
• Malik ul-Tujjar: 'King of the Merchants', an office held by the head of the merchant community in each town or city.

In the Punjab, "Malik" was one of the titles used by local aristocrats, more formally known as Zamindars, under both the Mughals and the British, and to some degree still in present-day Pakistan.

Like many prestigious titles, Malik or Malek is a common element is first and family names, usually without any aristocratic meaning. For example, Malik is a large community in Pakistan with Arab heritage. Malik is used both as title and surname in Pakistan.

Strange as it is, it is presently also the worlds leading brand of hockey sticks and equipment.

Modern cultural references

• Malik is also a Greenlandic Inuit personal name for males, meaning 'wave'. Since the year 2000, according to Statistics Greenland, the name is the most popular name given to boys. Another Greenlandic name derived from the same root is: Maligiaq (medium sized wave).
• Malik was the leader of the Augments in a three-episode arc of Star Trek: Enterprise, starting with "Borderland", continuing with "Cold Station 12", and ending with "The Augments".
• Malik is the name of a character from the Japanese animated series Yu-Gi-Oh!. Malik is depicted as an Egyptian whose clan guards the tomb of the Pharaoh from grave robbers. He seeks to obtain the power of the Pharaoh.
• Malik is the name of a character in Australian fantasy author Isobelle Carmody's Obernewtyn Chronicles.
• Malik was the name of a powerful ancient vampire in a game based on the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. He has the ability to transform into a ferocious beast resembling a sabre-toothe tiger.
• Malik is also the name of one of the Prophets in the game Wild Arms 3. He is shown as youthful and agile, and, during the course of the game, is searching for a way to resurrect his mother.
• House al-Malik is one of the five major houses in the Fading Suns universe.
• In the Legacy of Kain video game series, Malek the Sarafan is a member of "The Circle of Nine", a group of sorcerers directly linked to nine aspects of existence. Malek is the guardian of the other sorcerers and represents the world's conflict. In Blood Omen, the first in the series, we see him robbed of flesh and bound to his armour; though he can be seen in human form in later games.
• In Crucible: The Trial of Cyric the Mad, Malik is one of the main characters. He is cursed by Mystra, the god of magic, so that he cannot lie. He is also "chosen" of his god Cyric who is "The Prince of Lies".
• In the video game Knights of the Old Republic, Darth Malak is the ruler of the expansionary Sith Empire.
• Malak Golthana is a character in Final Fantasy Tactics. His Job class is "Hell Knight" and he also possesses the "Untruth" skills.
• Malik Yardbirds is the name of the Minerva's pilot from Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny.
• Malik was the name of J.D's car during the earlier seasons of the TV show Scrubs.
• Malek is a character in L. B. Graham's fantasy series Ariful Malek.
• In the MMORPG RuneScape, Malak is one of the vampire lords of Mortanya.

Famous people named Malik

Where Malik is a surname:

• Adam Malik, former Vice President of Indonesia
• Anas ibn Malik, companion of Muhammad
• Art Malik, actor
• Atif Malik, cricketer
• Charles Malik, philosopher and diplomat
• Fredmund Malik, management consultant
• Jacob Malik, diplomat
• Marek Malík, hockey player
• Mustafa Malik, journalist
• Redha Malek, former Prime Minister of Algeria
• Shoaib Malik, cricketer
• Sa'd ibn Malik, companion of Muhammad

Where Malik is a given name:

• Malik al-Ashtar, companion of Ali Ibn Abi Talib
• Malik Allen, basketball player
• Malik ibn Anas, the founder of the Maliki school of Islamic jurisprudence
• Malik al-Dar
• Malik ibn Nuwayrah
• Malik Rose, basketball player
• El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz (also known as Malcolm X),
• Malik Yoba, actor

Similarly, Malika is used as a female first name:

• Malika Oufkir, writer
• Malika Sherawat, actress and model

Cognate names

• Solomon Molcho ("Solomon King") was a Jewish self-proclaimed Messiah.
• Abimelech or Avimelech (אֲבִימֶלֶךְ / אֲבִימָלֶךְ "father/leader of a king; my father/leader, a king", Standard Hebrew Aviméleḫ / Avimáleḫ, Tiberian Hebrew ʼĂḇîméleḵ / ʼĂḇîmāleḵ) was a common name of the Philistine kings, much as "Pharaoh" was of the Egyptian kings.

Sources, references and external links

• RoyalArk - see each abovementioned state if not 'under construction'
• WorldStatesmen- see each present country
• Gustav Davidson, A Dictionary of Angels including the Fallen Ones
• Hughes, A Dictionary of Islam
• Jewish Encyclopedia, "Angelology"
• James Hastings, Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics IV, 618.]

See also

• Malika
• Malik (tribe)
• The name of the Maluku islands (Indonesia) is thought to have been derived from the Arab trader's term for the region, Jazirat al-Muluk ('the land of many kings').
• Ma Lik