Baig

Baig, also commonly spelled Beg or Begg, (Persian بیگ‎), Turkish Beg/Bey) was a title of Turko-Persian Origin, which is today used as a surname or middle name to identify lineage. It means Chief or Commander and is common in Pakistan, India, Afghanistan, Iran, Central Asia and Eastern Europe (former Yugoslav) and among their respective diaspora. The spellings Beg'da', Beg, Bey, Bek (Turkish), Begzada, Begzadi (Persian) and Bik (Western China) are also found.

Etymology and history

The name Baig originates from a Turkic-Mongal clan called Barlas (the main tribe of the Timurids). The Barlas tribe and their descendants established Turko-Persian empires in Central Asia, Eastern Europe, Middle East and later South Asia.

The name Baig is derived from the Turkic word Beg or Bey, which means commander or chief (i.e. military leader.) Baig/Beg was a title given to honorary members of the Barlas clan, and was subsequently used as the family name for their children. The name is most common among the descendants of the Moghal Dynasty of South Asia. The members of the Moghal Dynasty belonged to the Barlas clan and "Baigs" were high-ranking military leaders and advisors to the Moghal Royal Families. They were also granted the Princely title of Mirza, to signify their high ranking among the aristocracy and ruling class. Baigs occupied the upper echelons of society in the conquered parts of South Asia.

This title implies that he was relative to khan dynasty ruling in Mongol Empire.

Beg was also subsequently used as a military rank in the Ottoman Empire. (Bey).

It was also used during the Qing Dynasty in China. When the Qing Dynasty ruled Xinjiang, it permitted the Turkic Begs to maintain their previous status, and they administered the province for the Qing as officials. High-ranking Begs were allowed to wear the Queue.

Use as a name

For the Moghal use, the honorific title Mirza (Persian: مرزا‎) was added before the given name for all the males and 'Baig' (Persian: بیگ‎) for the males or Begum (Persian: بگوم‎) for the females, was added as a family name. For example: Mirza Mansur Baig or Noor Begum. This was the historical naming convention for the descendants of the Moghal Dynasty. Today, however, it is not uncommon to see descendants of the Moghals use Baig as a middle name and Mirza as the surname or vice versa. For example: Mansur Baig Mirza or Mansur Mirza Baig or some very rare cases are like Baig Mughal, For example; Arif Baig Mughal.

For the Slavic or Bosniak use, it is common to see the name Beg added to the Slavic suffix of 'ovic', 'ovich', which roughly means 'descendant of'. While the title "Beg" is not in use in Bosnia anymore, track of families of "Beg" decent is kept. But a surname containing "-begović" suffix in itself is not a clear indicator of decent. For example there is a number of "Begović" families, some are of noble decent, some not. "Idrizbegović" would be another example of non-noble family with the suffix. Some examples of "beg" families are: Šahbegović, Rizvanbegović, Šačirbegović. On the other hand, "Kukavica" is an example of a famous "beg" family, not containing the title in itself. The book by Enver Imamović "Porijeklo i pripadnost stanovništva Bosne i Hercegovine" details the origin of a big number of families in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

For the Persian use, it is common to see the name Beg added to the Persian suffix of 'zada' (male), 'zadi' (female), which means 'son of' or 'daughter of'. For Example: Mansur Begzada or Noor Begzadi.

For the Turkish use, it is most common to see the spelling Beg or Bey utilized. (Sometimes, it is used along with the title "Mirza", similar to the Moghal usage).

There are various other alternative spellings used today as well, such as: Begg, Beigh, Beyg, Bayg, Bek, Bik.

Notable Begs/Baigs

Afghanistan

Sultan Abu Sa'id Beg

Albania

Skanderbeg, Dominus Albaniae (lord of Albania)

Azerbaijan

Jani Beg

Mirza Adigozal bey, was an Azerbaijani historian of the 19th century.

Mirza Miran Shah Beg, was a son of Mirza Timur Beg, and a Timurid governor during his father's lifetime.

Elbey Mirza-Hasan oglu Rzaguliyev, was an Azerbaijani Soviet artist and stage director, and father of artist Ayten Rzaguliyeva.

Bosnia

Isa-Beg Isaković

Isak-Beg

Gazi Husrev-beg

Ali-paša Rizvanbegović

Safvet beg Bašagić

Turahan Bey

Turahanoğlu Ömer Bey

England

Moazzam Begg

India

Mahmud Begada

Mirza Asadullah Baig Khan

Mirza Babur Beg

Mirza Abul-Qasim Babur bin Baysonqor Beg, was a Timurid ruler in Khurasan (1449–1457).

Mirza Mehboob Beg, is an Indian politician, belonging to Jammu & Kashmir National Conference.

Mirza Farhatullah Baig, was an Indian Urdu writer of humor and prose.

Mirza Muhammed Baig Chishti Qalandari Hyderabadi, He is renowned as a Sufi saint and great scholar of Hyderabad Deccan.

Mirza Ibrahim Beg, was Subahdar of Bengal during the reign of emperor Jahangir Beg.

Mirza Yaseen Baig, a lecturer.[BDR].

Iran

Ulugh Beg

Abd al-Latif ibn Muhammad Taraghay Ulughbek

Sultan Ibrahim Beg

Farrukh Beg

Kashgar

Yaqub Beg

Kashmir

Mirza Muhammad Haidar Dughlat Beg, was a Chagatai Turko-Mogol military general, ruler of Kashmir, and a historical writer.

Pakistan

Mirza Aslam Baig

Mirza Aziz Akbar Baig

General Mohammad Abbas Baig

Arif Baig Mughal, is a Pakistani Consultant of Apparel Sourcing & Production.

Obaidullah Baig, was an eminent scholar, Urdu writer/novelist, columnist, media expert, and most notably a documentary filmmaker from Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan.

Mirza Iqbal Baig, is a Pakistani sports journalist and cricket commentator who currently works as a television show host.

Mirza Mohammad Afzal Beg, was a Kashmiri politician and lieutenant of the late Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir.

Mirza Ishtiaq Baig, is a Pakistani businessman.

Mirza Nazeer Baig Mughal, is a Pakistani actor. He has acted in several films, telefilms, and TV drama serials.

Mirza Rafiuddin 'Raz' Baig, is a Pakistani poet.

Wamlas Baig Most successful Chartered Accountant who shook the business world and gave it a new definition.

Russia

Mirza Kazem-Bey, Muhammad Ali Kazim-bey, was a famous orientalist, historian and philologist of Azeri origin.

Alexander Lvovich Kazembek (often spelled Kazem-Bek or Kasem-Beg), was a Russian émigré and political activist, and founder of the Mladorossi political group.

Iskander Mirza Huzman Beg Sulkiewicz, was a Polish politician of Tatar ethnicity, activist in socialist and independence movements and one of the co-founders of Polish Socialist Party.

Turkey

Sultan Osman-beg, Sultan of the Ottoman Empire

Mirza Tugay Bey, was a notable military leader and politician of the Crimean Tatars.

United States

Ed Baig, is an American technology columnist.

Uzbekistan

Mirza Timur Beg, was a Turkic ruler or rather a Turco-Mongolian ruler because of his Mongolian origins.

See original Post: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baig