A vizier ( /vɪˈzɪər/, rarely /ˈvɪzjər/; or وزير in Arabic script (Persian, Urdu and Arabic); Hindi: वज़ीर ; sometimes spelled vazir, vizir, vasir, wazir, vesir, or vezir) is a high-ranking political advisor or minister in an Islamic government. The word derived from the Semitic root W-Z-R ('to help'); the word is mentioned in the Quran. The Abbasid Caliphs give the name title wazir to a minister formerly called Katib (secretary) who was at first merely a helper, afterwards became the representative and successor of the Dapir (official scribe or secretary) of the Sassanian kings.
In modern usage, the term has been used for ministers in the Arab world, Uzbekistan, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India.
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