Malik (Arabic: ملك) is an Arabic word meaning "king." It has been adopted in various other, mainly Islamized or Arabized, Asian languages for their ruling princes and to render kings elsewhere. It is also sometimes used in derived meanings. Malik is one of the names of Allah; "King" in the absolute sense. Alternative forms are Malek and Maalik. The female version of Malik is Malikah (Arabic: ملكة) (or its Persian language equivalent Malekeh), meaning "queen".
Malik Amir Mohammad Khan, The Nawab of Kalabagh,(Mianwali District) Governor of West Pakistan, 1960-66
The related word mülük ("maluk") has in Turkish the meaning of "ruler" (padişahlar "padishah", krallar "caesar"). The cognate Hebrew word melech has the same meaning, and the name of the pagan god Moloch is derived from the same Semitic linguistic root.
Political
Primarily a malik is the ruling monarch of a kingdom, called mamlaka, title used by the former slaves aka Mamluks (مملوك) royal dynasty of Egypt; 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;
* Tunisia, formerly ruled by maliks, title still worn by descendants of the royal family;
* 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:
o 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).
o 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.
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 (referred to as Marik) 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.
* Malik is a title conferred on Muslim rulers of Tribal Despotism type governments in the game Europa Universalis 3.
* 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
* Jacob Malik - Soviet diplomat
* Keshav Malik - poet and critic
* Marek Malík - hockey player
* Redha Malek - Former Prime Minister of Algeria
* Saleem Malik - Cricketer
* Shoaib Malik - Cricketer
* Sa'd ibn Malik - Companion of Muhammad S.A.W
* Terrence Malick - Director
* Wendie Malick - Actor
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
* Malik Sealy, basketball player
* El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz (also known as Malcolm X), human rights activist
* Malik Zulu Shabazz, leader of the New Black Panther Party
* Malik Yoba, actor
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