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:''See also Vizier.''
'Grand Vizier', Sadr-ı Azam (Sadrazam) or Serdar-ı Ekrem (in Ottoman Turkish "صدر اعظم" or "وزیر اعظم"; ''see below for the evolution of the term''), deriving from the originally Persian word "Vizier" (وزير) was the greatest minister of the Sultan with absolute power of attorney and, in principle, dismissable only by the Sultan himself. He held the imperial seal and he could convene all other viziers to attend to affairs of the state, their whole conference being called "Kubbealtı viziers" (''viziers of the dome'') in reference to the architecture of their meeting place.

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Etymology

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Etymology

'Grand Vizier', '''Vazīr-e Azam''', is also the official Urdu title of the Pakistani official officially known as "prime minister" in English. (Ministers are titled "vizier").
During the nascent phases of the Ottoman state, "Vizier" was the only title used. The first of these Ottoman Viziers who was titled "Grand Vizier" was Çandarlı Kara Halil Hayreddin Pasha. The purpose in instituting the title "Grand Vizier" was to distinguish the holder of the Sultan's seal from other viziers who seconded him. The initially more frequently used title of "vezir-i âzam" was gradually replaced by "sadrazam", both meaning grand vizier in practice. Throughout Ottoman history, the grand viziers have also been termed under such titles as "sadr-ı âlî (''high vizier'')", "vekil-i mutlak (''absolute attorney'')", "sâhib-i devlet (''holder of the state'')" ,''serdar- ekrem , serdar-ı azam'' and "zât-ı âsafî (''vizierial person'')".
In the Köprülü Era (1656–1703) the Empire was controlled by a series of powerful grand viziers. The relative ineffectiveness of the coming sultans and the diffusion of power to lower levels of the government was behind of the Köprülü Era.
After the Tanzimat period of the Ottoman Empire in the 19th century, the grand viziers came to assume a role more similar to that of the prime minister of contemporary Western monarchies.
The title of Grand Vizier was used in the fictional ''Star Wars'' series to refer to the head of government of the Galactic Empire.

See also

★ List of Ottoman Grand Viziers