chief minister of Islamic ruler

A minister under a (Muslim) prince. Arabic origin.

The chief minister of Egypt answerable only to the pharaoh. He was responsible for the day-to-day running of the country. In the New Kingdom there were two viziers - one for Upper Egypt and one for Lower Egypt. The position became less important in the Late Period.

Deputy ruler, in old Islamic countries, a post like a vice president. Ar. UP

vi zEEr, viz yuhr] Ottoman equivalent of the Abbasid wazir; head of the Ottoman bureaucracy; after 15th century often more powerful than sultan. (p. 616)

A Vizier ( - Wazīr) (sometimes also spelled Vizir, Wasir, Wazir, Wesir, or Wezir - grammatical vowel changes are common in many oriental languages), literally "burden-bearer" or "helper", is a term, originally Persian, for a high-ranking political (and sometimes religious) advisor or minister, often to a Muslim monarch such as a Caliph, Amir, Malik (king) or Sultan. The Middle-Persian ancestor of this word was Vichir.