Muqaddam

Muqaddam is an Arabic title, adopted in other Islamic cultures, for any of various civil or religious officials. The literal meaning is something like "expediter", "facilitator", or "assistant".

• in the Tijaniyyah, Shadhiliyyah, Rahmaniyyah, and other Sufi orders, a muqaddam is a student of the Sufi path (a murid or dervish) who has been authorized by his/her Guide (aka shaikh, pir, or murshid) to assist in teaching the path to other students.
• in Bengal, the muqoddom (মুকদ্দম) (in some places he was called mukhiya/মুখিয়া) was the village headman, through whom the government dealt with the peasants.
• As per the Persian documents of medieval India, a muqaddam was the headman of a village. He was, by profession, a peasant of the village which he headed. He could sell and buy land for the village and settle the common treasury. His position was hereditary; however, it could also be bought and sold. He was never a government servant, but he could be dispossessed of his status by the revenue official.[1]
• in Mount Lebanon, the Muqaddams were the secular leaders of their religious community. The last Muqaddams disappeared in the beginning of the 16th Century.
• in the militaries (generally ground forces and sometimes air forces) of several Arab nations, Muqaddam is equivalent to the Anglophone rank of lieutenant colonel.[2]

Military ranks of Egypt
Turco-Egyptian ranks (until 1958)	Modern Egyptian ranks	Western equivalents
Officers
Mushir مشير		General of the army/ Field Marshal
Sirdar سردار	Fariq awwal فريق أول	Colonel General
Fariq فريق		Lieutenant General
Liwa لواء		Major General
Amiralay أمير آلاي	Amid عميد	Brigadier
Qaimaqam قائم مقام	Aqid عقيد	Colonel
Bimbashi بكباشي	Muqaddam مقدم	Lieutenant Colonel
Sagh صاغ	Raid رائد	Major
Yuzbashi يوزباشي	Naqib نقيب	Captain
Mulazim awwal ملازم أول		First Lieutenant
Mulazim thani ملازم ثاني	Mulazim ملازم	Second Lieutenant
Non-commissioned officers
Shawish شاويش	Raqib رقيب	Sergeant
Ombashi أومباشي	Arif عريف	Corporal
Soldiers
Askari عسكري	Jundi جندي	Private

References

1. Habib, Irfan: The Agrarian System of Mughal India, Oxford University Press, 2004, ISBN 0-19-565595-8, pp. 160–161.
2. Army officer ranks