Mülazım

Mülazım was a junior officer rank in the armed forces of the late Ottoman empire, equivalent to lieutenant. There were usually two grades:

• Mülâzım-ı evvel, or first lieutenant;
• Mülâzım-ı sani, or second lieutenant.

Military ranks in the late Ottoman period
Navy (1909-1916)[1]	Navy (1916-)[1]	Army
Officers
Müşir Amiral Pasha	Müşir Amiral	Müşir
Birinci Ferik Amiral Pasha	Birinci Ferik Amiral	Birinci Ferik
Ferik Amiral Pasha	Ferik Amiral	Ferik
Liva Amiral Pasha	Liva Amiral	Mirliva
Komodor
Kalyon Kaptanı	Miralay	Miralay
Fırkateyn Kaptanı	Fırkateyn Kaptanı	Kaymakam
Korvet Kaptanı	Korvet Kaptanı	Binbaşı
Birinci Sınıf Yüzbaşı	Kıdemli Yüzbaşı	Kolağası
Yüzbaşı	Yüzbaşı	Yüzbaşı
Mülâzım-ı evvel	Mülazım	Mülâzım-ı evvel
Mülâzım-ı sani		Mülâzım-ı sani
Mühendis	Mühendis

However, a number of military reforms affected military ranks (and their names and uniforms) through the history of the Ottoman empire.

History

In James Henry Skene's 1851 review of the Ottoman military, he noted that Mulazim were paid 280-350 piastres per month (including rations), perhaps more than contemporary British soldiers; as officers, their European-influenced uniforms included gold epaulettes, and distinctive lace on their cuffs as a mark of rank.[2]

Influences

• In mahdist usage, a Mülazım was a member of the khalifa's bodyguard.[3]
• Ranks in the army of the Egyptian Kingdom were influenced by its Ottoman history; the lowest commissioned officer ranks were Mulazim Tani and Mulazim Awwal.

References

1. Türk Denizci Kıyafet ve Unvanları (1390-1923), official site of the Turkish Navy (in Turkish)
2. Skene (1851). The three eras of Ottoman history, a political essay on the late reforms of Turkey, considered principally as affecting her position in the event of a war taking place. p. 66.
3. McGregor (2006). A Military History of Modern Egypt: From the Ottoman Conquest to the Ramadan War. pp. 290. ISBN 9780275986018.