Glossary
From the glossary in Holy War, The Crusades and their Impact on Today’s World, by Karen Armstrong
Amir (Arabic) or Emir (Turkish): One who commands. This came to describe either a military commander or a prince.
Caliph: (Arabic: successor, deputy). The caliph was the successor and deputy of the Prophet Mohammad and was recognized as the supreme authority of the Muslims by Sunni until the Mongolian invasions in the late thirteenth century. According to the Sharia the caliph exercised full authority in both spiritual and political matters, but in fact his position was weak. After the period of the rashidun, and the rise of the sultans and amirs through the huge Islamic empire, the caliph lost credibility and became a figurehead.
Jihad: Arabic for striving or effort.
Strive against obstacles (from Adnan Husain, NYU)
Sharia: The Holy Law of Islam, which was compiled and codified by the great Muslim jurists of the eighth and ninth centuries, who applied the principles of the Koran and Hadith to the smallest details of everyday life, and which was flexible enough to give a distinct identity to Muslims all over the Islamic empire. Where the West inherited Roman law as a secular legal system, Islam developed its own code of religious law.
Sultan: The Sultan wielded military and political authority over a group of Muslims, but theoretically he was subservient to the Caliph.
Vizier: Under the Shiite dynasty in Egypt, conquered by Saladin and Shirkuh, the Vizier was in charge of the administration of the realm, under the minimal authority of the Caliph. When Saladin abolished the caliphate, the Vizier became the supreme power in Egypt.