What Is the Difference between a Vizier and an Advisor?

• Viziers are political figures who function as a king or queen’s main confidant.
• Advisor is a general term referring to anyone who assists someone or provides advice.
• While viziers are a type of advisor, the title of advisor can apply to a wide range of different professionals. Viziers are a specific type of politician.
• Historically, viziers are found throughout ancient Egypt and the medieval Muslim world.

How is a vizier different from an advisor?

A vizier is a politician who assists or advises a monarch. Vizier is an Iranian word that roughly translates to “helper” or “deputy.” Generally, viziers are found in Southwest Asian and Middle Eastern cultures. In official capacity, a vizier is typically an advisor who helps out a king or queen by providing advice and guidance. Unofficially, a vizier is sort of like a “right hand man” who knows things. The word “vizier” has a heavy Middle Eastern and Indian cultural connotation. Throughout history, there have been viziers in dozens of civilizations. Some viziers were primarily advisors, but most of them were more like essential administrators. As it compares to advisor, the differences here might resemble the contrast between “abbot” and “religious leader,” or “Grand Inquisitor” and “judge.”

An advisor can refer to any general aid. There are financial advisors, advisors to the president, legal advisors, and even registered investment advisors. As you can see, the word “advisor” has a bunch of different potential uses. Anybody who “advises” qualifies as an advisor, either in an official or unofficial capacity. The titles “Special Advisor to the US President” and “Chief of Staff” are probably the closest modern analogies to a vizier.

Viziers in History

Egyptians were the first civilization to employ viziers. The viziers of ancient Egypt were responsible for all of the practical governance. Viziers were just below the pharaoh as the most powerful citizens of Egypt, and they were responsible for managing food, agriculture, finances, law enforcement, military, and religious services. Egyptian viziers were to the pharaohs what Prime Ministers are to the British Monarchy. Sure, the King of England is “in charge,” but the Prime Minister is responsible for policy and governance.

Viziers became popularized during the Golden Age of Islam. Outside of Egypt the role of the vizier goes back to the first Abbasid caliphs in 750 CE, and the role quickly spread throughout the Muslim world. Viziers were politicians who typically held administrative offices high up in the party, and many of them worked directly with rulers as advisors. Every specific empire and country with viziers assigned them different duties, but they were generally high up in the power spectrum. Viziers were found in Bosnia, the Ottoman Empire, the Arabian Peninsula, and basically anywhere where you’d find Islamic influence in the centuries leading up to the industrial revolution. This is why vizier is sometimes spelled “wazir,” which is how it is stylized in Arabic.

Viziers in Media

The “evil chancellor” trope is rooted in the history of viziers. The vizier who is “up to no good” found a home in American films and TVs. Examples include Varys from Game of Thrones, Emperor Palpatine from Star Wars, and Sir Hiss from Robin Hood. Basically, choose an advisor who is clever, sneaky, and has an ulterior motive and you’ve got yourself a modern-day vizier. The most iconic evil chancellor is probably Jafar, from Disney’s Aladdin. In fact, he was even based on a real historical vizier, Abbasid vizier Ja'far ibn Yahya!

Viziers are a popular worldbuilding tool in fantasy games and books. If you’re putting a Dungeons and Dragons campaign together or you’re working on a fantasy game and you need a unique politician to signal to your players that they’re in a far-away land, make them a vizier! This is a subtle way to emphasize that everyone is trapped up in some unique political intrigue. Magic the Gathering has multiple characters and cards that are viziers for similar reasons. Viziers play an important role in Brandon Sanderson’s Stormlight Archive series. Fun fact, vizier was originally a piece on the chess board, but they were replaced by the queen.