List of military ranks of imperial Iran

This list includes all military ranks of Iran from the beginning of the Achaemenid Empire to the end of Pahlavi Iran.

The Achaemenid Empire army (spāda) was organized on a decimal system, which was highly superior to its Greek rivals and had not been used in any Asian army until the Mongol era.^[1][2]

• Commander-in-Chief of the army: (kārana*), «کارَنَ», tentative term; the general with full national authority
• «بَیوَرَپَتی» (baivarapati*): Commander of a ten-thousand-strong army
• «هَزارَپَتی» (hazārapati*): Commander of a thousand-strong regiment
• «ثَتَپَتی» (θatapati*): Commander of a hundred-strong battalion
• «دَثَپَتی» (daθapati): Commander of a ten-strong squad

The Ancient Persia army was divided into controllable units under a single commander. These units were based on a Decimal system. For example, in the Achaemenid Empire army, the smallest unit consisted of 10 soldiers, called a Group (daθa "ten"), commanded by a Sergeant (daθapati "daθapati"). Next was a 100-soldier unit called a Company (military unit) (θata "hundred") led by a Captain (armed forces) (θatapati "θatapati"). A 1,000-strong unit was called a Regiment (hazāra) led by a Colonel (hazārapati "hazārapati"), and a 10,000-strong unit was a Division (military) (baivara) led by a major general (baivarapati "baivarapati"). The entire Achaemenid armed forces formed a Corps (spāda-), commanded by a lieutenant general (spādapati "spādapati").^[3]

During the Parthian Empire, the armed forces were called spāδ («سپاذ»), and the Commander-in-Chief was spāδbad («سپاذبد»). In the Parthian army, a company was called wast («وَست»), a regiment was drafš («درفش»), and a division was gund («گُند»). Their commanders were wast-sālār («وست‌سالار»), drafš-sālār (درفش‌سالار), and gund-sālār (گندسالار), respectively.^[4]

During the Sasanian Empire, the Corps (spāh) was also organized based on the Decimal system,^[5] and the commander was referred to as Lieutenant general (spāhbed). A Squad was called "radag" (radag) and a Company was called "tahm" (tahm), with its commander being called Lieutenant (tahmdār).^[6] Five-hundred-strong Battalion (wašt) units were led by a Washt Salaar (wašt-sālār). A 1,000-strong Derafsh (drafš) was led by a DerafshSalaar (drafš-sālār), and a 5,000-strong Division called Gond (gund) and was led by a GondSalaar (gund-sālār).^[7]

The names of these ranks are primarily derived from the Azerbaijani language, and there was not much change in them until the Qajar period. These ranks were often defined based on the number of subordinates under each commander.^[8]

Military ranks of Iran during the Pahlavi monarchy were as follows:^[9]

After the reforms initiated by Brigadier General Claude Matthieu, Count Gardane in the Iranian military, transformations in this area also took place. It is important to note that at that time, ranks or degrees of swordsmen were mentioned, each having three levels.^[10]

• "Noyan" or "Amir Noyan": This rank was also referred to as commander-in-chief or general. The first-level Noyan was called "Noyan-e A'zam." If considered a rank above "Amir Toman", it would be equivalent to Lieutenant general in modern armies; however, in ancient writings, Noyan was considered the commander of a hundred thousand men, making it equivalent to "ArteshBod" (Colonel general). Although the entire Iranian army on that time, did not have this many soldiers, it rendered the "Amir Noyan" as a ceremonial rank.

• "Amir Toman": The term "Toman" in Mongolian language means ten thousand, and the "Amir Toman" was regarded as the commander of ten thousand men.

• "SarTeep"
• "SarHang"
• "Yaavar"
• "Sultan"
• "Nayeb"
• "BeigZadeh"

Following these, the following ranks are listed that do not include three levels:

• "VakilBaashi"
• "Vakil"
• "SarJooqeh"

Below these ranks is "Taabeen," which has two levels:

• "Taabeen I"
• "Taabeen II"

During the tenure of Mirza Aqa Khan Nuri, a rank called "Amir Panjeh" or "MeerPanj", lower than "Amir Toman" and higher than "SarTeep", was introduced with three levels. Later, it was abolished, and "MeerPanj" became equivalent to "First-class SarTeep".

In the late Qajar era, further modifications were made to the ranks.

Ranks in the "State Gendarmerie of Iran" (called "Amniyeh") were largely taken from French language, e.g., "General," "Colonel," "Major," "Captain," "Lieutenant," "Aspirant," "Gendarme," etc.^[11]

The ranks of the police force (called Shahrbani or Nazmiyeh) from 1936 to around 1946, during the Pahlavi dynasty, were as follows:^[12]