Also 6 bellerbey, 6–9 beglerbey, 7 beglarbeg. [a. Turk. beglerbeg bey of beys; cf. BEG (of which begler is plural).] The governor of a province of the Ottoman empire, in rank next to the grand vizier.

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  Hence Begler-beglic, -lik, -luc, the district over which a beglerbeg rules, the dignity or office of a beglerbeg. Also Beglerbegship.

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1594.  T. B., La Primaud. Fr. Acad., 631. Neither doth any other sit there but the twelve bellerbeis.

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1602.  Carew, Cornwall, 126 a. A Turkish Beglerbey of Greece.

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1603.  Knolles, Hist. Turkes (1621), 945. It is now one of the Turkes proud Beglerbegships.

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1614.  Selden, Titles Hon., 377. Begler-Beg is Lord of Lords, that is, one which hath vnder his gouernment diuers Begs of lesser Prouinces. And Begluc is the Dignitie of the one, Beglarbegluc of the other.

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1624.  Massinger, Renegado, III. iv. What places of credit are there?… There’s your beglerbeg.

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1813.  J. C. Hobhouse, Journey, I. 162. Reckoned the eighth under the Beglerbey of Romania.

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