Do you know what does “Chaker” Mean?

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Do you know what does “Chaker” Mean?

Postby Ahreeman X » Thu Nov 29, 2007 12:57 pm

Do you know what does “Chaker” Mean?

So you think that you know what “Chaker” means?

Don’t be so sure folks!

In today’s Persian, Chaker covers a wide range of meanings from “Nokar” (Servant) all the way to “Khedmatkar” (Low Level Employee) to “Zir Dast” (Assistant) to “Rafiq” (Comrade). Basically “Chaker” means:

1) Chaker = A person of lower importance who is serving a person of higher importance.
2) Chaker = A Servant
3) Chaker = Side Kick, Protégé, Assistant

But do you know the roots of this word?
Do you know what it meant originally?

We (Sam Ghandchi, Kaveh Farrokh and I) had a web conference discussing this issue. Here is Kaveh Farrokh’s take:

“Chaker

Remember that the Chakers were originally an eastern branch of the Savaran, originally from the Soqdian-Khorasan-East Iranic area. Their fame spread such that the Khuzestan/Arab Lakhmid Savaran also distinguished themselves as Chakers - esp. in how they supported Kavad (Qobad) against Belisarius at Callinicum...”
(Dr. Kaveh Farrokh)


So according to Kaveh Farrokh’s studies, Chakers were originally a division of the Persian Cavalry from Khorasan and then from Khuzestan during the Sassanid Era.

These Savaran were protectors of Iran against Rome, Arabs and other foreign enemies.

Eventually the Arab Iranians whom are great nationalists and protectors of Iran, also called themselves Chakers. Unlike the popular belief that Arab Iranians are separatists and have Arab sympathies, the reality is that the majority of Arab Iranians starting from the Sassanid Era all the way to the Iran-Iraq War, were always the front line of the battle ground against the Foreign Arabs and invaders of Iran. Arab Iranians of Khuzestan are some of the greatest protectors of Iran. These commandos had fought with the skin of their teeth to block Saddam’s armies in the war.

The original Chakers were blocking the Arabo-Islamic Invasion of Iran throughout the Sassanid Era.

Now, the roots of this term “Chaker” comes from Persian Cavalry. What it truly means is “Protectors of Iran”. So this is the evolution of Chaker:

Chaker = Protectors of Iran => Protectors => Servants.

You see how it all makes sense now? Protectors of Iran and Servants of Iran?

Today, when we want to put ourselves down and raise the other party up (Persian Flattery), we say that we are Chaker:

Chakerim, Nokarim, Mokhlesim, Bandeh-im, Khaneh Zadim, …

So basically when a friend tells you that he is your Chaker, then it means that he is your protector.

For instance Sam Ghandchi tells me that he is my Chaker.
This means Sam will protect me as a friend.
So Sam is my protector.

If Sam Ghandchi says: “Chakeram” to me.
Then this means either he is a protector of Iran, he is my protector or he is both!

Folks, next time that you assume that you know the true meaning of a term, do not be so sure!

Persian Language is simply amazing.

AX
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