Persian · noun · Struggle & the Sword
Sipah-salar
सिपहसालार
said si-pah-saa-laar
also written: Sipahsalar
Meaning
Commander-in-chief; the general who leads an army.
Literally: head of the army (sipah + salar)
How Iqbal uses it
The supreme military commander of classical statecraft, evoking martial leadership and the chain of command in battle poetry.
See it in the verse
Sipah-salar in Iqbal’s couplets
Manzil-e-rahrawan door bhi hai dushwar bhi hai
Koi is qaafle mein qaafla-saalaar bhi hai
Koi is qaafle mein qaafla-saalaar bhi hai
The travellers' destination is both far away and hard to reach — yet somewhere in this caravan there is also a leader of the caravan.
Leadership · Hope · Aspiration
Na takht-o-taj mein ne lashkar-o-sipah mein hai
Jo baat mard-e-qalandar ki bargah mein hai
Jo baat mard-e-qalandar ki bargah mein hai
Not in throne and crown, nor in armies and soldiers, lies the power that belongs to the court of the free-spirited man.
Freedom · Selfhood · Leadership