What it means
حاکمیت (hâkemiyyat) means sovereignty, the supreme authority of a state over its territory and people. It comes from Arabic: the root ح-ک-م (h-k-m) means to rule or judge, giving حاکم (hâkem, ruler) and then حاکمیت via the Arabic abstract suffix ـیت (-iyyat). In constitutional law and political science texts in Persian, حاکمیت is the standard translation of “sovereignty.” A related word is اقتدار (eqtedâr), which means power or authority, but حاکمیت specifically implies the ultimate, undivided authority of a state or governing body.
How to use it
- حاکمیت ملی باید حفظ شود. (Hâkemiyyat-e melli bâyad hefz shavad.) “National sovereignty must be preserved.”
- این قانون اصل حاکمیت قانون را تضمین میکند. (In qânun asl-e hâkemiyyat-e qânun râ tazmin mi-konad.) “This law guarantees the principle of rule of law.”
- حاکمیت دولت بر منابع طبیعی کشور مطلق است. (Hâkemiyyat-e dowlat bar manâbe’-e tabi’i-ye keshvar motlaq ast.) “The state’s sovereignty over the country’s natural resources is absolute.”
- نقض حاکمیت ارضی یک کشور در حقوق بینالملل ممنوع است. (Naqz-e hâkemiyyat-e arzi-ye yek keshvar dar hoquq-e beynolmelal mamnu’ ast.) “Violating a country’s territorial sovereignty is prohibited under international law.”
Cultural note
In the Iranian constitution, حاکمیت appears in foundational articles. Article 56 states that حاکمیت مطلق بر جهان و انسان از آن خداست, meaning absolute sovereignty over the world and humanity belongs to God, a formulation that places divine sovereignty above popular sovereignty. This framing has been a central point of debate between advocates of democratic governance and the doctrine of ولایت فقیه (velâyat-e faqih). Understanding حاکمیت is essential for reading Iranian political and legal texts.