vali

Wāli, wā'lī or vali (from Arabic: والي) is an administrative title used in the Muslim world to designate the governor of an administrative division. It was used in a number of historical Islamic states, including the Rashidun, Umayyad, Abbasid and Ottoman empires. The division governed by a wāli is called a wilaya; in the Ottoman Empire, the corresponding term was vilayet. The title remains in use in some countries influenced by Arabic or Ottoman administrative traditions.