▁role : ▁the ▁" ch ief " ▁or ▁" gre at ▁ha j ib " ▁( al - h aj ib ▁al - k ab ir , ▁ha j ib ▁al - h ud j j ab , ▁ha j ib - i ▁bu z urg ) ▁was ▁the ▁second ▁man ▁in ▁the ▁state , ▁combining ▁in ▁his ▁person ▁the ▁functions ▁of ▁head ▁of ▁the ▁palace ▁and ▁commander - in - ch ief . ▁Ord inary ▁ha j ib s ▁served ▁as ▁gener als ▁and , ▁occasionally , ▁provincial ▁govern ors . ▁According ▁to ▁N iz am ▁al - M ulk ' s ▁account ▁on ▁the ▁training ▁of ▁gh il man , ▁a ▁gh ul am ▁could ▁rise ▁through ▁the ▁ranks ▁to ▁with a q - bash i ▁(" t ent ▁leader "), ▁k h ay l - bash i ▁(" det achment ▁commander "), ▁before ▁att aining ▁the ▁rank ▁of ▁hij ab , ▁and ▁then ▁become ▁am ir ▁of ▁a ▁province . ▁The ▁Sam an id ▁practice ▁was ▁em ulated ▁by ▁the ▁successor ▁Gh az nav id ▁dynast y ▁( 9 7 7 – 1 1 8 6 ) ▁as ▁well , ▁with ▁the ▁ha j ib - i ▁bu z urg ▁as ▁the ▁commander - in - ch ief ▁in ▁the ▁Sultan ' s ▁stead , ▁command ing ▁several ▁ordinary ▁ha j ib s ▁as ▁gener als ; ▁all ▁of ▁them ▁were ▁distinguished ▁by ▁a ▁black ▁clo ak , ▁a ▁specific ▁type ▁of ▁bel t , ▁and ▁a ▁two - point