A nawab or nawaab (Urdu:نوّاب) is an honorific title ratified and bestowed by the reigning Mughal emperor to semi-autonomous Muslim rulers of princely states in South Asia. "Nawab" usually refers to males; the female equivalent is "begum" or "nawab begum". The primary duty of a nawab was to uphold the sovereignty of the Mughal emperor along with the administration of a certain province.