Sultan

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This article is about sultans in general. For the Turkish Sultans, see List of sultans of the
Ottoman Empire. For other uses, see Sultan (disambiguation).
This article includes a list of references, related reading or external links, but its
sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations. Please improve this
article by introducing more precise citations. (March 2014)

Indo-Persian Royal and Noble Ranks

Emperor: Caliph, Padishah

King: Sultan, Shah

Royal Prince: Shahzada, Mirza, Emir

Noble Prince: Mirza, Sahibzada

Nobleman: Nawab, Baig

Sultan Mehmed II is considered one of the most famous Ottoman Sultans.

Sultan (/sltn/; Arabic: Suln, pronounced [sltn, soltn]) is a noble title with
several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic language abstract noun meaning
"strength", "authority", "rulership" derived from the verbal noun sulah, meaning
"authority" or "power". Later, it came to be used as the title of certain rulers who claimed
almost full sovereignty in practical terms (i.e., the lack of dependence on any higher ruler),
albeit without claiming the overall caliphate, or to refer to a powerful governor of a province
within the caliphate.
The dynasty and lands ruled by a sultan are referred to as a sultanate (Arabic:
salanah).
A feminine form of sultan, used by Westerners, is sultana or sultanah; though the very styling
misconstrues the roles of wives of sultans. In a similar usage, the wife of a German FieldMarshal might be styled Feldmarschallin (in French, similar constructions of the type
madame la marchale are quite common). The rare female leaders in Muslim history are
correctly known as "sultanas". However, in the Sultanate of Sulu, the wife of the sultan is
styled as the "panguian".
Among those modern hereditary rulers who wish to emphasize their secular authority under
the rule of law, the term is gradually being replaced by king (i.e. malik in Arabic) Datu in
Meranaw (Maranao people).

Contents
[hide]

1 Compound ruler titles

2 Former sultans and sultanates
o 2.1 Anatolia and Central Asia
o 2.2 Levant and Arabian peninsula
o 2.3 North Africa
o 2.4 Horn of Africa
o 2.5 Southeast Africa and Indian Ocean

2.5.1 Maliki

2.5.2 Swahili Coast

2.5.3 Sultani
o 2.6 West and Central Africa
o 2.7 Southern Asia
o 2.8 Southeast and East Asia
3 Contemporary sovereign sultanates
4 Princely and aristocratic titles
5 Military rank
6 See also
7 References

Compound ruler titles[edit]

Ottoman Sultan Mehmed IV attended by a eunuch and two pages.

These are generally secondary titles, either lofty 'poetry' or with a message; e.g.:

Mani Sultan = Manney Sultan (meaning the "Pearl of Rulers" or "Honoured

Monarch") - a subsidiary title, part of the full style of the Maharaja of Travancore
Sultan of Sultans - the sultanic equivalent of the style King of Kings
Certain secondary titles have a devout Islamic connotation; e.g., Sultan ul-Mujahidin
as champion of jihad (To strive and to struggle in the name of Allah)
Sultanic Highness - a rare, hybrid western-Islamic honorific style exclusively used by
the son, daughter-in-law and daughters of Sultan Hussein Kamel of Egypt (a British
protectorate since 1914), who bore it with their primary titles of Prince (Arabic: Amir;
Turkish: Prens) or Princess, after 11 October 1917. They enjoyed these titles for life,
even after the Royal Rescript regulating the styles and titles of the Royal House
following Egypt's independence in 1922, when the sons and daughters of the newly
styled King (Arabic: Malik Misr ,considered a promotion) were granted the title
Sahib(at) us-Sumuw al-Malaki, or Royal Highness.

Former sultans and sultanates[edit]

Artistic representation of Saladin, the first Ayyubid Sultan of Egypt and Syria.

Anatolia and Central Asia[edit]

Ghaznavid Sultanate
Sultans of Great Seljuk
Seljuk Sultanate of Rum
Sultans (becoming Padishahs) of the Ottoman Empire, the Osmanli

Levant and Arabian peninsula[edit]

H.M. Sultan Qaboos bin Said al Said, the current Sultan of Oman from the Al Said dynasty.

in Syria:
o Ayyubid Sultans
o Mamluk Sultans
in present-day Yemen, various small sultanates of the former British Aden
Protectorate and South Arabia:
Audhali, Fadhli, Haushabi, Kathiri, Lahej, Lower Aulaqi, Lower Yafa, Mahra, Qu'aiti,
Subeihi, Upper Aulaqi, Upper Yafa and the Wahidi sultanates

in present-day Saudi Arabia :

o Sultans of Nejd
o Sultans of the Hejaz

Oman Sultan of Oman (authentically referred to as Hami), on the southern coast of

the Arabian peninsula, still an independent sultanate, since 1744 (assumed the formal
title of Sultan in 1861)

North Africa[edit]

Sultan Abd al-Hafid of Morocco.

in Algeria: sultanate of Tuggurt

in Egypt:
o Ayyubid Sultans
o Mamluk Sultans
in Morocco, until Mohammed V changed the style to Malik (king) on 14 August
1957, maintaining the subsidiary style Amir al-Muminin (Commander of the
Faithful)
in Sudan:
o Darfur
o Dar al-Masalit
o Dar Qimr
o Funj Sultanate of Sinnar (Sennar)
o Kordofan
in Chad:
o Bag(u)irmi (main native title: Mbang)
o Wada'i (main native title: Kolak), successor state to Birgu
o Dar Sila (actually a wandering group of tribes)

Horn of Africa[edit]
Main articles: Somali aristocratic and court titles and Ethiopian aristocratic and court titles

Mohamoud Ali Shire, the 26th Sultan of the Somali Warsangali Sultanate

Adal Sultanate, in northwestern Somalia, southern Djibouti, and the Somali, Oromia,
Harari, and Afar regions of Ethiopia
Ajuran Sultanate, in southern Somalia and eastern Ethiopia
Majeerteen Sultanate (Migiurtinia), in northern Somalia
Marehan Sultanate, in northern Somalia
Sultanate of the Geledi, in southern Somalia
Sultanate of Aussa, in northeastern Ethiopia
Sultanate of Harar, in eastern Ethiopia
Sultanate of Hobyo, in Somalia
Sultanate of Ifat, in eastern Ethiopia
Sultanate of Mogadishu, in south-central Somalia
Sultanate of Showa, in central Ethiopia
Warsangali Sultanate, in northern Somalia

Southeast Africa and Indian Ocean[edit]

Angoche Sultanate, on the Mozambiquan coast (also several neighbouring sheikdoms)

various Sultans on the Comoros; however on the Comoros, the normally used styles
were alternative native titles, including Mfalme, Phany or Jamb and the 'hegemonic'
title Sultani tibe
the Maore (or Mawuti) sultanate on Mayotte (separated from the Comoros)

Maliki[edit]
This was the alternative native style (apparently derived from malik, the Arabic word for
king) of the Sultans of the Kilwa Sultanate, in Tanganyika (presently the continental part of
Tanzania).
Swahili Coast[edit]

Sultanate of Zanzibar two incumbents (from the Omani dynasty) since the de facto
separation from Oman in 1806, the last assumed the title Sultan in 1861 at the formal
separation under British auspices; since 1964 union with Tanganyika (part of
Tanzania)

Mfalume is the (Ki)Swahili title of various native Muslim rulers, generally rendered in Arabic
and in western languages as Sultan:

in Kenya:
o Pate on part of Pate island (capital also named Pate), in the Lamu Archipelago
o Wituland, came under German, then British protectorate
in Tanganyika (presently part of Tanzania): of Hadimu, on the island of that name;
also styled Jembe

Sultani[edit]
This was the native ruler's title in the Tanzanian state of Uhehe a female sultan

West and Central Africa[edit]

In Cameroon:
o Bamoun (Bamun, 17th century, founded uniting 17 chieftaincies) 1918
becomes a Sultanate, but in 1923 re-divided into the 17 original chieftaincies.
o Bibemi 1770 founded- Rulers first style Lamido to ...., then Sultan
o Mandara Sultanate since 1715 (replacing Wandala kingdom); 1902 Part of
Cameroon
o Rey Bouba Sultanate founded 1804
in the Central African Republic:
o Bangassou created c.1878; 14 June 1890 under Congo Free State protectorate,
1894 under French protectorate; 1917 Sultanate suppressed by the French.
o Dar al-Kuti - French protectorate since December 12, 1897
o Rafai c.1875 Sultanate, 8 April 1892 under Congo Free State protectorate,
March 31, 1909 under French protectorate; 1939 Sultanate suppressed
o Zemio c.1872 established; December 11, 1894 under Congo Free State
protectorate, April 12, 1909 under French protectorate; 1923 Sultanate
suppressed
in Niger: Arabic alternative title of the following autochthonous rulers:
o the Amenokal of the Ar confederation of Tuareg
o the Sarkin Damagaram since the 1731 founding of the Sultanate of
Damagaram (Zinder)
in Nigeria most monarchies previously had native titles but when most in the north
converted to Islam, Muslim titles were generally adopted such as Emir; Sultan has
also been used.
o in Borno (alongside the native title Mai)
o since 1817 in Sokoto, the suzerain (also styled Amir al-Muminin and Sarkin
Musulmi) of all Fulbe jihad states and premier traditional Muslim leader in the
Sahel (according to some once a Caliph)

Southern Asia[edit]

Sultan Ali Khan Bahadur, grandson of Nawab H.H Noor ul Umrah and son of Nawab
Shujaath Ali Khan
In India:

Bahmani Sultanate
Sultanate of Bengal

the Deccan sultanates: Berar, Bidar, Bijapur, Golconda and Ahmednagar

Sultanate of Delhi several dynasties, the last (Mughal) became imperial Padshah-i
Hind
Sultanate of Gujarat
Sultanate of Jaunpur
Sultanate of Kandesh
Sultanate of Malwa
Sultanate of Mysore, Tipu Sultan

In the Maldives:

Maldives Sultanate

Southeast and East Asia[edit]

Hamengkubuwono X, the incumbent Sultan of Yogyakarta

Pakubuwono XII, last undisputed Susuhunan of Surakarta

Sultan Saifuddin of Tidore

In Indonesia (formerly in the Dutch East Indies):

On Kalimantan
o Sultanate of Banjar
o Sultanate of Berau
o Sultanate of Bulungan
o Sultanate of Gunung Tabur
o Sultanate of Kubu
o Sultanate of Kutai Kartanegara
o Sultanate of Mempawah
o Sultanate of Paser
o Sultanate of Pontianak
o Sultanate of Sambaliung
o Sultanate of Sambas
On Sulawesi
o Sultanate of Buton
o Sultanate of Bone
o Sultanate of Gowa
o Sultanate of Luwu
o Sultanate of Soppeng
o Sultanate of Wajo
On Java
o Sultanate of Banten
o Sultanate of Cirebon - the rulers in three of the four palaces (kraton), from
which divided Cirebon was ruled: Kraton Kasepuhan, Kraton Kanoman and
Kraton Kacirebonan (only in Kraton Kaprabonan was the ruler's title
Panembahan)
o Sultanate of Demak
o Sultanate of Pajang
o Sumedang Larang Kingdom
o Sultanate of Mataram (was divided into two kingdoms: the Sultanate of
Yogyakarta and Sunanan Surakarta)
o Sultanate of Yogyakarta (The Divine Sultanate of which its ruler Sri Sultan
Hamengkubowono is considered a divine being a half God)[citation needed]
o Sunanate of Surakarta (Susuhunan a Higher ranked Monarchy the equivalent
to emperor)
o Sultanate of Jayakarta (Also known as Sunda Kelapa modern day Jakarta)

On Madura island: Pamekasan

In the Maluku Islands
o Sultanate of Iha (Saparua)
o Sultanate of Honimoa/ Siri Sori (Saparua)
o Sultanate of Huamual (West Seram)
o Sultanate of Tanah Hitu (Ambon)
o Sultanate of Ternate
o Sultanate of Tidore
o Sultanate of Bacan
o Sultanate of Jilolo
o Sultanate of Loloda later occupied by Ternate
In the Nusa Tenggara
o Sultanate of Bima on Sumbawa island
In the Riau archipelago: sultanate of Lingga-Riau by secession in 1818 under the
expelled sultan of Johore (on Malaya) Sultan Abdul Rahman Muadzam Syah ibni alMarhum Sultan Mahmud
In Sumatra
o Sultanate of Aceh (full style Sultan Berdaulat Zillullah fil-Alam), which had
many vassal states
o Sultanate of Asahan
o Awak Sungai, established 17th century at the split in four of Minangkabau, in
1816 extinguished by Netherlands East Indies colonial government
o Sultanate of Deli since 1814, earlier Aceh's vassal as Aru
o Sultanate of Indragiri
o Sultanate of Langkat since 1817 (previous style Raja)
o Sultanate of Palembang (Darussalam), also holding the higher title of
Susuhunan
o Sultanate of Pagaruyung
o Sultanate of Pelalawan
o Sultanate of Perlak
o Sultanate of Riau-Lingga
o Sultanate of Samudera Pasai
o Sultanate of Serdang
o Sultanate of Siak Sri Inderapura

In Malaysia:

In Peninsular Malaysia, where all nine of Malaysia's present sultanates are located:
o Sultanate of Malacca
o Sultanate of Johor
o Sultanate of Kedah
o Sultanate of Kelantan
o Sultanate of Pahang
o Sultanate of Perak
o Sultanate of Selangor
o Sultanate of Terengganu
Furthermore, the ruler of Luak Jelebu, one of the constitutive states of the Negeri
Sembilan confederation, had the style Sultan in addition to his principal title Undang
Luak Jelebu.

In Brunei:

Sultan of Brunei, Brunei (on Borneo island)

In China:

Dali, Yunnan, capital of the short-lived Panthay Rebellion

o Furthermore, the Qaid Jami al-Muslimin (Leader of the Community of
Muslims) of Pingnan Guo ("Pacified South State", a major Islamic rebellious
polity in western Yunnan province) is usually referred to in foreign sources as
Sultan.

In the Philippines:

Sultanate of Buayan
Sultanate of Maguindanao
Sultanate of Sulu (Sulu, Basilan, Palawan and Tawi-Tawi islands and part of eastern
Sabah on North Borneo)
Sultanate of Ranaw (Sultan ko Pat a Pangampong a Ranao)

In Thailand:

Sultanate of Patani
Sultanate of Singgora

Contemporary sovereign sultanates[edit]

Brunei
Indonesia Sultan of Yogyakarta Special Region is governor of that province
Malaysia
o Sultan is the title of seven (Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Pahang, Perak, Selangor
and Terengganu) of the nine rulers of the Malay states. The federal head of
state the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, is elected (de facto rotated) for five years by
and among the hereditary state rulers, but is usually styled "king" in foreign
countries; political power, however, lies with the prime minister. See also:
Malay titles
Oman, an Arabian nation, formerly sultanate of Muscat and Oman

In some parts of the Middle East and North Africa, there still exist regional sultans or people
who are descendants of sultans and who are styled as such.

Princely and aristocratic titles[edit]

The Valide Sultan or "Mother Sultan"

In the Ottoman dynastic system, male descendants of the ruling Padishah (in the West also
known as Great Sultan) enjoyed a style including Sultan. This normally monarchic title is
thus equivalent in use to the Western Prince of the blood: Daulatlu Najabatlu Shahzada
Sultan (given name) Efendi Hazretleri. For the Heir Apparent, however, the style was
Daulatlu Najabatlu Vali Ahad-i-Sultanat (given name) Efendi Hazretleri; i.e. Crown Prince
of the Sultanate.

The sons of Imperial Princesses, excluded from the Ottoman imperial succession,
were only styled Sultan zada (given name) Bey-Efendi, i.e. Son of a Prince[ss] of the
dynasty.

In certain Muslim polities, Sultan was also an aristocratic title, as in the Tartar Astrakhan
Khanate.
The Valide Sultan was the title reserved for the mother of the ruling sultan. In Ottoman
Empire, the Haseki Sultan was the title reserved for the mother of the princes.

Military rank[edit]
In a number of post-caliphal states under Mongol or Turkic rule, there was a feudal type of
military hierarchy. These administrations were often decimal (mainly in larger empires),
using originally princely titles such as Khan, Malik, Amir as mere rank denominations.
In the Persian empire, the rank of Sultan was roughly equivalent to that of a western Captain;
socially in the fifth rank class, styled 'Ali Jah.

See also[edit]
Other ruling titles

Aga-sultan or agha-sultan (ru:-) - "big brother sultan", a title for major

sultan in Kazakh Khanate under Russian empire

Emir (Amir)
Atabeg
Bey
Baig
Mirza
Caliph
Datu
Khan, Ilkhan and Khaqan
Maharaja (Equivalent to Emperor)
Malik
Mir
Padishah
Raja
Shah and Shahanshah
Zoltn (Zoltan)