sultan

thumb|Suleiman the Magnificent, the longest-reigning [[sultan of the Ottoman Empire|281x281px]]

AI overview

A sultan is a ruler or monarch, most commonly associated with Islamic empires and kingdoms throughout history. The title matters because sultans wielded significant political and often religious authority over large territories and populations, shaping major civilizations like the Ottoman Empire.

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Image: EmperorSuleiman.jpg

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Commons category: Sultans
female form of label: سلطانة
male form of label: سلطان
P8168: Akim

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Article

24 sections

Contents

Etymology
History of the term
Feminine forms
Compound ruler titles
Princely and aristocratic titles
Military rank
Current sultans
Former sultans and sultanates
Sultanates in the Balkans & Anatolia
Caucasus
Levant & Egypt
Arabia
Maghreb
Sub-saharan Africa
{{largediv|Horn of Africa}}
{{largediv|Swahili Coast}}
''Mfalume''
''Sultani''
''Maliki''
Persia and Central Asia
Indian superregion
Southeast and East Asia
See also
References

thumb|Suleiman the Magnificent, the longest-reigning [[sultan of the Ottoman Empire|281x281px]]

Sultan (; ', ) is a position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun ', meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be used as the title of certain rulers who claimed almost full sovereignty (i.e., not having dependence on any higher ruler) without claiming the overall caliphate, or to refer to a powerful governor of a province within the caliphate. The adjectival form of the word is "sultanic", and the state and territories ruled by a sultan, as well as his office, are referred to as a sultanate ( ').