sultan - Contemporary sultanates, Princely and aristocratic titles, Military rank, Sources and references

A sovereign of a Muslim state. From the 11th-c, the title was increasingly used by local Islamic rulers throughout the Middle East and beyond. The first sultan of the Ottoman Empire was Osman I (r.1299–1326), and the title continued to be used in Turkey until 1922. Famous Indian sultanates between the 13th-c and 16th-c include those of Delhi (1206–1526), Bengal (1336–1576), Kashmir (1346–1589), Gujarat (1391–1583), Jaunpur (1394–1479), Malwa (1401–1526), and Khandesh (1370–1526). Other areas which recognized sultanates include Egypt, Morocco, the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia (former Malay States, notably Kedah, Kelantan, Malacca, Johore, Pahang, Perak, Selangor, and Trengganu), Yemen (to 1967), the Maldives (to 1968), Nigeria (Sokoto, 1804–1981), and Tanzania (to 1964). The title is still used in some countries, such as Oman and Brunei.

For information on the racehorse, see Sultan (horse)

Sultan (Arabic: سلطان) is an Islamic title, with several historical meanings. Today, only the Sultan of Oman, the Sultan of Brunei, and some titular sultans in the southern Philippines, Java, and in the former Malay States which are now part of Malaysia still use the title. e.g.:

Mani Sultan = Manney Sultan, meaning 'the Pearl or rulers', or less poetically Honoured Monarch, was a subsidiary title, part of the full style of the Maharaja of Travancore Sultan of Sultans is the 'sultanic equivalent' of King of Kings certain secundary titles have a devout Islamic connotation, e.g. Central Asia Ghaznavid Sultanate Sultans of Great Seljuk Seljuk Sultanate of Rum Sultans (becoming Padishahs) of the Ottoman Empire, the Osmanli Ayyubid Sultans of Damascus (in Syria) 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 : Sultans of Nejd Sultans of the Hejaz

Hami

This was the authentical style, commonly rendered as sultan, of the Islamic monarchs of the ruling house of Oman, in both its realms:

Oman — Sultan of Oman, on the southern coast of the Arabian peninsula, still an independent sultanate, since 1784, two years before the imamate lost temporal power in 1786 (assumed the formal style of Sultan in 1861) Sultanate of Zanzibar two incumbents (from the Omani dynasty) since the de faco separation from Oman in 1806, the last assumed the style Sultan in 1861 at the formal separation under British auspices; since 1964 union with Tanganyika part of Tanzania)

North Africa

in Algeria: sultanate of Tuggurt in (greater) Egypt: Ayyubid Sultans Mamluk Sultans in Morocco in Sudan: Darfur Dar al-Masalit Dar Qimr Funj Sultanate of Sinnar (Sennar) Kordofan in Chad: Bag(u)irmi (main native title: Mbang) Wada'i (main native title: Kolak), successor state to Birgu Dar Sila (actually a wandering group of tribes),

West & 1923 Sultanate suppressed in Niger: Arabic alternative title of the following autochthonous rulers: the amenokal of the Aïr confederation of Tuareg the Sarkin Damagaram since the 1731 founding of the Damagaram state (later capital Zinder) in Nigeria most monarchies has a native title; when most in the north converted to Islam, Muslim titles were generally adopted, such as Emir- Sultan has been used in Borno (alongside the native title Mai) since 1817 in Sokoto, the suzerain (also styled Amir al-Mu´minin and Sarkin Musulmi) of all Fulbe jihad states and premier traditiobal Muslim leader in the Sahel (according to some once a caliph)

East Africa

title Sultan

Comoros sultanates Northern Somali sultanates Angoche Sultanate on the Mozambiquan coast (also several neighbouring sheikdoms) Afar Sultanate of Awsa in northeastern Ethiopia

Maliki

This was the alternative native style (apparently derived from Malik, the Arabic word for King) of the Sultans of Kilwa Kisiwani, in Tanganyika (presently part of Tanzania)

Mfalume

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

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

Sultani

This was the native ruler's title in the Tanzanian state of Uhehe

Indian Ocean island sultanates

See Sultans on the Comoros; several alternative native titles occur, including Mfalme, Phany and the 'hegemonic' title Sultani tibe

Far East

In China:

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

Most are however in the ethnically predominantly Malay countries:

Sultan of Brunei, Brunei

In Malaysia:

Sultanate of Malacca, Malaysia Sultanate of Johor Sultan of Kelantan Sultan of Pahang Sultan of Perak Sultan of Selangor Sultan of Terengganu

In Indonesia:

Sultanate of Aceh, one of many on Sumatra Sultanate of Ternate, in North Maluku Sultanate of Tidore, in North Maluku Sultanate of Mataram, Java, Indonesia

In the Philippines:

Sultanate of Maguindanao, Philippines Sultanate of Sulu, Philippines

In Thailand

Sultanate of Pattani

South Asia

Maldives Sultanate

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

Contemporary sultanates

Brunei Indonesia — Sultan of Yogyakarta Special Region is governor of that province Malaysia Note: Sultan is the title of seven (Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Pahang, Perak, Selangor and Terengganu) of the nine rulers of the Malay states. See also: Malay titles Oman, an Arabian nation, formerly sultanate of Mascat (and Oman)

Princely and aristocratic titles

In the Ottoman dynastic system, male descendants of the ruling Padishah (in the West also known as Great Sultan), enjoyed a style including Sultan, so this normally Monarchic title is used equivalent to a western prince of the blood: Daulatlu Najabatlu Shahzada Sultan (given name) Hazretleri Effendi;

In certain muslim states, Sultan was also an aristocratic title, as in the Tartar Astrakhan Khanate

Military rank

In a number of post-caliphal states under Mongol of Turkic rule, there was a feudal type of military hierarchy, often decimal (mainly in larger empires), using originally princely titles (Khan, Malik, Amir) as mere rank denominations.

In the Persian empire, the rank of Sultan was roughly equivalent to a western Captain, socially in the fifth rank class, styled 'Ali Jah

Sources and references

RoyalArk - here the Persian Empire WorldStatesmen