Institution

Sultan

Sultan is an Arabic title meaning authority or power, used by Muslim rulers. The Seljuk rulers were among the first to use it as a formal title, alongside the caliph. It was held by the rulers of the Ottoman Empire, the Delhi Sultanate, the Adal Sultanate, the Darfur Sultanate, the Sokoto Caliphate and the Wadai Empire, among others.

Sultan — Image: Circle of Titian · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 33 profiles

Abbasid CaliphateDecline Adal SultanateMilitary, Governance, Decline Ayyubid EmpireDecline Darfur SultanateSocioeconomy, Military, Governance, Decline IlkhanateMilitary Khwarazmian EmpireFoundation Mamluk SultanateFoundation, Impact, Decline Portuguese EmpireMilitary Safavid EmpireMilitary, Governance, Decline Seljuk EmpireMilitary Sokoto CaliphateFoundation, Military, Governance, Decline Timurid EmpireFoundation Wadai EmpireFoundation, Socioeconomy, Military, Decline Funj SultanateMilitary, Decline, Summary Saadi SultanateSummary Regency of AlgiersFoundation, Governance Second Bulgarian EmpireDecline Principality of MoldaviaMilitary Habsburg MonarchyFoundation Sultanate of RumFoundation, Socioeconomy Sheikhdom of SharjahFoundation, Military, Impact, Decline, Summary United Arab EmiratesFoundation, Summary Brunei SultanateFoundation, Governance, Decline, Summary Kingdom of Mysore (1399-1799)Socioeconomy, Military, Governance, Impact, Summary Sulu SultanateGovernance, Impact, Decline, Summary Aceh SultanateFoundation, Military, Decline, Summary Johor SultanateFoundation, Governance, Decline, Summary Mataram SultanateFoundation, Socioeconomy, Military, Governance, Impact, Decline, Summary Hyderabad StateMilitary, Impact MombasaDecline Sultanate of ZanzibarFoundation, Governance, Decline, Summary TanzaniaFoundation Kilwa SultanateMilitary, Governance, Decline

Mentioned in 89 state histories

Sultanate of Mogadishu Kilwa Sultanate Mazyadid dynasty Shaddadids of Ani Sultanate of Rum Artuqids of Mardin Seljuk Sultanate of Iraq Kedah Sultanate Hazaraspid dynasty Marinid Sultanate Ternate Sultanate Samudera Pasai Sultanateand 77 more

See also

Cite this entry

APA: The Epoch Institute. (2026). Sultan. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/sultan
MLA: “Sultan.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/sultan. Accessed .
Chicago: The Epoch Institute. “Sultan.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/sultan.
Harvard: The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Sultan’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/sultan (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻