A
sultan is an Islamic
monarch. Sultan is usually used by
monarchs of Arabic, Turkish or Malaysian ethnicity as opposed to
Khan or
Shah. In modern
English, the term is gradually being replaced by
king. The sultan's domain is properly called a sultanate. The feminine form is
sultana.
Countries formerly ruled by a sultan
- Ottoman Empire
- Sultanate of Iconium[?] (Seljuk Empire)
- Philippines
- Sultanate of Delhi
Modern countries ruled by sultans
- Saudi Arabia (Although the Saudi Sultan wishes to be styled "king" in foreign countries).
- Oman
- Brunei
- Malaysia (On a rotating basis)
See also: emir, Caliph