Sultan

Sultan (ˈsʌltən; سلطان , sʊlˈtˤɑːn, solˈtˤɑːn) 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 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 adjective form of the word is sultanic, and the dynasty and lands ruled by a sultan are referred to as a sultanate ( ).The term is distinct from king ( ), despite both referring to a sovereign ruler. The use of sultan is restricted to Muslim countries, where the title carries religious significance, contrasting the more secular king, which is used in both Muslim and non-Muslim countries.A feminine form of sultan, used by Westerners, is Sultana or Sultanah and this title has been used legally for some (not all) Muslim women monarchs and sultans mothers and chief consorts. However, Turkish and Ottoman Turkish also uses sultan for imperial lady, as Turkish grammar—which is influenced by Persian grammar—uses the same words for both women and men. However, this styling misconstrues the roles of wives of sultans. In a similar usage, the wife of a German field marshal might be styled Frau Feldmarschall (similarly, in French, constructions of the type madame la maréchale are quite common). The female leaders in Muslim history are correctly known as sultanas. However, the wife of the sultan in the Sultanate of Sulu is styled as the panguian while the sultans chief wife in many sultanates of Indonesia and Malaysia are known as permaisuri, Tunku Ampuan, Raja Perempuan, or Tengku Ampuan. The queen consort in Brunei especially is known as Raja Isteri with the title of Pengiran Anak suffixed, should the queen consort also be a royal princess.In recent years, sultan has been gradually replaced by king by contemporary hereditary rulers who wish to emphasize their secular authority under the rule of law.

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