Sultan of Sultans

Sultan of Sultans

"Sultan of Sultans" is the literal English translation of the original Turkish "Sultan es-Selatin" or "Sultan us-Selatin". It is similar to the title Great Sultan, which is translated from Arabic.

As with various other laudatory titles of Semitic origin, such as "King of Kings", Sultan of Sultans can express a claim of imperial rank up to and including universal legitimate sovereignty. Although the notion and title of an emperor is largely alien to Islamic tradition, the Ottoman dynasty which, employed the title of "Sultan of Sultans" in its official full style had perhaps the best claim to usage, due to its territorial extent and great length. The Ottomans also adopted the traditional imperial term "Kaisar" for their own ruler (the Padishah).

The Shahanshah (Persian for "King of Kings") of Iran also claimed, with slightly less legitimacy to be the "Sultan of Sultans". These claims, made against the Ottomans were tied to the conflict between the Sunni and Shiite branches of Islam.

The title has also been appropriated for local use by various minor Muslim rulers, especially in Bengal.


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать курсовую

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Sultan — For other uses, see Sultan (disambiguation). Sultan Mehmed II is considered among the most famous rulers of the Ottoman Empire. Sultan (pronounced [ˈsulˈtˤɑːn]; Arabic: سلطان‎ …   Wikipedia

  • SULTAN — s. m. Titre qu on donne à l empereur des Turcs. Le sultan Ibrahim. Le sultan Mahmoud. Le palais du sultan, des sultans.   C est aussi Un titre de dignité qui se donnait à plusieurs autres princes mahométans, et en particulier aux princes tartares …   Dictionnaire de l'Academie Francaise, 7eme edition (1835)

  • Sultan —    The monarchs in the Ghaznavid and Ghaurid empires, as well as in states ruled by Muslim dynasties in India until 1526, were generally referred to with the royal title sultan. These sultans, though sovereign rulers, often maintained the fiction …   Historical dictionary of Medieval India

  • sultan — UK [ˈsʌltən] / US [ˈsʌlt(ə)n] noun [countable] Word forms sultan : singular sultan plural sultans the leader in some Muslim countries …   English dictionary

  • Sultan (titre) — Pour les articles homonymes, voir Sultan (prénom) et Sultane (poule). Sultan (nom masculin, de l arabe : سلطان soulṭân : domination, autorité ou souveraineté) est un titre porté par des monarques musulmans, dont ceux des peuples turcs… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • SULTAN — SULTA Mot qui vient de l’arabe sul レ n, lui même probablement d’origine syriaque. On peut distinguer trois acceptions de ce terme: d’abord, «pouvoir», «autorité»; c’est ainsi qu’il est employé dans le Coran, à la sourate XV, verset 42: «Tu ne… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Sultan of Egypt — was the status held by the rulers of Egypt after the establishment of the Ayyubid Dynasty of Saladin in 1174 until the Ottoman conquest of Egypt in 1517. Though the extent of the Egyptian Sultanate ebbed and flowed, it generally included Sham and …   Wikipedia

  • Sultan ibn Abd al-Aziz — (Dezember 1990) Sultan ibn Abd al Aziz Al Saud (arabisch ‏سلطان بن عبد العزيز آل سعود‎, DMG Sulṭān b. ʿAbd al ʿAzīz Āl Saʿūd; * 5. Januar 1928 (nach anderen Angaben 1922, 1924) in …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Sultans d'Oman — Sultan du Sultanat d Oman (سلطان عمان) Titulaire actuel …   Wikipédia en Français

  • sultan — 1. (sul tan) s. m. 1°   Titre de l empereur des Turcs. •   Je sais que des sultans l usage m est contraire, RAC. Bajaz. I, 3. 2°   Titre de plusieurs autres princes mahométans et tartares. 3°   Fig. Par extension, il se dit d un prince absolu… …   Dictionnaire de la Langue Française d'Émile Littré

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”