Imperial, royal and noble ranks

Sovereign

• The word monarch is derived from the Greek μονάρχης, monárkhēs, "sole ruler" (from μόνος, mónos, "single" or "sole", and ἄρχων, árkhōn, "archon", "leader", "ruler", "chief", the word being the present participle of the verb ἄρχειν, árkhein, "to rule", "to lead", this from the noun ὰρχή, arkhē, "beginning", "authority", "principle") through the Latinized form monarcha.
• The word sovereign is derived from the Latin super ("above").
• Autocrat is derived from the Greek αὐτοκράτωρ: αὐτός ("self") and κρατείν ("to hold power"), and may be translated as "one who rules by himself."

Many titles listed may also be used by lesser nobles – non-sovereigns – depending on the historical period and state. The sovereign titles listed below are grouped together into categories roughly according to their degree of dignity; these being: imperial (Emperor/Empress, etc.), royal (King/Queen, Grand Duke, etc.), others (sovereign Prince, sovereign Duke, etc.), and religious.

Imperial titles

• Emperor (in English), Imperador (in Portuguese), Emperador (in Spanish), Imperatore (in Italian), Împărat (in Romanian), and Empereur (in French), from the Latin Imperator, was originally a military title. Soldiers would salute the leader of a victorious army as 'imperator'. In English, the feminine form is Empress (the Latin is imperatrix). The realm of an emperor or empress is termed an Empire. Other words meaning Emperor include:
  • Augustus, a Roman honorific title which means "venerable" or "majestic", used by Roman Emperors from the beginning of the Empire onwards. The feminine form is Augusta.
  • Caesar, the appellation of Roman emperors derived from the Roman dictator Julius Caesar, whose great-nephew and adopted son Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus became the first emperor of Rome. Augustus' four successors were each made the adoptive son of his predecessor, and were therefore legally entitled to use "Caesar" as a constituent of their names; after Nero, however, the familial link of the Julio-Claudian dynasty was disrupted and use of the word Caesar continued as a title only.
    • Kaiser, derived from Caesar, primarily used in Germanic countries. The feminine form in German is Kaiserin.
    • Tsar / Tzar / Csar / Czar, derived as shortened variant of the Slavic pronunciation of Caesar (tsyasar), the feminine form is Tsaritsa, primarily used in Bulgaria, and after that in Russia and other Slavic countries, although in English Tsarina was also sometimes used.
    • Keizer, the Dutch word for Caesar. The Dutch and Portuguese gave the rulers of Sonbai the title of "emperor" (keizer, imperador).
    • Kaysar-i Rûm, claimed by the Ottoman monarchs
  • Basileus kai Autokrator, Medieval Greek title meaning "sovereign and autocrat", used by the Greek Byzantine Emperors from the 9th century onwards.
  • Huēyi Tlahtloāni, the Classical Nahuatl term for the ruler of multiple āltepētl, a pre-Hispanic city-state in Mesoamerica, commonly referring to the head of the Aztec Triple Alliance, or Aztec Empire. It is variously translated in English as "Great Speaker" or the equivalent to the European "great king" or "high king", though more usually as "emperor".
  • Sapa Inca, The Sapa Inca (Hispanicized spelling) or Sapa Inka (Quechua for "the only Inca"), also known as Apu ("divinity"), Inka Qhapaq ("mighty Inca"), or simply Sapa ("the only one"), was the ruler of the Kingdom of Cusco and, later, the monarch of the Tawantinsuyu (called Inca Empire by historians) and the Neo-Inca State.
  • Samrat, (Sanskrit: samrāt or सम्राट) is an ancient Indian title meaning "king of all lands". The feminine form is Samrājñī ("queen of all lands").
  • Chakravarti, the universal monarch in the Indian cultural sphere. The feminine form is Chakravartini.
    • Chakravartigal, the equivalent of the northern Chakravartin. Used by the emperors of the Chola Empire.
    • Tribhuvana-Chakravartin, literally "emperor of the three worlds", used by the Cholas
    • Cakkavattin, Pali for Chakravartin. Claimed by the Siamese, Khmer, Lao, and Burmese monarchs.
      • Chakkaphat, the Thai/Lao version of Cakkavattin
    • 轉輪王 ("wheel-turning king") or 轉輪聖王 ("wheel-turning sacred king"), the Chinese characters for Chakravarti, used in East Asia
      • 金輪王 or 金輪聖王, meaning "cakravartin of the golden wheel", used by the Chinese empress Wu Zetian, the Japanese emperor Go-Daigo, the Goryeo monarchs of Korea, etc.
      • Emperor Manjushri, one of the titles for the Qing emperors. Related to the wheel-turning king (Chakravarti).
  • Padishah, Persian pād "master" and shāh "king". Used in the Ottoman Empire and the Mughal Empire.
  • 皇帝 is the title of emperors in East Asia. An emperor is called Huángdì in Chinese, Hwangje in Korean, Hoàng đế in Vietnamese, and Kōtei in Japanese, but these are all just their respective pronunciations of the Chinese characters 皇帝.
    • Huangdi (皇帝), the Imperial monarch during Imperial China.
      • Da Huangdi (大皇帝), literally "great emperor", one of the titles for the Qing emperors
    • Hwangje (황제; 皇帝), title used for emperors of the Korean Empire
      • Seonghwang (성황; 聖皇), literally "holy emperor", one of the titles for the rulers of the Goryeo. It is a combination of 聖 (seong), meaning "holy", and 皇, an abbreviation of 皇帝 (hwangje).
    • Hoàng đế (皇帝), Vietnamese, meaning "emperor"
    • Kōtei (皇帝), Japanese title primarily used for emperors of other nations (e.g. Rome, Russia, China, Germany). Tennō refers only to an emperor of Japan, whereas kōtei refers to an emperor of any country.
      • Tennō (天皇), meaning "heavenly emperor", title used for emperors of Japan. It is a combination of 天 (ten), meaning "heavenly", and 皇, an abbreviation of 皇帝 (kōtei).
      • Mikado (帝), the traditional title for Tennō. 帝 (mikado) is an abbreviation of 皇帝 (kōtei).
  • King of Kings, the style of monarchic title used in a number of empires
    • Khagan, derived from "khan of khans", used by the Central Asian nomads. The feminine form is Khatun.
      • Tian Kehan (天可汗), meaning "heavenly khagan", given to Tang Taizong and Tang Gaozong by Turkic nomads
    • Šar Šarrāni, Akkadian for "king of kings"
    • Shahanshah, Persian title equivalent of the style King of Kings, meaning "shah of shahs". Used by Persian/Iranian monarchs.
    • Sulṭānü's-Selāṭīn, the sultanic equivalent of the style King of Kings, meaning "Sultan of Sultans".
    • Basileus Basileōn, Ancient Greek title meaning "king of kings", used by Alexander the Great after the similar title of the Achaemenid dynasty of Persia. A translation from Ancient Persian Shahanshah.
    • Nəgusä Nägäst, title of the rulers of Ethiopia, meaning "king of kings".
    • Ark'ayits Ark'a, Արքայից Արքայ, Armenian for "king of kings"
    • Mepe-Mepeta, მეფეთა მეფე, Georgian for "king of kings"
    • Rajadhiraja, Sanskrit for "king of kings"
      • Maharajadhiraja, meaning "great king of kings", used by the emperors of the Gupta Empire. In ancient India it was an imperial title, but it later became a royal title.
        • Paramabhattaraka-Maharajadhiraja-Paramesvara, a standard formula of imperial dignity in India. The feminine form is Paramabhattarika-Maharajadhiraja-Paramesvari.
    • Malik al-Muluk, Arabic title meaning "king of kings"

Royal titles

• King, from the Germanic *kuningaz, roughly meaning "son of the people." (See: Germanic kingship) The realm of a king is termed a kingdom (sovereign kings are ranked above vassal kings). The female equivalent is queen, with a distinction between queen regnant and queen consort, from the Germanic *kwoeniz, or *kwenon, "wife"; cognate of Greek γυνή, gynē, "woman"; from PIE *gʷḗn, "woman". Regardless of a ruler's sex, their realm is known as a kingdom.
  • Rex, Latin for king, the feminine form is Regina.
  • Rei (in Portuguese and Catalan), Rey (in Spanish), Re (in Italian), Roi (in French), Rege (in Romanian) - Derived from Latin Rex, meaning "ruler". Rex is cognate with Raja, Rí, Reign, Regina, Arqa (Armenian Արքա), etc.
  • Basileus, from Mycenaean Greek meaning "chieftain", used by various Ancient Greek rulers.
  • Bretwalda, title given to some of the rulers of Anglo-Saxon kingdoms from the 5th century onwards who had achieved overlordship of some or all of the other Anglo-Saxon kingdoms.
  • Arka or Arqa (Արքա) is a royal title (king) in Great Armenia and various Kingdoms of Armenia. Another used name was Tagavor or Thagawor, which also appeared later in Cilician Armenia.
  • Melech, Hebrew word for king. The word for queen is Malka.
  • 王 is the title of kings in East Asia. A king is called Wáng in Chinese, Wang in Korean, Vương in Vietnamese, and Ō in Japanese, but these are all just their respective pronunciations of the Chinese character 王.
    • Wáng (王), the head of state of Ancient China. In ancient China it was a royal title, but later became a princely title.
      • Bà Wáng (霸王), meaning "Hegemon-King"
      • Tian Wang (天王), meaning "heavenly king"
      • Yìxìng Wáng (異姓王), meaning "different surnamed king/prince". This title was granted to subjects as a peerage.
    • Wang (왕; 王), Korean, meaning "king"
      • Daewang (대왕; 大王), Korean title meaning "great king"
      • Taewang (태왕; 太王), literally "greatest king", a Korean title for the rulers of the Goguryeo
      • Seongwang (성왕; 聖王), meaning "holy king", used by the Balhae monarchs
      • Sinseongjewang (신성제왕; 神聖帝王), literally "holy emperor-king", one of the titles for the rulers of the Goryeo
    • Vương (王), Vietnamese, meaning "king". In ancient Vietnam it was a royal title, but later became a princely title.
      • Đại vương (大王), Vietnamese, meaning "great king/prince"
    • Ō (王), Japanese, meaning "king", or "sovereign". Also the title for the rulers of the Wakoku. In ancient Japan it was a royal title, but later became a princely title. The female title is Joō (女王).
      • Okimi (大王), Japanese title meaning "great king"
  • Król (in Polish) Král (in Czech), Király (in Hungarian), Король (in Russian and Ukrainian), Кароль (in Belarusian), Краљ / Kralj (in Croatian and Serbian), Крал (in Bulgarian), Crai (in Romanian), Korol – Derived from Old East Slavic Король king, used in Kazakh, Tatar, and Kyrgyz languages. The korol, krol, kral, крал and kiraly versions used in Central Europe and Eastern Europe derive from the name of Charlemagne.
  • Tsenpo, also known as Ihase or "Divine Son", was the title of the monarchs of Tibet.
  • Chanyu, short for Chengli Gutu Chanyu (撐犁孤塗單于) was a title used by supreme nomadic rulers of Inner Asia. Meaning "Son of Heaven, Ruler of the North", it was later superseded by the title Khagan.
  • Rí, Gaelic title meaning king, of which there were several grades, the highest being Ard Rí (high king). Cognate with Indian Raja, Latin Rex, and ancient Gaulish Rix.
  • Arasan (அரசன்), Vēndhar (வேந்தர்), Kō (கோ) are the various titles referring to the King in Tamil.
  • Raja, Sanskrit, later Hindustani, for "king". Cognate with Latin Rex, Irish Rí, Armenian Arqa, etc. The female equivalent is Rani. The Filipino feminine equivalent is Hara.
    • Devaraja, literally "god king". A title in the Khmer Empire and throughout Java
    • Raya, a regional variation of Raja.
    • Devaraya, literally "god king", used by the Vijayanagara monarchs
    • Rai, a regional variation of Raja.
    • Rao, a regional variation of Raja.
    • Rana, a regional variation of Raja.
    • Rawal, a regional variation of Raja.
    • Racha / Rachini written in Thai as ราชา or ราชินี. deriving from the Sanskrit राज (rāja, "king"). King is ราชา (Racha), Queen is ราชินี (Rachini). Typically refer to the person, not necessary a title.
  • Khosi a king in Lesotho, Botswana and other Sotho speaking communities.
  • Kamonteng Ansi (กมรเตงอัญศรี) deriving from Old Khmer, used for Sukhothai kings. Meaning: "Lord of Our Lives." Used for king Kamonteng Ansi Inthrabodinthrathit, and Phrabat Kamonteng Ansi Rammarat. In which, following the latter's reign, the title became defunct
  • Khun (ขุน) an archaic Thai term referring to a leader.
    • Pho Khun (พ่อขุน) derivation of Khun. Used during the Sukhothai kingdom era. An example is Pho Khun Ban Mueang
    • Khun Luang (ขุนหลวง) derivation of Khun. Used during the Ayutthaya kingdom era. This title is not used with names, only to refer to the person only. For example, to refer to the King. One says Khun Luang, never Khun Luang Ekkathat. If one wishes to refer to a king, one must either say the regnant name: Somdet Phra Borommaracha III or a personal (formal) name: Somdet Phra Chao Ekkathat.
  • Chao (เจ้า) means Lord or Master.
    • Phra Chao (พระเจ้า) informal version of Somdet Phra Chao. A derivation of Chao.
    • Somdet Phra Chao (สมเด็จพระเจ้า) a derivation of Chao.
    • Chao Fa (เจ้าฟ้า) a generally use title for chieftain, lord, and kings among the Tai people. This is also used for personal names of Thai Kings. A derivation of Chao. Though in modern Thailand, this might be refer to a prince or princess.
    • Sao Möm, a derivation of Chao used among Tai peoples in the Shan State.
    • Sao, a derivation of Chao used among Tai peoples in the Shan State.
  • Nai Luang (ในหลวง) informally referring to a king, the King of Thailand.
  • Phraya (พระยา) an archaic title referring to a Thai King. This was used during the Sukhothai era. Later on during the Ayutthaya, Rattanakosin/Siam, and Thailand era, this was used to refer to a duke instead of a king.
  • Great King, a royal title suggesting an elevated status among the host of kings.
  • High King, a king who holds a position of seniority over a group of other kings, without the title of emperor.
  • Maharaja, Sanskrit, later Hindustani, for "Great King". It is the title of high kings in the Indian subcontinent. The feminine equivalent is Maharani.
    • Maharao, a regional variation of Maharaja.
    • Maharawal, a regional variation of Maharaja.
    • Maharana, a regional variation of Maharaja.
  • Mepe, მეფე, Georgian word for king and queen regnant.
  • Eze, the Igbo word for the King or Ruler of a kingdom or city-state. It is cognate with Obi and Igwe.
  • Oba, the Yoruba word for King or Ruler of a kingdom or city-state. It is used across all the traditional Yoruba lands, as well as by the Edo, throughout Nigeria, Benin, and Togo.
    • Alaafin, or "Man of the Palace" in the Yoruba language, was the title of the ruler of the medieval Oyo Empire in northwestern Yorubaland. He is considered the supreme overlord of the empire and expected to keep tributaries safe from attack as well as mediate disputes between various kings (Obas) and their people within the Empire.
  • Kabaka, ruler of Buganda, a realm within Uganda in East Africa.
  • Omukama is a title associated with the Bunyoro-Kitara in Uganda. It is also the title of the Omukama of Toro.
  • Shah, Persian word for king, from Indo-European for "he who rules". Used in Persia, alongside Shahanshah. The feminine form is Shahbanu.
    • Pivot of the Universe, Persian title exculsively used by Shahs.
  • Boqor, Somali for King. However, in practice, it is the primus inter pares or "King of Kings". The title is etymologically derived from one of the Afro-Asiatic Somali language terms for "belt", in recognition of the official's unifying role within the greater society. Furthermore, Boqor is linguistically related to the style Paqar, which was employed by rulers in the early Nile Valley state of Meroe.
  • Sultan, from Arabic and originally referring to one who had "power", more recently used as synonym for a king. The feminine equivalent is a Sultana.
    • Suratrana, Sanskrit for Sultan
  • Khan, from the Turco-Mongol word for "ruler" or "king". The feminine equivalent is a Khanum. A Khan's realm is called a Khanate.
    • Maripgan (마립간; 麻立干), literally "highest khan", a Korean title for the rulers of early Silla
    • Bogda Khan, one of the titles for the Qing emperors
  • Malik, Arabic for "king". The feminine equivalent is a Malika.
  • Mwami in Rwanda and neighbouring regions in the Congo. The female counterpart is Mwamikazi.
  • Almamy, King of Futa Toro, a pre-colonial kingdom of the Toucouleur people. From the old Pulaar title "Almamy" (king).
  • Maad a Sinig, King of Sine, a pre-colonial kingdom of the Serer people. From the old Serer title "Maad" (king).
  • Maad Saloum, ruler of Saloum, a pre-colonial kingdom of the Serer people.
  • Negus, Ethiopian for king.
  • Susuhunan, "he to whom homage is paid", title of the Javanese monarch of the Surakarta Sunanate.
  • Teigne, ruler of Baol, previously a pre-colonial Serer kingdom.
  • Tlahtloāni, the Classical Nahuatl term for the ruler of an āltepētl, a pre-Hispanic city-state in Mesoamerica, variously translated in English as "king," "ruler," (or "speaker" in the political sense). A cihuātlahtoāni is a female ruler, or queen regnant.
  • Lugal, is the Sumerian term for "king, ruler". Literally, the term means "big man."
  • Anax, from Mycenaean wanax for "high king". Outranked Basileus in Mycenaean usage.
  • Pharaoh, "Man of the Great House (Palace)" used in Ancient Egypt to denote the kings of Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt in the Nile river valley.
  • Faama, title of the rulers of the pre-imperial Mali, meaning "king".
  • Mansa, title of the rulers of the Mali Empire
  • Omanhene or Ohene, an Akan title meaning King of the Nation, with Ohene simply meaning King. Ohemaa, the maternal counterpart (his mother, sister, aunt (referred to as a 2nd mother), cousin (referred to as sister)), has equal power and selects which son she wants to lead the people. The Akan king rules on behalf of his mother who is the true power of the land. If the Ohemaa doesn't select any male relative to lead on her behalf, then she can take the role as King or Omanhene.
  • Mwenematapa, title of the rulers of the Kingdom of Mutapa. It means "Prince of the Realm" in Shona. Also spelled Mwene Mutapa or in Portuguese transliteration Monomotapa.
  • Yang di-Pertuan Agong, the official title of the Malaysian head of state, and means "He who is Made Supreme Lord" and is generally glossed in English as "king". The officeholder is elected from among the heads of the nine royal states.
  • Lamane, "master of the land" or "chief owner of the soil" in old Serer language were the ancient hereditary kings and landed gentry of the Serer people found in Senegal, the Gambia and Mauritania. The Lamanes were guardians of Serer religion and many of them have been canonized as Holy Saints (Pangool).
  • Otumfuo, literally "the powerful one", an Akan title to mean a king. It is thought to originate with the Akan state of Akwamu. It is still used amongst the Akwamu and now the Asante people.
  • Qhapaq, written as Capac in Spanish texts, the Inca word for "king"

Princely, ducal, and other sovereign titles

• Grand Vizier was the title of the effective head of government (prime-minister) of many sovereign states in the Muslim world. The office of Grand Vizier was first held by officials in the later Abbasid Caliphate. It was then held in the Ottoman Empire, the Mughal Empire, the Sokoto Caliphate, the Safavid Empire and Morocco. In the Ottoman Empire, the Grand Vizier held the imperial seal and could convene all other viziers (ministers) to attend to affairs of the state; the viziers in conference were called "Kubbealtı viziers" in reference to their meeting place, the Kubbealtı ('under the dome') in Topkapı Palace. His offices were located at the Sublime Porte. Today, the Prime Minister of Pakistan is referred to in Urdu as Wazir-e-azam, which translates literally to Grand Vizier
• Khedive (/kəˈdiːv/, Ottoman Turkish: خدیو, romanized: hıdiv; Arabic: خديوي, romanized: khudaywī) was an honorific title of Persian origin used for the sultans and grand viziers of the Ottoman Empire, but most famously for the viceroy of Egypt from 1805 to 1914.
• Sovereign Duke, from the Latin Dux, meaning "leader," a military rank in the Late Roman Empire. Variant forms include Doge and Duce; it has also been modified into Archduke (meaning "chief" Duke), Grand Duke (literally "large", or "big" Duke; see above under royal titles), Vice Duke ("deputy" Duke), etc. The female equivalent is Duchess.
  • Grand Duke is considered to be part of the reigning nobility ("Royalty", in German Hochadel; their correct form of address is "Royal Highness"). The feminine form is Grand Duchess
    • Veliki Vojvoda, derived from Voievod. The title of the Bosnian Grand Duke (Serbo-Croatian: veliki vojvoda rusaga bosanskog, Latin: Bosne supremus voivoda / Sicut supremus voivoda regni Bosniae) appeared at the beginning of the 14th century as different type of this title, unique for the Bosnian medieval state. It was a court title, bestowed by the monarch to the highest military commander, usually reserved for the most influential and most capable among the highest Bosnian nobility. To interpret it as an office post rather than a court rank could be equally accurate, and although it was retained for life by a nobleman who gained it, it was not meant to be hereditary, at least not at first. However, in the last several decades of the Bosnian medieval state it became hereditary, which means it became more than just an office or a court rank.
    • Didysis Kunigaikštis, derived from kunigaikštis which itself is a derivative of kunigas (King). It was the title used in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, also translated as "Grand Prince".
    • Archduke, ruler of an archduchy; used exclusively by the Habsburg dynasty and its junior branch of Habsburg-Lorraine which ruled the Holy Roman Empire (until 1806), the Austrian Empire (1804–1867), the Second Mexican Empire (1863-1867) and the Austro-Hungarian Empire (1867–1918) for imperial family members of the dynasty, each retaining it as a subsidiary title when founding sovereign cadet branches by acquiring thrones under different titles (e.g., Tuscany, Modena); it was also used for those ruling some Habsburg territories such as those that became the modern so-called "Benelux" nations (Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg); The title was created by forgery in 1358 by the Habsburgs themselves to establish a precedence of their princes over the other titleholders of high nobility of the era; therefore the rank was not recognized by the other ruling dynasties until 1453. The feminine form is Archduchess.
  • Petty king, a medieval title found predominantly in western Europe was a title of king that was subordinate to a higher sovereign or the king of a minor kingdom and not part of a larger unified state often accompanied by other small petty kingdoms.
  • Duce, an Italian dictatorial title used by Gabriele D'Annunzio and Benito Mussolini
  • Doge, elected lord and head of state in several Italian city-states
  • Ealdorman, Old English for "elder man", rendered Dux in Latin.
• Sovereign Prince, from the Latin princeps, meaning "one who takes first [place]". The feminine form is Sovereign Princess. Variant forms include the German Fürst and Russian Knyaz (князь) and the feminine form Knyaginya (княгиня).
  • Grand Prince or Great Prince (feminine: Grand Princess or Great Princess) (Latin: Magnus Princeps; Swedish: Storfurste; German: Großfürst; Greek: Μέγας Αρχών, romanized: Megas archon, is a title of nobility ranked in honour below Emperor, equal to Archduke, King, Grand Duke and Prince-Archbishop; above a Sovereign Prince and Duke.
    • Velikiy knyaz (великий князь), ruler of a grand principality; a title primarily used in the medieval Russian principalities and claimed by the most important ruling prince, e.g. the ruler of the Grand Principality of Vladimir;
  • Elector Prince (Kurfürst in German), a rank for those who voted for the Holy Roman Emperor, usually sovereign of a state (e.g. the Margrave of Brandenburg, an elector, called the Elector of Brandenburg)
  • Datu in the Visayas and Mindanao which, together with the term Raja ( in the Rajahnate of Cebu and Kingdom of Maynila) and Lakan (title widely used on the island of Luzon), are the Filipino equivalents of "sovereign prince" and thus, glossed as "ruler". The female equivalent is a Dayang. (Cf. also Principalía – the hispanized and Christianized Datu class during the Spanish colonial period in the Philippines.)
• Nizam, the word is derived from the Arabic language Nizām (نظام), meaning order, arrangement. Nizām-ul-mulk was a title first used in Urdu around 1600 to mean Governor of the realm or Deputy for the Whole Empire.
• Despot, Greek for "lord, master", initially an appellation for the Byzantine emperor, later the senior court title, awarded to sons and close relatives of the emperor. In the 13th–15th centuries borne by autonomous and independent rulers in the Balkans. The feminine form is Despotess.
• Voievod şi domn, title held by the sovereign princes of Wallachia and Moldavia. Voievod (from Slavic) means in this context supreme military commander while Domn (from lat. dominus) means master, lord, autocrat. The "civilian" title of domn holds a kind of primacy. The office/authority is called "domnie" (roughly "lordship") rather than voievodship (as is the case of similar named but lesser Slavic titles). The prince is called upon as "doamne" ("mylord").
• Tuanku, literally "My Master" (Tuan Ku), the title of the rulers of the nine Royal states of Malaysia; all princes and princesses of the Royal Families also receive the appellation Tunku (literally "My Lord" (Tun Ku) or spelt Tengku) or Raja.
• Shogun, officially Sei-i Taishōgun (Commander-in Chief of the Expeditionary Force Against the Barbarians), the Japanese word for generalissimo, who acted as the de facto military dictators of Japan of the period spanning from 1185 to 1868.
• Emir, often rendered Amir in older English usage; from the Arabic "to command." The female form is Emira (Amirah). Emir is the root of the naval rank "Admiral". Is usually translated as prince in English.
  • Amir al-umara, Emir of Emirs.
• Mir, according to the book Persian Inscriptions on Indian Monuments, Mir is most probably an Arabized form of Pir. Pir in Old Persian and Sanskrit means the old, the wise man, the chief and the great leader. It was Arabized as Mir then, with Al(A) (Arabic definite article), it was pronounced as Amir.
  • In the Ottoman Empire, Mir-i Miran was used as the Persian equivalent to the Turkish title Beylerbey ("Bey of Beys"), alongside the Arabic equivalent Amir al-Umara ("Emir of Emirs").
• Bey, or Beg/Baig, Turkish for "Chieftain." The feminine form is Begum.
  • Beylerbey, Bey of Beys.
  • Atabeg, word is a compound of two Turkic words: ata, "ancestor", and beg or bey, "lord, leader, prince".
  • Beg Khan, concatenation of Baig and Khan.
  • Khagan Bek, title used by Khazars.
  • Derebey, feudal lord in Anatolia and the Pontic areas of Lazistan and Acara in the 18th century.
• Dey, title given to the rulers of the Regency of Algiers and Tripoli under the Ottoman Empire from 1671 onwards.
• Sardar, also spelled as Sirdar, Sardaar or Serdar, is a title of nobility (sir-, sar/sair- means "head or authority" and -dār means "holder" in Sanskrit and Avestan). The feminine form is Sardarni.
• Pati, Sanskrit for "lord, master"
  • Chhatrapati, title of the rulers of the Marathas

Tribal titles

• Cacique, derived from the Taíno word kasike, for pre-Columbian monarchs.
• Chieftain, a Lineage or Clan chief. the feminine form is Chieftainess.
• Sheikh is often used as a title for Arab royal families. It commonly designates a tribal chief, royal family member or a Muslim scholar. The feminine form is Shaykhah.
• Tadodaho, derived from the name of the first "keeper of the council fire" of the Iroquois Confederacy, Haudenosaunee, or Five Nations, refers to the individual with the highest authority in both their modern territory and their spiritual way of life.
• Taoiseach (Irish pronunciation: ) means leader. An Irish clan chief. Since 1937, this has been the title for the elected prime minister of Ireland, in both Irish and English.
• Tánaiste (Irish pronunciation: ) is the second in command of an Irish clan. Since 1937, this has been the title in both Irish and English for the deputy head of the Irish government, nominated by the serving Taoiseach to act in that role during the Taoiseach's temporary absence.
• Tòiseach, the Scottish Gaelic for clan chief.
• Tywysog (Welsh pronunciation: ), in modern Welsh, means "Prince" and is cognate with Taoiseach and Tòiseach. Derived from the proto-Celtic *towissākos "chieftain, leader".
• Rí ruirech, "king of over-kings", or rí cóicid, a provincial King in Ireland.
• Corono, leader of a large tribe in Celtic Gallaecia. In later Latin inscriptions, they would sometimes be referred to as Princeps.
• Fon, the regional and tribal leaders in Cameroon.
• Jarl, an Old Norse title for a chieftain in Scandinavia during the Viking and Middle Ages.
• Odikro, an Akan chieftain. Obahemaa female maternal counterpart.
• Lonko, chief of several Mapuche communities.
• Ratu, a Fijian chiefly title that is also found in Javanese culture.
• Aliʻi nui, was the supreme monarch of various Hawaiian islands. They are the supreme high chiefs (chief of chiefs). This title would later be used by rulers of the entire Hawaiian chain of islands.
• Ajaw, in Maya meaning "lord", "ruler", "king" or "leader". Was the title of the ruler in the Classic Maya polity. A variant being the title of K'inich Ajaw or "Great Sun King" as it was used to refer to the founder of the Copán dynasty, K'inich Yax K'uk' Mo'. The female equivalent is a Ix-ajaw.
  • Kaloomte, in Maya meaning "high king" or "emperor".
• Halach Uinik, in Maya meaning "real man", "person of fact" or "person of command". Was the title of the ruler in the Post-Classic Maya polity (Kuchkabal).

Religious titles

• Pope, also "Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church and Vicar of Christ", is considered the apostolic successor of Saint Peter, one of the Twelve Apostles (primary disciples) of Jesus Christ. Once wielding substantial secular power as the ruler of the Papal States and leader of Christendom, the Pope is also the absolute ruler of the sovereign state Vatican City. Also the title of the leader of the Coptic Church, considered to be the successor of the Apostle Saint Mark the Evangelist. The word pope is derived from Latin and Italian papa, a familiar form of "father".
  • Pontifex maximus, formerly one of the titles of the Roman emperors
• Catholicos is the Chief Bishop, Patriarch of the Armenian Orthodox Church. The earliest ecclesiastical use of the title Catholicos was by the Bishop of Armenia, head of the Armenian Orthodox Apostolic Church, in the 4th century.
• Patriarch is the highest ecclesial title used in the Eastern Christian tradition. Some patriarchs are also styled as popes.
• Caliph means 'successor' (to Muhammad), both a religious and a secular leader. The ruler of the caliphate was the secular head of the international Muslim community, as a nation. To claim the Caliphate was, theoretically, to claim stewardship over Muslims on earth, under the sovereignty of Allah. (See Amir al-Mu'minin above). This did not necessarily mean that the Caliph was himself the supreme authority on Islamic law or theology; that still fell to the Ulema. The role of the Caliph was to oversee and take responsibility for the Muslim community's political and governmental needs (both within and beyond the borders of his territorial realm), rather than to himself determine matters of doctrine.
  • Amir al-Mu'minin, or "Commander (Emir) of the Faithful," a title traditionally held by the Caliphs of Islam to denote their suzerainty over all Muslims, even (theoretically) those beyond their territorial borders. Currently, the King of Morocco and the Sultan of Sokoto hold this title, although neither officially claims the Caliphate.
• Imam, Imam (/ɪˈmɑːm/; Arabic: إمام imām; plural: أئمة aʼimmah) is an Islamic leadership position. For Sunni Muslims, Imam is most commonly used as the title of a worship leader of a mosque. In this context, imams may lead Islamic worship services, lead prayers, serve as community leaders, and provide religious guidance. Thus for Sunnis, anyone can study the basic Islamic sciences and become an Imam
• Dalai Lama, the highest authority in Tibetan (or more specifically Gelug) Buddhism and a symbol of the unification of Tibet, said to belong to a line of reincarnations of the bodhisattva Avalokitesvara. Among other incarnate Tibetan lamas, the second highest Gelug prelate is the Panchen Lama. From the time of the Fifth Dalai Lama until 1950, the Dalai Lamas effectively ruled Tibet. The chief of the rival Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism is the Karmapa.
• Saltigue, the high priests and priestesses of the Serer people. They are the diviners in the Serer religion.
• Jathedar, a title of a Sikh general, commander, the leader of a Jatha or Takht, literally means "holder of troops". The feminine form is Jathedarni.

Dual titles

• Emperor at home, king abroad
• King-Emperor, is a sovereign ruler who is simultaneously a king of one territory and emperor of another.
  • Imperial and Royal / Imperial–royal
• King-Grand Duke
• King in Prussia