Monarch

For other uses, see Monarch (disambiguation).
"King" redirects here. For other uses, see King (disambiguation).

A monarch is the sovereign head of state in a monarchy.[1][2] A monarch may exercise the highest authority and power in the state, or others may wield that power on behalf of the monarch. Typically a monarch either personally inherits the lawful right to exercise the state's sovereign rights (often referred to as the throne or the crown) or is selected by an established process from a family or cohort eligible to provide the nation's monarch. Alternatively, an individual may become monarch by conquest, acclamation or a combination of means. A monarch usually reigns for life or until abdication.

If a young child is crowned the monarch, a Regent is often appointed to govern until the monarch reaches the requisite adult age to rule. Monarchs' actual powers vary from one monarchy to another and in different eras; on one extreme, they may be autocrats (absolute monarchy) wielding genuine sovereignty; on the other they may be ceremonial heads of state who exercise little or no power or only reserve powers, with actual authority vested in a parliament or other body (constitutional monarchy).

Characteristics

Monarchs, as such, bear a variety of titles — king or queen, prince or princess (e.g., Sovereign Prince of Monaco), emperor or empress (e.g., Emperor of Ethiopia, Emperor of Japan, Emperor of India), archduke, duke or grand duke (e.g., Grand Duke of Luxembourg), or sultan (e.g., Great Sultan, Sultan of Sultans). Prince is sometimes used as a generic term to refer to any monarch regardless of title, especially in older texts.[3]

A king can also be a queen's husband and a queen can be a king's wife. If both people in a couple reign, neither person is generally considered to be a consort.

Monarchy is political or sociocultural in nature, and is generally (but not always) associated with hereditary rule. Most monarchs, both historically and in the present day, have been born and brought up within a royal family (whose rule over a period of time is referred to as a dynasty) and trained for future duties. Different systems of succession have been used, such as proximity of blood (male preference or absolute), primogeniture, agnatic seniority, Salic law, etc. While traditionally most monarchs have been male, female monarchs have also ruled, and the term queen regnant refers to a ruling monarch, as distinct from a queen consort, the wife of a reigning king.

Some monarchies are non-hereditary. In an elective monarchy, the monarch is elected but otherwise serves as any other monarch. Historical examples of elective monarchy include the Holy Roman Emperors (chosen by prince-electors, but often coming from the same dynasty) and the free election of kings of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. Modern examples include the Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia, a position rotated among the nation's historically ruling dynasties, and the pope of the Roman Catholic Church, who serves as sovereign of the Vatican City State and is elected to a life term by the College of Cardinals.

In recent centuries, many states have abolished the monarchy and become republics (however see, e.g., United Arab Emirates). Advocacy of government by a republic is called republicanism, while advocacy of monarchy is called monarchism. A principal advantage of hereditary monarchy is the immediate continuity of national leadership, as illustrated in the classic phrase "The [old] King is dead. Long live the [new] King!". In cases where the monarch serves mostly as a ceremonial figure (e.g. most modern constitutional monarchies) real leadership does not depend on the monarch.

A form of government may in fact be hereditary without being considered monarchy, such as a family dictatorship.

Classification

Monarchies take a wide variety of forms, such as the two co-princes of Andorra, positions held simultaneously by the Roman Catholic Bishop of Urgel (Spain) and the elected President of France (although strictly Andorra is a diarchy). Similarly, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia is considered a monarch despite only holding the position for five years at a time.

Succession

Hereditary succession within one patrilineal family has been most common (although, see the Rain Queen), with preference for children over siblings, sons over daughters. In Europe, some peoples practiced equal division of land and regalian rights among sons or brothers, as in the Germanic states of the Holy Roman Empire, until after the medieval era and sometimes (e.g., Ernestine duchies) into the 19th century. Other European realms practice one form or another of primogeniture, whereunder a lord was succeeded by his eldest son or, if he had none, by his brother, his daughters or sons of daughters.

The system of tanistry was semi-elective and gave weight also to ability and merit.

The Salic law, practiced in France and in the Italian territories of the House of Savoy, stipulated that only men could inherit the crown. In most fiefs, in the event of the demise of all legitimate male members of the patrilineage, a female of the family could succeed (semi-Salic law). In most realms, daughters and sisters were eligible to succeed a ruling kinsman before more distant male relatives (male-preference primogeniture), but sometimes the husband of the heiress became the ruler, and most often also received the title, jure uxoris. Spain today continues this model of succession law, in the form of cognatic primogeniture. In more complex medieval cases, the sometimes conflicting principles of proximity and primogeniture battled, and outcomes were often idiosyncratic.

As the average life span increased, an eldest son was more likely to reach majority age before the death of his father, and primogeniture became increasingly favoured over proximity, tanistry, seniority and election.

In 1980, Sweden became the first monarchy to declare equal primogeniture, absolute primogeniture or full cognatic primogeniture, meaning that the eldest child of the monarch, whether female or male, ascends to the throne.[4] Other nations have since adopted this practice: Netherlands in 1983, Norway in 1990, Belgium in 1991, and Denmark in 2009. The United Kingdom intends to adopt absolute primogeniture for individuals born after the Perth Agreement in October 2011.

In some monarchies, such as Saudi Arabia, succession to the throne usually first passes to the monarch's next eldest brother and so on through his other brothers, and only after them to the monarch's children (agnatic seniority). In some other monarchies (e.g. Jordan), the monarch chooses who will be his successor within the royal family, who need not necessarily be his eldest son.

Whatever the rules of succession, there have been many cases of a monarch being overthrown and replaced by a usurper who would often install his own family on the throne.

History

Further information: Monarchy

Monarchs in Africa

Further information: Monarchies in Africa

A series of Pharaohs ruled Ancient Egypt over the course of three millennia (circa 3150 BC to 31 BC), until it was conquered by the Roman Empire. In the same time period several kingdoms flourished in the nearby Nubia region, with at least one of them, that of the so-called A-Group culture, apparently influencing the customs of Egypt itself. From the 6th to 19th centuries, Egypt was variously part of the Byzantine Empire, Islamic Empire, Mamluk Sultanate, Ottoman Empire and British Empire with a distant monarch. The Sultanate of Egypt was a short lived protectorate of the United Kingdom from 1914 until 1922, when it became the Kingdom of Egypt and Sultan Fuad I changed his title to King. After the Egyptian Revolution of 1952 the monarchy was dissolved and Egypt became a republic.

West Africa hosted the Kanem Empire (700-1376) and its successor, the Bornu principality which survives to the present day as one of the traditional states of Nigeria.

In the Horn of Africa, the Kingdom of Aksum and later the Zagwe Dynasty, Ethiopian Empire (1270–1974), and Aussa Sultanate were ruled by a series of monarchs. Haile Selassie, the last Emperor of Ethiopia, was deposed in a communist coup. Various Somali Sultanates also existed, including the Adal Sultanate (led by the Walashma dynasty of the Ifat Sultanate), Sultanate of Mogadishu, Ajuran Sultanate, Warsangali Sultanate, Geledi Sultanate, Majeerteen Sultanate and Sultanate of Hobyo.

Central and Southern Africa were largely isolated from other regions until the modern era, but they did later feature kingdoms like the Kingdom of Kongo (1400–1914).

The Zulu people formed a powerful Zulu Kingdom in 1816, one that was subsequently absorbed into the Colony of Natal in 1897. The Zulu king continues to hold a hereditary title and an influential cultural position in contemporary South Africa, although he has no direct political power. Other tribes in the country, such as the Xhosa and the Tswana, have also had and continue to have a series of kings and chiefs whose local precedence is recognised, but who exercise no legal authority.

As part of the Scramble for Africa, Europeans conquered, bought, or established African kingdoms and styled themselves as monarchs due to them.

Currently the African nations of Morocco, Lesotho and Swaziland are sovereign monarchies under dynasties that are native to the continent. Places like St. Helena, Ceuta, Melilla and the Canary Islands are ruled by the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland or the King of Spain. So-called "sub-national monarchies" of varying sizes can be found all over the rest of the continent, e.g. the Yoruba city-state of Akure in south-western Nigeria is something of an elective monarchy: its reigning Oba having to be chosen by an electoral college of nobles, from amongst a finite collection of royal princes and princesses of the realm.

Monarchs in Europe

Elizabeth II has been monarch of independent countries in Europe, Asia, Africa, Oceania and the Americas.
Further information: Monarchies in Europe

Within the Holy Roman Empire different titles were used by nobles exercising various degrees of sovereignty within their borders (see below). Such titles were granted or recognised by the Emperor or Pope. Adoption of a new title to indicate sovereign or semi-sovereign status was not always recognized by other governments or nations, sometimes causing diplomatic problems.

During the nineteenth century many small monarchies in Europe merged with other territories to form larger entities, and following World War I and World War II, many monarchies were abolished, but of those remaining all except Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, Andorra, Vatican City and Monaco were headed by a king or queen.

As of 2015 in Europe there are twelve monarchies: seven kingdoms (Belgium, Denmark, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom), one grand duchy (Luxembourg), one papacy (Vatican City), and two principalities (Liechtenstein and Monaco), as well as one diarchy (Andorra).

Monarchs in Asia

Further information: Monarchies in Asia

In China, before the abolition of the monarchy in 1912, the Emperor of China was traditionally regarded as the ruler of "All under heaven". "King" is the usual translation for the term wang 王, the sovereign before the Qin dynasty and during the Ten Kingdoms period. During the early Han dynasty, China had a number of kingdoms, each about the size of a province and subordinate to the Emperor.

In Korea, Daewang (great king), or Wang (king), was a Chinese royal style used in many states rising from the dissolution of Gojoseon, Buyeo, Goguryeo, Baekje, Silla and Balhae, Goryeo, Joseon. The legendary Dangun Wanggeom founded the first kingdom, Gojoseon. Some scholars maintain that the term Dangun also refers to a title used by all rulers of Gojoseon, and that Wanggeom is the proper name of the founder. Gyuwon Sahwa (1675) describes The Annals of the Danguns as a collection of nationalistic legends. The monarchs of Goguryeo and some monarchs of Silla used the title "Taewang", meaning the "Great king". The early monarchs of Silla have used the title of "Geoseogan", "Chachaung", "Isageum", and finally "Maripgan" until 503. The title "Gun" (prince) can refer to the dethroned rulers of Joseon dynasty as well. Under the Korean Empire (1897–1910), the rulers of Korea were given the title of "Hwangje", meaning the "Emperor". Today, Members of the Korean Imperial Family continue to participate in numerous traditional ceremonies, and groups exist to preserve Korea's lmperial heritage.

The Japanese monarchy is now the only monarchy to still use the title of Emperor.

In modern history, between 1925 and 1979, Iran was ruled by two Emperors from the Pahlavi dynasty that used the title of "Shahanshah" (or "King of Kings"). The last Iranian Shahanshah was King Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who was forced to abdicate the throne as a result of a revolution in Iran. In fact Persian (Iranian) kingdom goes back to about 2,700 BC (see List of Kings of Persia), but reached its ultimate height and glory when King Cyrus the Great (Known as "The Great Kourosh" in Iran) started Achaemenid dynasty, and under his rule, the empire embraced all the previous civilized states of the ancient Near East, expanded vastly and eventually conquered most of Southwest Asia and much of Central Asia and the Caucasus. From the Mediterranean sea and Hellespont in the west to the Indus River in the east, Cyrus the Great created the largest empire the world had yet seen.

Thailand and Bhutan are like the United Kingdom in that they are constitutional monarchies ruled by a King. Jordan and many other Middle Eastern monarchies are ruled by a Malik and parts of the United Arab Emirates, such as Dubai, are still ruled by monarchs.

Saudi Arabia is the largest Arab state in Western Asia by land area and the second-largest in the Arab world (after Algeria). It was founded by Abdul-Aziz bin Saud in 1932, although the conquests which eventually led to the creation of the Kingdom began in 1902 when he captured Riyadh, the ancestral home of his family, the House of Saud; succession to the throne is currently limited to sons of Ibn Saud. The Saudi Arabian government has been an absolute monarchy since its inception, and designates itself as Islamic. The King bears the title "Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques" in reference to the two holiest places in Islam: Masjid al-Haram in Mecca, and Masjid al-Nabawi in Medina.

Oman is led by Monarch Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said. The Kingdom of Jordan is one of the Middle East's more modern monarchies is also ruled by a Malik. In Arab and arabized countries, Malik (absolute King) is absolute word to render a monarch and is superior to all other titles. Nepal abolished their monarchy in 2008. Sri Lanka had a complex system of monarchies from 543BC to 1815. Between 47BC-42BC Anula of Sri Lanka became the country's first female head of state as well as Asia's first head of state.

In Malaysia's constitutional monarchy, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong (The Supreme Lord of the Federation) is de facto rotated every five years among the nine Rulers of the Malay states of Malaysia (those nine of the thirteen states of Malaysia that have hereditary royal rulers), elected by Majlis Raja-Raja (Conference of Rulers).

Under Brunei's 1959 constitution, the Sultan of Brunei is the head of state with full executive authority, including emergency powers, since 1962. The Prime Minister of Brunei is a title held by the Sultan. As the prime minister, the Sultan presides over the cabinet.

Cambodia has been a kingdom since the 1st century. The power of the absolute monarchy was reduced when it became the French Protectorate of Cambodia from 1863 to 1953. It returned to an absolute monarchy from 1953 until the establishment of a republic following the 1970 coup. The monarchy was restored as a constitutional monarchy in 1993 with the king as a largely symbolic figurehead.

Sri Lankan King Devanampiya Tissa, Queen consort Anula, and Prince Uththiya, c. 307 BC

In the Philippines, the pre-Colonial Filipino nobility, variously titled the harì (today meaning "king"), Lakan, Raja and Datu belonged to the caste called Uring Maharlika (Noble Class). When the islands were annexed to the Spanish Empire in the late 16th century, the Spanish monarch became the sovereign while local rulers often retained their prestige as part of the Christianised nobility called the Principalía. After the Spanish–American War, the country was ceded to the United States of America and made into a territory and eventually a Commonwealth, thus ending monarchism. While the Philippines is currently a republic, the Sultan of Sulu and Sultan of Maguindanao retain their titles only for ceremonial purposes, but are considered ordinary citizens by the 1987 Constitution.

Bhutan has been an independent kingdom since 1907. The first Druk Gyalpo (Dragon King) was elected and thereafter became a hereditary absolute monarchy. It became a constitutional monarchy in 2008.

Tibet was a monarchy since the Tibetan Empire in the 6th century. It was ruled by the Yuan Dynasty following the Mongol invasion in the 13th century and became an effective diarchy with the Dalai Lama as co-ruler. It came under the rule of the Chinese Qing Dynasty from 1724 until 1912 when it gained de facto independence. The Dalai Lama became absolute temporal monarch until incorporation of Tibet into the People's Republic of China in 1951.

Nepal was a monarchy for most of its history until becoming a federal republic in 2008.

Monarchs in the Americas

Further information: Monarchies in the Americas
Francisco Pizarro meets with the Inca emperor Atahualpa, 1532

The concept of monarchy existed in the Americas long before the arrival of European colonialists.[5][6] When the Europeans arrived they referred to these tracts of land within territories of different aboriginal groups to be kingdoms, and the leaders of these groups were often referred to by the Europeans as Kings, particularly hereditary leaders.[7]

Pre-colonial titles that were used included:

The first local monarch to emerge in North America after colonization was Augustin I, who declared himself Emperor of Mexico in 1822. Mexico again had an emperor, Maximilian I from 1863 to 1867. In South America, Brazil[8] had a royal house ruling as emperor between 1822 and 1889, under Emperors Pedro I and Pedro II.

Between 1931 and 1983 nine other previous British colonies attained independence as kingdoms. All, including Canada, are in a personal union relationship under a shared monarch. Therefore, though today there are legally ten American monarchs, one person occupies each distinct position.

Male title Female title Realm Examples
Emperor Empress Empire Brazil, Mexico, Sapa Inca
King Queen Kingdom Canada, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Saint Kitts and Nevis

Monarchs in Oceania

Further information: Monarchies in Oceania

Polynesian societies were ruled by an ariki from ancient times. The title is variously translated as "supreme chief", "paramount chief" or "king".

The Kingdom of Tahiti was founded in 1788. Sovereignty was ceded to France in 1880 although descendants of the Pōmare Dynasty claim the title of King of Tahiti.

The Kingdom of Hawaii was established in 1795 and overthrown in 1893.

An independent Kingdom of Rarotonga was established in 1858. It became a protectorate of the United Kingdom at its own request in 1893.

Seru Epenisa Cakobau ruled the short lived Kingdom of Fiji, a constitutional monarchy, from 1871 to 1874 when he voluntarily ceded sovereignty of the islands to the United Kingdom. After independence in 1970, Fiji remained a Commonwealth realm until it became a republic following a military coup in 1987.

Australia, New Zealand (including the Cook Islands and Niue), Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Tuvalu are sovereign states within the Commonwealth of Nations that currently have Elizabeth II as their reigning constitutional monarch.

The Pitcairn Islands are part of the British Overseas Territories with Elizabeth II as the reigning constitutional monarch.

Tonga is the only remaining sovereign kingdom in Oceania. It has had a monarch since the 10th century and became a constitutional monarchy in 1875. In 2008, King George Tupou V relinquished most of the powers of the monarchy and the position is now largely ceremonial.

In New Zealand the position of Māori King was established in 1858. The role is largely cultural and ceremonial, and has no legal power.

Uvea, Alo and Sigave in the French territory of Wallis and Futuna have non-sovereign elective monarchs.

Titles and precedence in Europe

For commonly used names for specific monarchs, see List of monarchs by nickname.

The usage and meaning of a monarch's specific title has historically been defined by tradition, law and diplomatic considerations.

Note that some titles borne by monarchs have several meanings and may not exclusively designate a monarch. A Prince may be a person of royal blood (some languages uphold this distinction, see Fürst). A Duke may belong to a peerage and hold a dukedom (title) but no duchy (territory). In Imperial Russia, a Grand Duke was a son or patrilineal grandson of the Tsar or Tsarina. Holders of titles in these alternative meanings did not enjoy the same status as monarchs of the same title.

Within the Holy Roman Empire, there were numerous titles used by noblemen whose authority within their territory sometimes approached sovereignty, even though they acknowledged the Holy Roman Emperor as suzerain; Elector, Grand Duke, Margrave, Landgrave and Count Palatine, as well as kings, dukes, princes and "princely counts" (Gefürstete Grafen). A ruler with a title below emperor or king might still be regarded as a monarch, outranking a nobleman of the same ostensible title (e.g., Antoine, Duke of Lorraine, a reigning sovereign, and his younger brother, Claude, Duke of Guise, a nobleman in the peerage of France).

The table below lists titles in approximate order of precedence. According to protocol any holder of a title indicating sovereignty took precedence over any non-sovereign titleholder.

Male version Female version Realm Adjective Notes and examples
Emperor Empress Empire Imperial Today: Japan (the only remaining enthroned emperor in the world). Historical: Roman Empire, Byzantine Empire, First and Second Bulgarian Empire, Serbian Empire, Holy Roman Empire, Russian Empire, Korean Empire, Mongol Empire, Imperial China, First and Second French Empire, Austrian Empire, First Mexican Empire, Empire of Brazil, German Empire (none left in Europe after 1918), Emperor of India (ceased to be used after 1947 when India was granted independence from the British Empire).

The German title Kaiser and the Bulgarian/Serbian title Tsar were both derived from the Latin word Caesar, intended to mean Emperor. One of the titles of the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire was Kaysar-i-Rûm (Emperor of Rome), Kaysar being a rough transliteration of Caesar (Emperor) into Ottoman Turkish. Kaisar-i-Hind, derived from the German word Kaiser, was the Urdu translation of "Emperor of India".

King Queen Kingdom Royal/Majestic/Kingly Common in larger sovereign states. Similar titles on other Germanic languages, e.g. Konge/Dronning in Danish, Koning/Koningin in Dutch, König/Königin in German.
Viceroy Vicereine Viceroyalty Viceregal Historical: Spanish Empire (Viceroy of Peru, Viceroy of New Spain, Viceroyalty of Rio de la Plata, Viceroyalty of New Granada), British Empire (Viceroy of India), Russian Empire (Viceroyalty of the Caucasus). The title Viceré was used in the Italian Colonial Empire. An equivalent office called the "Exarch" was used in the Byzantine Empire.
Archduke Archduchess Archduchy Archducal Historical: Unique to the House of Habsburg which ruled the Archduchy of Austria; title used for all members of dynasty
Grand Duke Grand Duchess Grand Duchy Grand Ducal Today: Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. Historical examples include Grand Duchy of Moscow, Grand Duchy of Finland and Grand Duchy of Tuscany.
Duke Duchess Duchy, Dukedom Ducal There are no remaining independent duchies, although there are the sub-national Duchies of Cornwall and Lancaster in England. Historical examples include the Duchy of Normandy, Duchy of Milan and Duchy of Prussia .
Prince Princess Principality, Princely state, Princedom Princely Today: Monaco, Liechtenstein, Sovereign Military Order of Malta; Andorra (Co-Princes). Historical: Principality of Albania, Serbia. Self-proclaimed micronations claiming to be principalities include the Sealand, Seborga and Hutt River.
Marquis Marquise Marquisate/March Marquisal A continental rank below that of a Duke but above a Count. British version is Marquess. Although Margrave shares word-origin, in Germany it referred to rulers (of Margraviates) rather than nobles. Historical examples: Marquess of Queensbury, Marquisate of Saluzzo, Marquisate of Mantua
Count/Earl Countess County/Earldom/Shire Countly/comital Count is most common term for a continental, middle-ranked noble. British equivalent is Earl (whose female counterpart or wife is "Countess"). There are no remaining independent counties and the word county is used to denote an administrative district. Historical examples include County of Toulouse, County of Castile, County of Barcelona and Earldom of Orkney.

Etymological equivalent male/female/territory titles include Comte/Comtesse/Comté in French, Conte/Contessa/Contea in Italian, Conde/Condesa/Condado in Spanish, Graf/Gräfin/Grafschaft in German, Graaf/Gravin/Graafschap in Dutch, Greve/Grevinna/Grevskap in Swedish.

Viscount Viscountess Viscountcy Viscountly Literally a vice or deputy count, from visconte in Old French. Vicomte is the equivalent in modern French. Vizconde is the equivalent in Spanish. The German Burggraf and Dutch Burggraaf are historical equivalents although they are not translated as "Viscount"; a rank above Baron but below Count. There are no remaining viscountcies but Viscount remains a title in Belgium, France, Spain and the UK. Historical examples: Viscountcy of Béarn, Burgraviate of Nuremberg (Burggrafschaft Nürnberg).
Lord Lady Lordship Lordly Today: Isle of Man; historical: Lordship of Ireland, Lord of the Isles
Baron Baroness Barony Baronial The equivalent title is still legally borne in Belgium, Denmark, France, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Surviving examples include Kendal and Westmorland in England, the Lordship and Barony of Hailes in Scotland and Barony Rosendal in Norway.

Equivalent titles include Barone in Italian, Boyar in Bulgarian, Wallachian, and Moldavian, Freiherr in German (sometimes used concurrently with Baron), Friherre is the title in the nobility of Sweden while the spoken address is Baron, Vapaaherra in the nobility of Finland.

Pope Females cannot hold the office of Pope Papacy Papal Monarch of the Papal States and later Sovereign of the State of Vatican City. The pope is the Bishop of Rome (a celibate office always forbidden to women), in English however, reports of female popes such as (Pope Joan) refer to them as pope and Popess is used, among other things, for the second trump in the Tarot deck; some European languages also have a feminine form of the word pope, such as the Italian papessa, the French papesse, and the German Päpstin.

Titles outside modern Europe

Male version Female version Realm Adjective Notes and examples
Sultan Sultana Sultanate Sultanic Used throughout the Muslim world. Equivalent to King or Emperor. Current examples: Brunei, Oman, states of Malaysia. Historical examples: Seljuk Sultanate, Delhi Sultanate, Sultanate of Malacca, Warsangali Sultanate.
Harì/Lakan Reyna/Dayang Kingdom One of many ancient titles adopted by the Maharlika caste in pre-colonial Philippines. Harì survives today as a generic Filipino word for "king", while reyna is a Spanish loanword. Dayang (loosely, "princess") was another title for royal ladies, e.g. the queen regnant Dayang Kalangitan of Tondo.
Malik Malikah/Malekeh Mamlaka Malaky Used throughout the Muslim world. Equivalent to King. Current examples: Bahrain, Jordan, Morocco. Also used by tribal leaders among the Pashtun people. Historical examples: Malik al-'Iraq ("King of Iraq"), Malik al-Mamlaka al-Mutawakkiliyya al-Yamaniyya ("King of the Mutawakkilite Yemeni Kingdom").
Emir Emira Emirate Amiri Used throughout the Muslim world. Roughly equivalent to Prince. Current examples: constituent emirates of the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar. Historical examples: Emirate of Crete, Emirate of Córdoba, Emirate of Afghanistan.
Caliph Caliphate Caliphal Used throughout the Muslim world. There are no current recognised caliphates. Historical examples: Rashidun Caliphate, Umayyad Caliphate, Caliphate of Córdoba, Abbasid Caliphate, Ottoman Caliphate .
Samraat Samrãjñī Samrajya Ancient Indian title sometimes translated into modern English as Emperor.
Chhatrapati Indian royal title most equivalent to Emperor.
Maharaja Maharani Princely state Used historically princely states in South Asia. A "high king" above a Raja.
Raja Rani Rajahnate Raj - Used historically in princely states in South Asia and pre-colonial chiefdoms in the Philippines. Equivalent to King.
Arasan Arasi Arasangam Arasa Tamil titles used in ancient Tamilakam. The emperor title was called "Perarasan" and his realm was a "Perarasu". The word "Arasangam" is used today for the government.
Nawab Begum Used historically for semi-autonomous Muslim rulers of princely states in South Asia.
Padishah A superlative title equivalent to "Great King" or "King of Kings". Used historically by several West Asian empires such as the Shāhanshāh of Iran (King of Kings of Persia), Mughal Emperors of the Indian Subcontinent (who used the Arabic version of the title, Badshah) and Sultan of the Ottoman Empire.
Shah Shahbanu Used historically in Persia, Greater Iran and the Mughal Empire. Variously translated into English as King or Emperor.
Khagan Khanum Khaganate Imperial rank in the Mongolian and Turkic languages equal to the status of Emperor. Historical example: Rus' Khaganate
Khan Khatun Khanate Imperial rank in the Mongolian and Turkic languages equal to the status of King. Historical examples: Khanate of Kazan, Crimean Khanate.
Pharaoh Pharaoh Used historically in Ancient Egypt.
Satrap Satrap Used historically in Ancient Persia to refer to local rulers of provinces under the Persian King. Also used for provincial rulers of Alexander the Great's Empire.
Khedive Khedivate Khedivial Largely equivalent to Viceroy in the Ottoman Empire. Examples: Khedivate of Egypt.

Titles by region

When a difference exists below, male titles are placed to the left and female titles are placed to the right of the slash.

Region Title Description and use
Africa AlmamiFulani people of west Africa
AsanteheneTitle of the king of the Ashanti people in Ghana
BeyRuler of Tunisia until 1957; originally Turkish for governor[9]
BoqorRegal style used by rulers of some of the Somali Sultanates
ChieftainLeader of a people
EzeIgbo people of Nigeria
KabakaBaganda people of Buganda in Uganda

Mangi for Chaggas in Northern Tanzania

MalikKing of Morocco
MwamiIn both Rwanda and Burundi during the Tutsi domination of these countries, now the acknowledged ruling sections of only their fellow Tutsis
NegusEmperor of Ethiopia; properly Negus Negust, meaning "King of Kings"[9]
ObaYoruba and Bini peoples of Nigeria
OmukamaBunyoro, title of some kings in Uganda
PharaohEmperor of Ancient Egypt
SarkiKing of the Hausa people
Asia AkhoondTitle of the ruler of the Swat in present-day Pakistan[9]
Chakrawarti RajaIndia Sri Lanka
Chogyal"Divine Ruler"; ruled Sikkim until 1975
Datutitle of leaders of small principalities in Ancient Philippines; equivalent to "Prince".
Druk GyalpoHereditary title given to the king of Bhutan
Emperor of ChinaAlso known as Huángdì, rule the Imperial China with supreme power.
Engku or UngkuMalaysia, to denote particular family lineage akin to royalty
GaekwadThe title of the ruler of Baroda (India). The word means "cowherd" in Marathi[9]
GatHonorary title of the leaders in the Philippines
HangLimbu King of East Nepal Limbuwan
HarìAncient and modern Filipino equivalent of king
HolkarThe title of the ruler of Indore (India)[9]
Huángdì皇帝 as in Chinese, the Imperial China Emperor
HwangjeStates that unified Korea
Lakantitle used by the rulers of the Kingdom of Tondo (now part of the Philippines)
MannanUsed in Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka
Maha RajaUsed in India and Sri Lanka
Maha RajuUsed in Andhra Pradesh (India)
MeurahTitle used in Aceh before Islam
NawabUsed in Bhopal, Jaora, Tonk and some other Indian princely states[9]
NizamUsed in Hyderabad (India)
Padshahanshah
Padshah
Shahinshah
Shah
Emperor or High Emperor of Iran or Hindustan (India); also the monarch of Britain as Emperor of India[9]
Preah Karuna Preah Bat Sâmdech Preah BâromneathKing of Cambodia Khmer, the title literally means "The feet of the Greatest Lord who is on the heads (of his subjects)" (This royal title does not refer directly to the king himself but to his feet, according to traditions).
PatabendaSub- king Sri lanka
Phrabat Somdej PhrachaoyuhuaKing of Thailand (Siam), the title literally means "The feet of the Greatest Lord who is on the heads (of his subjects)" (This royal title does not refer directly to the king himself but to his feet, according to traditions.)
QaghanCentral Asian Tribes
RachaThailand same meaning as Raja
RajaMalaysia, Raja denotes royalty in Perak and certain Selangor royal family lineages, is roughly equivalent to Prince or Princess; also King of Nepal, and many Indian states
Rajahpre-colonial title for monarchs in the Philippines; equivalent of "king" (pronounced "RA-ha" due to Spanish influence).
RaniNepali Queen
Rao or MaharaoUsed in Indian states of Cutch, Kotah and Sirohi[9]
Rawal or MaharawalUsed in northern and western India, Yaduvanshis.
Susuhunan or SunanThe Indonesian princely state of Surakarta.
SaophaShan, king of Shan, today as a part of Myanmar
SayyidHonorific title given throughout the Islamic regions. Title given to males accepted as descendants of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Syed/Sharifah in Perlis if suffixed by the royal clan name, is roughly equivalent to Prince or Princess.
ScindiaTitle of the ruler of Gwalior (India)[9]
ShogunJapanese military dictator, always a Samurai
SultanAceh, Brunei Darussalam, Java, Oman, Malaysia, Sultan is the title of seven (Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Pahang, Perak, Selangor, and Terengganu) of the nine rulers of the Malay states.
Sumeramikoto,OkimiJapan, king
TengkuMalaysia, Tengku (also spelled Tunku in Johor), Negeri Sembilan and Kedah is roughly equivalent to Prince or Princess
Tennō or MikadoJapan
ThakurTitle of the ruler of Gondal (India)[9]
Veyndhan, ko/ArasiTamil Nadu (India)
WaliTitle of the ruler of Kalat (Pakistan)[9]
WangPre-Imperial China/Russia. "King" is the usual translation for the Chinese term wang 王.
WangThe king of Korea that control over all of Korea. It is called 'Im-Geum-nym' or 'Im-Geum'
Yang di-Pertuan AgongMonarch of Malaysia who is elected every five years by the reigning kings of the Malaysian constituent states, all of whom also serve as the only electoral candidates in each of the elections
America Imperador Emperor of Brazil.
Tlatoani Nahuatl King. The word literally means "speaker", but may be translated into English as "king"
Sapa 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 Emperor of the Inca Empire (Tawantinsuyu).
Europe Anax"King" during Mycenaean Greece
Tagavor/Tagouhi or ArqaArmenian King/Queen
AutokratorGreek term for the Roman and Byzantine Emperors
Ban
Croatia, medieval Romania (Wallachia, Oltenia), medieval Bosnia and limited use in medieval Bulgaria
Basileus"King" in ancient Greece, Thrace, Macedonia, Crimea, Asia Minor. "Emperor" in the Byzantine Empire. "King" in modern Greece
Brenin/Brenhines,Welsh for king and queen; used in Wales by the petty kinglets during the Early Middle Ages. During the High Middle Ages, the kinglets mediatised into principalities and employed the title 'prince/princess' (tywysog/tywysoges). Brenhines is the title used in Welsh for Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom.
DespotByzantine Empire, Second Bulgarian Empire, Danubian Principalities, Serbian Despotate (originating from Byzantium)
Domn
Medieval Romania (Moldova, Wallachia)
FejedelemAncient/Medieval Hungarian
Germanic king
GirayCrimean Tartars King
ImperatorThe Ruler of Imperial Russia
IoanMedieval Romanian title "Io" derived from the name of the Bulgarian tzars of Asen dynasty Ioan Asen I and Ioan Asen I
Jupan (Župan)medieval: Hungaria, Serbia, Bosnia, Croatia, Romania, limited in Bulgaria
KaiserImperial Germany and Austria-Hungary
Knyaz, KnezSlavic title in: Bulgaria, Kievan Rus and Rusia, Great Moravia, Bohemia, Slovakia, Croatia, Serbia, Lithuania(Grand Duchy of Lithuania). Generally translated as "prince" or "duke".
Konge/DronningDenmark, Norway
Koning/KoninginNetherlands
Kral (Kralj)Bosnia, Croatia, Serbia
Kung (Konung)/DrottningSweden
Kunigaikshtis (Kunigaikštis) duke as in Grand Duchy of Lithuania. In official Old Belarusian language documentation the title has been Knyaz (Belarusian: Князь) or grand duke, Vialiki kniaz (Belarusian: Вялікі князь)
MbretAlbanian King
Mepe Georgian King and Queen
Gaelic king. Also Ruiri (regional overking), Rí ruirech (provincial king of overkings), and Ard Rí (pre-eminent Rí ruirech)
Tsar/Tsaritsa/CzarBulgaria, pre-imperial Russia, very short in medieval Serbia
VezérAncient Hungarian
Voivode, VoievodMedieval: Bulgaria, Serbia, Hungaria, Romania, Poland
Middle-East ShahPersian/Iranian and Afghanistan King

Padishah(Ottoman Empire) Han {Version of Central Asian{Khan} Used by the Ottoman Turks

ShahenshahPersian/Iranian "King of Kings" or Emperor
Mir A title given to Kurdish rulers in Kurdistan during medieval centuries.
Melekh (מלך)King of Ancient Israel (e.g. Saul, David and Solomon)
MalikArabic King, (Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Jordan)
EmirArabic Prince, (Kuwait, Qatar, United Arab Emirates)
Sultan/SultanaArabic King (Oman and Ottoman Empire)
Oceania ChieftainLeader of a tribe or clan.
Houʻeiki, matai, aliʻi, tūlafale, tavana, ariki, Patu-ikiUsually translated as "chief" in various Polynesian countries.
Mo'iNormally translated as King, a title used by Hawaiian monarchs since unification in 1810. The last person to hold that title was Queen Lili'uokalani.
Tuʻi or TuiKings in Oceania: Tonga, Wallis and Futuna, Nauru

Current monarchs

Use of titles by non-sovereigns

It is not uncommon that people who are not generally seen as monarchs nevertheless use monarchical titles. There are at least five cases of this:

See also

References

  1. "monarch". Oxford Dictionaries. 2014.
  2. Webster's II New College Dictionary. Monarch. Houghton Mifflin. Boston. 2001. p. 707. ISBN 0-395-96214-5
  3. Pine, L.G. (1992). Titles: How the King became His Majesty. New York: Barnes & Noble. p. 86. ISBN 978-1-56619-085-5.
  4. SOU 1977:5 Kvinnlig tronföljd, p. 16.
  5. Canada: History
  6. Ferguson, Will; The Lost Kingdom; Macleans, October 27, 2003
  7. The Four Indian Kings
  8. L Gomes. 1889: como um imperador cansado, um marechal vaidoso e um professor injustiçado contribuíram para a o fim da monarquia e programação da republica no Brasil. Globo Livros. 2013.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 The Wordsworth Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. Wordsworth Reference. pp. 943–944. ISBN 1-84022-310-3.

External links

Look up monarch or kingship in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
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