sultan kingSultan is a position with several historical meanings. Orinally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning strength, authority, rulership, derived from the verbal noun سلطة sulṭah, meaning authority or power. Later, it came to be used as the title of certain rulers who claimed almost full soverenty (i.e., not having dependence on any hher ruler) without claiming the overall caliphate, or to r…Titles like king or emperor have complex meanings because there aren’t many of these types of rulers left. Explore subtle differences between ruler titles throughout history.