The term paramount ruler, or sometimes paramount king, is a generic description, though occasionally also used as an actual title, for a number of rulers' position in relative terms, as the summit of a
feudalistic pyramid of rulers of lesser polities (such as
vassalprinces) in a given historical and geographical context, often of different ranks, which all recognize the single paramount ruler as their senior, though not necessarily with effectively commanding authority (as in a true
empire), but often rather a notion like the Western
suzerainty.
Whether the term is used where it could apply is essentially a matter of convention, and as the relatively vague, similar definitions overlap, its use may in certain cases coexist with the use of another term as those mentioned in the See also section.
Examples
In the
Indian subcontinent, including present
Pakistan and
Bangladesh, the
Turko-Persian Muslim
Mughal emperors managed to bring most rulers of the so-called
princely states, in majority
Hindu, under their imperial authority. This was expressed in the majestic style of
Padshah (like the Ottoman
Sultan of Sultans and the Persian
Shahanshah) of native Hindus. After a few generations they lost most of their power over the princes, and could hence rather be considered mere paramount rulers, at best receiving tribute and honorary trappings, while the true political hegemony progressively shifted to the new players, the
Marathas, the
Sikhs and the Eurochristian powers. After a struggle against
France and its ally,
Tippu Sultan (a short while styled
Padishah Bahadur of
Khudadad, a Muslim state in
southern India), the British emerged victorious, mostly in the guise of the
British East India Company. Later they encouraged the ruler of
Awadh (Oudh) to reject the Mughal's suzerainty and assume the style of Padishah themselves, until the British finally toppled both; still later, the
British Crown declared itself, as successors to the Mughal Paramountcy,
Emperors of India.
In the modern
Republic of India, the term has been used to describe the
Peshwa (though formally prime minister of the
Maharaja Chatrapati of
Satara who had lost power to him, so not a nominal head of state) or his constitutional master as hegemon of the
Mahratta confederation, which failed in its nationalist bid for control over India against the
British Raj.
Yang di-Pertuan Agong, a
Malay title usually translated as "Supreme Head", "Supreme Ruler" or "Paramount Ruler", is the official title of the constitutional head of state of the federal state of
Malaysia, elected for five years from among nine monarchs of constitutive states on the Malaysian peninsula.
Analogous is the President of the
United Arab Emirates, formally elected by the rulers of the member states of the UAE from among their number, de facto hereditary in the person of the Hakim of
Abu Dhabi emirate (not unlike the Habsburg emperors in the Holy Roman Empire).
In the
Comoros archipelago, certain rulers of a few major sultanates on Grande Comore have been recognized by the paramount title of
Sultani tibe of the island.
The
Caliph of Islam is the head of the Muslim
ummah, whose authority is theoretically recognised by Muslims across political borders. At various points in history, however, the political authority of the Caliph outside the domains of the
Caliphate itself has waxed and waned
before being completely abolished in 1924.
On 1 March 1900 the
Samoan archipelago (a
Polynesian nation, royal style O le Tupu o Samoa, from 7 November 1889 a tripartite
German–
British–
U.S. protectorate, represented by the three Consuls) was annexed by Germany alone (except for the part that became American Samoa; hence long known as Western Samoa). The
German EmperorWilhelm II was styled there Tupu Sili o Samoa "Paramount King of Samoa" until the
Allied take-over during
World War I.
The British monarch, styled King or Queen, is still recognised as Paramount Chief of
Fiji, even after it became a republic within the Commonwealth, of which the monarch also is the sole Head.
See also
Great King – equivalent, among rulers who all can be considered Kings
Hegemon – irrespective to titles, mere preponderance in power terms
High King – equivalent, among rulers who all can be considered Kings
King of Kings – equivalent, among rulers who all can be considered Kings
Paramount Chief – equivalent in relative terms, but among tribal people without a fully developed state, often rather autonomous within a sovereign state
The term paramount ruler, or sometimes paramount king, is a generic description, though occasionally also used as an actual title, for a number of rulers' position in relative terms, as the summit of a
feudalistic pyramid of rulers of lesser polities (such as
vassalprinces) in a given historical and geographical context, often of different ranks, which all recognize the single paramount ruler as their senior, though not necessarily with effectively commanding authority (as in a true
empire), but often rather a notion like the Western
suzerainty.
Whether the term is used where it could apply is essentially a matter of convention, and as the relatively vague, similar definitions overlap, its use may in certain cases coexist with the use of another term as those mentioned in the See also section.
Examples
In the
Indian subcontinent, including present
Pakistan and
Bangladesh, the
Turko-Persian Muslim
Mughal emperors managed to bring most rulers of the so-called
princely states, in majority
Hindu, under their imperial authority. This was expressed in the majestic style of
Padshah (like the Ottoman
Sultan of Sultans and the Persian
Shahanshah) of native Hindus. After a few generations they lost most of their power over the princes, and could hence rather be considered mere paramount rulers, at best receiving tribute and honorary trappings, while the true political hegemony progressively shifted to the new players, the
Marathas, the
Sikhs and the Eurochristian powers. After a struggle against
France and its ally,
Tippu Sultan (a short while styled
Padishah Bahadur of
Khudadad, a Muslim state in
southern India), the British emerged victorious, mostly in the guise of the
British East India Company. Later they encouraged the ruler of
Awadh (Oudh) to reject the Mughal's suzerainty and assume the style of Padishah themselves, until the British finally toppled both; still later, the
British Crown declared itself, as successors to the Mughal Paramountcy,
Emperors of India.
In the modern
Republic of India, the term has been used to describe the
Peshwa (though formally prime minister of the
Maharaja Chatrapati of
Satara who had lost power to him, so not a nominal head of state) or his constitutional master as hegemon of the
Mahratta confederation, which failed in its nationalist bid for control over India against the
British Raj.
Yang di-Pertuan Agong, a
Malay title usually translated as "Supreme Head", "Supreme Ruler" or "Paramount Ruler", is the official title of the constitutional head of state of the federal state of
Malaysia, elected for five years from among nine monarchs of constitutive states on the Malaysian peninsula.
Analogous is the President of the
United Arab Emirates, formally elected by the rulers of the member states of the UAE from among their number, de facto hereditary in the person of the Hakim of
Abu Dhabi emirate (not unlike the Habsburg emperors in the Holy Roman Empire).
In the
Comoros archipelago, certain rulers of a few major sultanates on Grande Comore have been recognized by the paramount title of
Sultani tibe of the island.
The
Caliph of Islam is the head of the Muslim
ummah, whose authority is theoretically recognised by Muslims across political borders. At various points in history, however, the political authority of the Caliph outside the domains of the
Caliphate itself has waxed and waned
before being completely abolished in 1924.
On 1 March 1900 the
Samoan archipelago (a
Polynesian nation, royal style O le Tupu o Samoa, from 7 November 1889 a tripartite
German–
British–
U.S. protectorate, represented by the three Consuls) was annexed by Germany alone (except for the part that became American Samoa; hence long known as Western Samoa). The
German EmperorWilhelm II was styled there Tupu Sili o Samoa "Paramount King of Samoa" until the
Allied take-over during
World War I.
The British monarch, styled King or Queen, is still recognised as Paramount Chief of
Fiji, even after it became a republic within the Commonwealth, of which the monarch also is the sole Head.
See also
Great King – equivalent, among rulers who all can be considered Kings
Hegemon – irrespective to titles, mere preponderance in power terms
High King – equivalent, among rulers who all can be considered Kings
King of Kings – equivalent, among rulers who all can be considered Kings
Paramount Chief – equivalent in relative terms, but among tribal people without a fully developed state, often rather autonomous within a sovereign state