who are sultans?
Today there are sultans still, with greater or lesser power depending on their area of rule. The term sultan is a common one for rulers in Malaysia, Brunei, and Oman. It remains a title of authority for primarily Muslim leaders, and is not commonly used outside of the Muslim world. Many leaders of countries, who would formerly have been called sultans, now refer to themselves as king. An interesting point in the use of the word sultan is its earliest usage. When first used, sultan often meant wife of a ruler, not the ruler himself. So the term, though it translates as authority or strength, usually meant lesser authority or strength.