Historically, for many centuries, Arab states obeyed the dogmas and norms of the religion of Islam, did not know the rule of kings and emperors. So who ruled them and what is the name of the supreme ruler in the Arab countries? Let's try to figure it out.
Most often, the form of government is determined by the title of ruler . If the ruler is called the Sultan, then the Sultanate, the Caliph (the old name is Caliph) is the Caliphate, and so on. We will figure out what they have in common and what are the main differences.
Caliphs (Caliphs)
Representative of both secular and religious government without any division, the supreme ruler in the Arab countries is the caliph. It was believed that the caliphs were formerly the governors of the Prophet Muhammad on earth. Under such a rule, it is religion that is the founder and has a huge impact on the political direction of life in the country.
In addition, the Caliphs were also called the Egyptian and then Turkish Sultans, emphasizing their spiritual supremacy over Muslim residents.
The sultans
The Sultan is another official title that answers the question of the name of the supreme ruler in the Arab countries. If the sultan is at the head, then the state itself or part of it (region, region, state) is called the sultanate. The name came to the world of Islam from the Koran as a designation of power, later the "Sultan" began to designate a representative of secular power, the opposite of the "imam" as a representative of religious authority.
The main hallmark of the sultanate in the Islamic world is the reign of the dynasty for a long period. Being part of the caliphate, such a state was nevertheless independent and subordinate only to its ruler from the local dynasty. But it happened that an elected person also came to power.
Today there is not a single country left where the Sultan would rule. The last known sultanates - Zanzibar, Qatar, Quaiti and Lahej, disappeared from the world map in 1964 and 1967. Although the most famous sultanates are rightfully considered Ottoman, with its capital in Constantinople, and Mamluksky is the capital of Cairo.
Sheikhs and emirs
Some dynasties of modern representatives of the power of the Arab countries, such as Kuwait, Bahrain and others, appeared during the settlement of the tribes. Then they themselves chose the sheikhs - another title that the supreme Arab ruler can wear.
It was the sheikhs who influenced the life of the clan, their power grew, they were strengthened due to weaker clans. And this process continued until one of the most powerful sheikhs established his dynasty, transferring power and the right to rule to his children and grandchildren.
In the UAE, as the name implies, the emir is at the head , this is another option, as the supreme ruler in the Arab countries is called. The title is inherited. Although the country consists of seven independent administrative units - the emirates, they are all subordinate to the supreme ruler. Sometimes he is also called the president, although this is not entirely correct, since the position is inherited.
Kings and Presidents
In some countries of the Arab world, for example, in Jordan or Morocco, the monarchy is still preserved, when power is one and is concentrated in the hands of one lord. The ruling person in this case bears the title of king. Naturally, the very word of non-Arab origin was introduced into the language by the colonialists exhibiting these territories at one time, although it answers the question of what the supreme ruler is called in the Arab countries.
There are cases when the form of government has changed in the country, and therefore the name of the head of state. For example, in Qatar, in the 70th year of the 20th century, a constitution was adopted. It said that representatives of the emirates can choose a ruler from their circle for a period of five years. In this case, the title of ruler is the president.