Sultana (title)

Sultana or sultanah (Arabic: سلطانه‎‎ sulṭānah, pronounced [səlˈtanə]) is an Islamic title and a feminine form of the word sultan. This term has been legally used for some Muslim women monarchs and sultan's consorts. Nevertheless, westerners have used the title to refer to Muslim women monarchs and sultan's women relatives who don't hold this title officially.

The term sultana is a feminine form of the word sultan (Arabic: سلطان‎‎), an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun سلطة sulṭah, meaning "authority" or "power". Later, sultan came to be used as the title of certain rulers who claimed almost full sovereignty in practical terms (i.e., the lack of dependence on any higher ruler), albeit without claiming the overall caliphate, or to refer to a powerful governor of a province within the caliphate.

Some Muslim female monarchs chose to adopt the title of Sultana/Sultanah when they ascended to the throne.

In the former Kingdom of Touggourt, now part of Algeria, there was one ruling sultana: Aïsha.

In Samudera Pasai Sultanate (now part of Indonesia), Sultana Seri Ratu Nihrasyiah Rawangsa Khadiyu (r. 1406-1427) became the sole ruler. In Aceh Darussalam (now part of Indonesia and Malaysia), there have been four ruling sultanas:

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