ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Sultan

A sultan is like a king who rules a country called a sultanate. Just like how you might have a king or queen who lives in a castle and wears a crown, a sultan wears special clothes and lives in a palace. But instead of a crown, a sultan might wear a special hat called a turban.

The word sultan comes from an Arabic word and has been used for a really long time in countries in the Middle East and Asia. Back in the old days, sultans were very powerful and ruled over large areas of land. They had a lot of people who worked for them and were in charge of making decisions about how the country was run.

Sometimes, sultans would go to war with other countries or even with other sultans to try and gain more power. They might have armies of soldiers to help them fight. This could be really scary for the people who lived in the sultanate.

While there aren't as many sultanates around now as there used to be, the title of "sultan" is still used in some places. Today, many sultans still have an important role in their countries and are respected by their citizens.
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