List of sultans of Sulu facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Sultan of Sulu Sultan sin Sūg سلطان سولو
Details
First monarch	Rajah and Sharif ul-Hāshim
Last monarch	Mohammed Mahakuttah A. Kiram (last recognised Sultan)
Formation	1390 (Sultanate of Sulu was said to be founded in 1405)
Abolition	1986
Residence	Datu Sangahan, Sulu
Pretender(s)	Muedzul Lail Tan Kiram Full list Muwallil Wasit II Esmail Kiram I Mahakuttah Kiram Aguimuddin Abirin Jamalul Kiram III Mohammad Akijal Atti Ismael Kiram II Phudgal Kiram Muedzul Lail Tan Kiram Fuad Kiram Mohamad Akjan Ali Muhammad Abdul Rajak Aliuddin Eddy T. Sulaiman

This article lists the leaders, called sultans, and later claimants of the former Sulu Sultanate. The Royal House of Sulu is a royal family from the Sulu Archipelago in the Philippines. In the past, the sultan was the main leader of the Sultanate of Sulu. Today, the position of sultan does not have political power. It is mostly a cultural role.

After the last officially recognized sultan, Mohammed Mahakuttah A. Kiram, passed away, several people have claimed to be the rightful sultan.

Early Kings of Sulu
List of Sultans
Genealogical chart
See also

Early Kings of Sulu

Before the Sultanate of Sulu began, the area was divided into three smaller kingdoms.

	King	Details
1	East King Paduka Pahala (Paduka Batara) ?–1417
1	Cave (Dong) King Paduka Patulapok ?–
1	West King Maharaja Kamalud Din (Mahalachii) ?–

The family members of Paduka Pahala, through his two sons, still live in Dezhou in China. Their family names are An and Wen.

Sharif ul-Hāshim of Sulu came to Sulu and married Princess Dayang-dayang Paramisuli from the old royal family. This is how the Sulu Sultanate was started.

List of Sultans

Sultans from 1405 to 1936

This list shows the people who held the title of sultan between 1405 and 1936.

	Sultan	Details
1	Sultan Sharif ul-Hashim 1405–??	He founded the Sulu Sultanate. His full name was Sayyid walShareef Abu Bakr ibn Abirin AlHashmi. He renamed himself Paduka Mahasari Maulana al-Sultan Sharif ul-Hashim. His tomb is near Mount Tumantangis.
2	Sultan Kamalud-Din 1480–1505	He was the son of Sharif ul-Hashim and became sultan after him.
3	Sultan Alaud-Din ?	He was a brother of Kamalud-Din and a son of Sultan Shariful-Hashim.
4	Sultan Amirul-Umara 1505–1527	He is believed to be Sultan Bolkiah.
5	Sultan Muizzul-Mutawadi-in 1527–1548	He was the grandson of Sharif ul-Hashim.
6	Sultan Nasirud-Din I 1548–1568	He was the son of Sultan Muizz ul-Mutawadi-in.
7	Sultan Muhammad ul-Halim 1568–1596	He was the son of Sultan Nasirud-Din I.
8	Sultan Batarah Shah Tengah 1596–1608	He was the son of Sultan Muhammad ul-Halim. He died without a child to take his place.
9	Sultan Muwallil Wasit I 1610–1650	He was the nephew of Sultan Batara Shah Tengah. He was also known as Raja Bongsu. He moved the Sulu Royal court after the Spanish took Jolo in 1638.
10	Sultan Nasir ud-Din II 1645–1648	He is believed to be Sultan Qudarat.
11	Sultan Salahud-Din Bakhtiar 1649/50–1680	He was known to Spanish officials as Pangiran Bactial. He set up "3 Temporary Sultans of Sulu" because his son was very young.
12	Sultan Ali Shah	His reign was short and peaceful.
13	Sultan Nur ul-Azam c. 1685	She was a daughter of Sultan Nasirud-Din II and ruled for about four or five years.
14	Sultan Al Haqunu Ibn Wali ul-Ahad	His name means "son of the heir apparent."
15	Sultan Shahabud-Din 1685–1710	He was the son of Salah ud-Din.
16	Sultan Mustafa Shafi ud-Din 1710–1718	He was the younger brother of Shahab ud-Din. He gave up his throne to his younger brother Badar ud-Din.
17	Sultan Badarud-Din I 1718–1732	He was the younger brother of the two previous sultans. He retired to Tawi-Tawi in 1732.
18	Sultan Nasarud-Din 1732–1735	He was a nephew or grand-nephew of Shahab ud-Din. He challenged Badar ud-Din's rule.
19	Sultan Alimud-Din I 1735–1748 1764–1773	He was the son of Badarud-Din I. He ruled in two separate periods. He gave up his power to his son Muhammad Israil in 1773.
20	Sultan Bantilan Muizzud-Din 1748–1763	He was a younger brother of Alimud-Din I.
21	Sultan Mohammad Israel 1773–1778	He was a son of Alimud-Din I. He became sultan in 1773.
22	Sultan Alimud-Din II 1763–1764 1778–1789	He was the son of Muizzud-Din I. He ruled with his brother for a time. He became sultan again in 1778 and ruled until his death in 1789.
24	Sultan Alimud-Din III 1808	He was the son of Sharapud-Din. He died in the same year as his father, possibly from a smallpox outbreak.
26	Sultan Shakirul-Lah 1821–1823	He was the brother of Aliyud-Din I.
27	Sultan Jamalul Kiram I 1823–1844	He was the son of Alimud-Din III.
28	Sultan Moh. Pulalun Kiram 1844–1862	He was the son of Jamalul-Kiram I.
29	Sultan Jamal ul-Azam 1862–1881	He was the son of Sultan Mohammad Pulalun Kiram. In 1878, he signed a treaty to lease land in northern Borneo (Sabah).
30	Sultan Mohammed Badarud-Din II 1881–1884	He was a descendant of Paduka Batara. He died in 1884 without any male children.
31	Sultan Harun Ar-Rashid 1886–1894	He was a descendant of Alimud-Din I. He gave up his title in 1894.
32	Sultan Jamalul Kiram II 1894–1936	He was the younger brother of Badarud-Din II. In 1915, he gave up most of his political power to the United States government. He died on June 7, 1936, without any sons. According to Islamic law, a woman could not be his successor. After Sultan Jamalul Kiram II died in 1936 without a direct male heir, the line of succession became complicated. The Philippine government decided not to recognize any new sultans after him. This led to different families claiming the right to the throne.

Sultans from 1936 to 1950

By the early 1900s, the Sultanate of Sulu had already lost much of its power. Any political power of the sultanate was officially ended in 1915. However, the royal family's descendants are still respected as royalty by the people in Sulu and other areas.

After Sultan Jamalul-Kiram II died in 1936, the Philippine Government decided not to recognize the Sultanate of Sulu anymore. This led to several people claiming to be the rightful sultan. During World War II, both Japanese and American forces supported different claimants.

	Sultan	Details
1	Sultan Bomid-Din I 1936–1973	He was a younger brother of Sultan Badarud-Din II and Sultan Jamalul-Kiram II. He was chosen by a vote of the people in 1936.
2	Muwallil Wasit II 1936-1950	He was the younger brother of Sultan Badarud-Din II and Sultan Jamalul-Kiram II. He was chosen as the new sultan by the royal council. His son, Mohammed Esmail Kiram, was recognized as his successor.
3	Amirul Umara I 1935–1964	He was recognized as Sultan of Sulu by the Japanese government during World War II. He later gave up his title.
4	Jainal Abirin 1937–1950	He was supported by the American forces. He stepped down in 1950.

Sultans from 1950 to 1986

A family tree released by the Philippine government.

In 1962, the Philippine government, led by President Diosdado Macapagal, officially recognized the Sulu Sultanate again. On May 24, 1974, President Ferdinand Marcos officially recognized Sultan Mohammad Mahakuttah Kiram (who ruled from 1974–1986). A government order stated that the government had always recognized the Sultanate of Sulu as the rightful claimant to historical territories. It also said that Mahakuttah A. Kiram was the official Sultan of Sulu. His 8-year-old eldest son, Muedzul Lail Tan Kiram, was crowned as Raja Muda (Crown Prince) at the same time. On February 16, 1986, Muedzul Lail Tan Kiram became the head of the Sulu royal house after his father passed away. As the eldest son, he is considered the rightful heir to the throne of the Sultanate of Sulu.

The following list shows the sultans from 1950 to 1986 who were officially recognized by the Philippine Government.

	Sultan	Details
1	Sultan Mohammed Esmail Kiram I (Esmail E. Kiram I) 1950–1974	He was the eldest son of Raja Muda Muwallil Wasit II. He was the legally recognized successor to the Sultan of Sulu. He gave authority to the Philippine government, which again officially recognized the Sultanate of Sulu and the position of Sultan of Sulu. His eldest son, Datu Mohammed Mahakuttah A. Kiram, was his Crown Prince.
2	Sultan Mohammed Mahakuttah Abdullah Kiram 1974–1986	He was the eldest son of Sultan Mohammed Esmail E. Kiram I. He was the last Sultan of Sulu officially recognized by the royal council and by the Philippine government. President Ferdinand Marcos declared him the rightful heir. His coronation took place on May 24, 1974. At the same time, Muedzul Lail Tan Kiram, his eldest son, was crowned as Crown Prince of Sulu.

Self-proclaimed Sultans from 1980 to 2013

After Sultan Mahakuttah A. Kiram passed away, the Philippine government did not formally recognize a new sultan. Mahakuttah's Crown Prince, Muedzul Lail Kiram, was 20 years old at the time. Because of his young age and political changes in the Philippines, he did not claim the throne right away. This led to other people from different family branches claiming the title. These sultans were not crowned with the support of the Philippine government as previous sultans had been. However, the Philippine government has talked with some of these claimants about matters concerning the sultanate.

	Sultan	Details
1	Mohammed Punjungan Kiram 1980–1983	He was a younger brother of Sultan Esmail E. Kiram I. He was made Crown Prince under Sultan Esmail E. Kiram I. He later claimed the title of sultan. He was the father of Jamalul Kiram III and Esmail Kiram II.
2	Aguimuddin Abirin 1983	He claimed the title for a short time.
3	Jamal ul-Kiram III 1983–1990 2012–2013	He was the eldest son of Punjungan Kiram. He proclaimed himself Sultan of Sulu in 1986. He later stepped down and was replaced by Mohammad Akijal Atti. In 2012, he was again proclaimed sultan along with his brother Esmail Kiram II. He passed away on October 20, 2013.
4	Mohammad Akijal Atti 1990–1999	He became regent after Jamalul Kiram III in 1990. He was later succeeded by Jamalul Kiram's brother Esmail Kiram II.
5	Esmail Kiram II 1999–2015	He was the second son of Punjungan Kiram and younger brother of Jamalul Kiram III. He proclaimed himself "Reigning Sultan." In 2012, an agreement allowed Jamalul Kiram III to be proclaimed Sultan alongside Esmail Kiram II. Sultan Esmail Kiram II passed away on September 19, 2015.

Current Claimants

These are the people who currently claim to be the Sultan of Sulu.

	Sultan	Details
1	Fuad Abdullah Kiram I	Fuad Abdullah Kiram I is the younger brother of Sultan Mohammed Mahakuttah Abdullah Kiram, who was the last Sultan of Sulu officially recognized by the Philippine government. He is one of several people claiming to be heirs to the Sultanate.

	Sultan	Details
2	Muedzul Lail Tan Kiram	Sultan Muedzul Lail Tan Kiram is the eldest son and rightful heir of the late Sultan Mohammed Mahakuttah A. Kiram (who was sultan from 1974–1986). He has been the head of the Royal House of Sulu since February 16, 1986. When he was eight years old, on May 24, 1974, he was crowned Raja Muda (Crown Prince, heir to the throne) of the Sultanate of Sulu. This happened on the same day his father was crowned Sultan. These coronations were supported by Ferdinand Marcos, who was then president of the Philippines. A government order from that time stated that the government had always recognized the Sultanate of Sulu as the rightful claimant to historical territories. In this document, Sultan Moh. Mahakuttah A. Kiram and Crown Prince Muedzul Lail Tan Kiram were officially recognized by the Philippine government as the rightful leaders of the historic Sulu Sultanate. On February 16, 1986, after Sultan Mohammed Mahakuttah A. Kiram passed away, Muedzul Lail Tan Kiram became the head of the Royal House of Sulu. Muedzul Lail Tan Kiram studied at the Universidad de Zamboanga in the Philippines. He also studied in Lahore, Pakistan, in 1995 and 1996. In 2011, Muedzul Lail Tan Kiram created the Royal and Hashemite Order of the Pearl of Sulu. He became the first Grand Sayyid (Grand Master) of this order. Muedzul Lail Tan Kiram was crowned as the 35th rightful Sultan of Sulu on September 16, 2012. The coronation took place in Mainbung, Sulu, with many important people and local officials present.

Genealogical chart

Genealogical Chart of Sulu Sultans

Adnan

Ma'ad

Nizar

Mudar

Ilyas

Mudrikah

Khuzaymah

Kinana

Al-Nadr

Malik

Fihr

Ghalib

Lu'ayy

Ka'b

Murrah

Kilab

Qusayy

Abd Manaf

Hashim

Abd al-Muttalib

Abdullah

Hasan
al-Muthanna

Abdullah
al-Kamil

Ali
al-Uraydi

Musa
al-Jawn

Muhammad
al-Naqib

Abdullah
al-Rida

Isa

Musa al-Thani

Ahmad
al-Muhajir

Muhammad
al-Akbar

Ubaydullah

Abdullah

Alawi

Ali

Muhammad

Sulayman

Alawi

Husayn

Ali Khali' Qism

Isa

Muhammad
Sahib Mirbat

Abd al-Karim

Alawi

Muta'in

Abdullah

Idris

Sharifate
of Mecca

Ali

Qatada
r. 1201-1220

Muhammad

Ali

Abdullah

Hasan
r. 1250-1253

Ahmad

Muhammad
Abu Numayy I
r. 1250-1301

Daughter
of a Sultan

Ali Zayn
al-Abidin

Datu Raja
Baguinda

Rumaythah
r. 1301-1345

Sultanate
of Sulu

Sultanate of
Maguindanao

¹
Shariful
Hashim
r. 1405-1480

Dayang
Dayang
Paramisuli

Sharif
Muhammad
Kabungsuwan
r. 1520-1543

Ajlan
r. 1344-1372

Sultanate
of Brunei

²
Kamaluddin
r. 1480-1505

Alauddin

Sharif
Maka-alang
r. 1543-1574

Sharif Ali
r. 1425-1432

³
Amirul Umara I
r. 1505-1527

Sulaiman
r. 1432-1485

⁴
Muizzul
Mutawadi'in
r. 1527-1548

Bolkiah
r. 1485-1524

⁵
Nasiruddin I
r. 1548-1568

Abdul Kahar
r. 1524-1530

⁶
Muhammadul
Halim
r. 1568-1596

Saiful Rijal
r. 1533-1581

⁷
Batarah
Shah Tengah
r. 1596-1608

Putri Sulu

Muhammad
Hasan
r. 1582-1598

Sharif
Bangkaya
r. 1574-1578

⁸
Muwallil
Wasit I
r. 1610-1650

Kapitan
Laut Buisan
r. 1597-1619

Gugu
Sarikula
r. 1585-1597

Raja Putri

¹⁰
Salahuddin
Bakhtiar
r. 1650-1680

¹¹
Ali Shah

⁹
Nasiruddin II
r. 1645-1648

Daughter

¹³
Al Haqunu

¹⁴
Shahabuddin
r. 1685-1710

¹⁵
Mustafa
Shafiuddin
r. 1710-1718

¹⁶
Badaruddin I
r. 1718-1732

¹²
Nurul Azam

Son or
Grandson

¹⁷
Nasaruddin
r. 1732-1735

¹⁸
Muhammad
Alimuddin I
r. 1735-1748,
1764-1773

¹⁹
Bantilan
Muizzuddin
r. 1748-1763

²¹
Muhammad
Israil
r. 1773-1778

²²
Sharafuddin
r. 1789-1808

²⁰
Muhammad
Alimuddin II
r. 1763-1764,
1778-1789

Datu Putong

²³
Muhammad
Alimuddin III
r. 1808

²⁴
Aliyuddin I
r. 1808-1821

²⁵
Shakirullah
r. 1821-1823

Datu Dadung

²⁶
Jamalul
Kiram I
r. 1823-1844

Datu Ja'afar

²⁷
Muhammad
Pulalun Kiram
r. 1844-1862

Datu Zulkifli

²⁸
Jamalul Alam
r. 1862-1881

³⁰
Harun
Al Rashid
r. 1886-1894

Great Great-
Grandson

²⁹
Badaruddin II
r. 1881-1884

³¹
Jamalul
Kiram II
r. 1894-1915
– Titular –
r. 1915-1936

Bomiddin
r. 1936-1973

Muwallil
Wasit II
r. 1936-1950

Zainal Abidin
r. 1937–1950

Dayang
Dayang
Piandao

Amirul
Umara II
r. 1935-1964

Muhammad
Ismail
Kiram I
r. 1950-1974

Muhammad
Punjungan
Kiram
r. 1980-1983

Aguimuddin
Abidin
r. 1983

Muhammed
Akijal Atti
r. 1990-1999

Muhammad
Mahakuttah
Abdullah
Kiram
r. 1974-1986

Fuad
Abdullah
Kiram

Jamalul
Kiram III
r. 1983-1990,
2012-2013

Ismail
Kiram II
r. 1999-2015

Muizzul Lail
Tan Kiram
r. 1986-present

List of sultans of Sulu facts for kids

Contents

Early Kings of Sulu

List of Sultans

Sultans from 1405 to 1936

Sultans from 1936 to 1950

Sultans from 1950 to 1986

Self-proclaimed Sultans from 1980 to 2013

Current Claimants

Genealogical chart

See also