A paramount chief is the English-language designation for the highest-level political leader in a regional or local polity or country administered politically with a
chief-based system. This term is used occasionally in
anthropological and
archaeological theory to refer to the rulers of multiple chiefdoms or the rulers of exceptionally powerful chiefdoms that have subordinated others. Paramount chiefs were identified by English-speakers as existing in Native American confederacies and regional chiefdoms, such as the
Powhatan Confederacy and
PiscatawayNative Americans encountered by
European colonists in the
Chesapeake Bay region of
North America.
During the
Victoria era, paramount chief was a formal title created by British colonial administrators in the
British Empire and applied in Britain's colonies in Asia and Africa. They used it as a substitute for the word "
king" to ensure that only the
British monarch held that title.[1] Since the title "chief" was already used in terms of district and town administrators, the addition of "
paramount" was made so as to distinguish between the ruling monarch and the local
aristocracy.[1]
Africa
Eastern African paramount chieftainships and titles
Kenya: Title held by supreme ruler Lago Ogom, after the advent of
British colonial rule in Northern Kenya.
Sudan: In
South Sudan, the title of the chief responsible for a payam (district) elected by the chiefs of each buma (village). The Paramount Chief works with the government-appointed Payam Director, both of whom report to a
county Commissioner.
West African paramount chieftains and their countries
of each of the eight major tribes of the
Tswana, all in
Botswana (former Bechuanaland)
In present
Lesotho since it emerged as a polity in 1822, a
British protectorate as Basutoland since 12 March 1868 (11 August 1871 – 18 March 1884 Annexed to Cape Colony as Basutoland territory, then as a separate colony, as one of the
High Commission Territories). The title changed to king on 4 October 1966, which was the date of the country's independence from the
British Empire.
over the Awa-Khoi or "Red Nation" (more prominent then six other 'nations') of the Nama (
Khoi) people, a Chiefdom established before 1700.
title Okahandja Herero among that people, also Chief Ministers of Hereoroland (two incumbents 20 July 1970 – 5 December 1980), the 'homeland' of the
Ovaherero
In
Swaziland the term paramount chief was imposed by the British government over Swazi royal objections in 1903, was never recognized by the Swazi royalty, and was changed to "king" in English upon independence in 1968. The SiSwati name for the office is Ngwenyama, a ceremonial term for "lion".
In South Africa
Khosikulu of the vhaVenda; after the people's split, (only?) of the haMphaphuli
title Inkosi Enkhulu of the Xhosa people's following polities:
amaGcaleka, amaMbalu,
amaRharhabe,
amaNdlambe, imiDushane, imiQhayi, amaGasela, amaGwali, amaHleke, imiDange, amaNtinde,
amaGqunukhwebe
title Inkosi Enkhulu of the
amaBhaca (until 1830 called abakwaZelemu)
title Inkosi Enkhulu of the
amaKhonjwayo (currently ruled by Dumisani Gwadiso)
title Inkosi Enkhulu of the
amaMpondo, currently ruled by Ndamase NDAMASE (West) and Jongilanga Sigcau (East) .
Khan, alternately spelled lowercase as khan[2] and sometimes spelled as Han, Xan, Ke-Han,
Turkic: khān,[2][3]Mongolian: qāān,[3]Chinese: 可汗 or 汗, kehan or han) is an originally
Central Asian title for a sovereign or military ruler, first used by medieval
Turko-Mongolnomadic tribes living to the north of China. 'Khan' is first seen as a title in the
Xianbei confederation[4] for their chief between 283 and 289[5] and was used as a state title by the
Rouran confederation.[6]
It was subsequently adopted by the
Göktürks before
Turkic peoples and the
Mongols brought it to the rest of Asia. In the middle of the sixth century it was known as "Kagan – King of the Turks" to the
Persians.[4]
It now has many equivalent meanings such as commander, leader, or ruler. The most famous khan was the Great Khan of Mongols:
Genghis Khan. Another famous Manchu khan was
Nurhachi.
Sabah, Malaysian Borneo
Huguan Siou is the paramount leader for the
KadazandusunMurut indigenous community in
Sabah. The current and the second Huguan Siou is
Joseph Pairin Kitingan. The office is near sacred and can be left vacant if no one is deemed worthy to hold the title.[7]
In Oceania
New Zealand
Ariki Nui of
Ngati Tuwharetoa, a
Māori tribe in the central North Island – a hereditary chieftainship which still has great influence. In the 1850s the
Māori King Movement resulted in the election of a Waikato chief as Māori King.
during the October–December 1987 secession agitation on one island, known as the Republic of
Rotuma, led by Henry Gibson (remained in New Zealand), his style was GagajSau Lagfatmaro, rendered as Paramount chief or King of the Molmahao Clan. NB: This title was not recognised by the Rotuma Island Council as the titles Gagaja and Sau have never been used together. The closest thing to a paramount chief is the position of
Fakpure, currently belonging to the district chief (
gagaj 'es itu'u) of
Noa'tau.
the
British Sovereign was recognized as "
Paramount Chief", even after the country became a republic on 7 October 1987; however, this was not an office of state.
Polynesia
Rapa Nui (Easter Island) paramount chief or king, the ariki henua or ariki mau*.
^
ab"khan". The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language.
Bartleby.com. Archived from
the original on 2007-08-19. Retrieved 2008-04-25.
^
abHenning, W. B., 'A Farewell to the Khagan of the Aq-Aqataran',"Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African studies – University of London", Vol 14, No 3, p501–522. ,