Khagan
/ˈkɑːɡɑːn/noun
A title for a supreme ruler or emperor, especially among some Central Asian and Mongolic peoples.
Did you know?Khagan is the imperial counterpart to the title khan, and its prestige spread across Eurasia through Turkic and Mongolic states, carrying the aura of supreme, sacral kingship.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Turkic
PTk
*qaɣan
“supreme ruler; emperor”
Old Turkic
OT
qaɣan
“emperor; great ruler”
Middle Mongol
Mongolic
qaɣan / kagan
“supreme ruler; emperor”
Medieval Persian
Persian
khāqān
“emperor; great khan”
English
English
khagan
“a title for a supreme ruler, especially in Mongol and Turkic contexts”