List of sultans of Sulu

{{Infobox former monarchy

| border =

| royal_title = Sultan

| realm = Sulu
Sultan sin Sūg
سلطان سولو

| coatofarms =

| coatofarmssize =

| coatofarmscaption =

| image =

| caption =

| style =

| first_monarch = Rajah and Sharif ul-Hāshim

| last_monarch = Mohammed Mahakuttah A. Kiram
(last recognised Sultan)

| residence = Maimbung, Sulu{{cite web|title=Dressing up the Monarch |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13639811.2024.2325226 |accessdate=19 April 2025}}

| appointer =

| began = 1390{{cite web|title=Chronological Self Rule and Sultanate |url=http://sulu.gov.ph/Profile.asp?mode=sultanate |publisher=Provincial Government of Sulu, Philippines |accessdate=7 January 2015 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130502155710/http://sulu.gov.ph/Profile.asp?mode=sultanate |archivedate=2 May 2013}}
(Sultanate of Sulu was said to be founded in 1405){{cite web|last=Usman|first=Edd|title=Heirs of Sulu Sultanate urged to attend general convention |website=Manila Bulletin |url= http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/242781/heirs-sulu-sultanate-urged-attend-general-convention |accessdate=21 December 2010|date=10 February 2010}}

| ended = 1986

| pretender = Muedzul Lail Tan Kiram

{{collapsible list

| bullets = yes

| title = 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 is a list of sultans and later claimants of the former Sulu sultanate. The Royal House of Sulu is a royal house of the Sulu Archipelago in the Philippines. Historically the head of the Sultanate of Sulu, the position of sultan today carries with it no political powers or privileges and is mostly a cultural figure.

The last traditionally recognized sultan through the giba ceremony was Sultan Jainal Abirin, while the last sultan officially recognized by the Philippine government was Mohammed Mahakuttah Abdullah Kiram, there are currently several claimants to the position, with the most prominent being his son and crown prince Muedzul Lail Tan Kiram.

Pre-sultanate kings

Sulu was divided into three kingdoms before the sultanate arose.{{citation needed|date=October 2015}}

width="20" \| !width="140" \|King !Details
class="wikitable"
align="center"\| 1	align="center"\| East King Paduka Pahala (Paduka Batara) ?–1417
align="center"\| 1	align="center"\| Cave (Dong) King Paduka Patulapok ?–
align="center"\| 1	align="center"\| West King Maharaja Kamalud Din (Mahalachii) ?–

The descendants of Paduka Pahala, through his two sons, live in Dezhou, China, and have the surnames An and Wen.{{cite web |title=The enduring legacy of the East King of Sulu in Chinese-Filipino diplomacy |url=https://asiancenturyph.com/2024/01/07/the-enduring-legacy-of-the-east-king-of-sulu-in-chinese-filipino-diplomacy/ |website=Asian Century Journal |date=7 January 2024}}

Soon after, Sharif ul-Hāshim of Sulu arrived in Sulu and married the princess Dayang-dayang Paramisuli of the previous royal family, founding the Sultanate of Sulu.{{citation needed|date=October 2015}}

List of sultans

=List of sultans from 1405 to 1936=

The following list details the holders of the title of sultan between 1405 and 1936.{{Cite book | last=Adib Majul |first=Cesar |title=Muslims in the Philippines |year=1999 |isbn=971-542-188-1 |publisher=University of the Philippines Press}}

width="20" \| !width="140" \|Sultan !Details
class="wikitable"
align="center"\| 1	align="center"\| Sultan Sharif ul-Hāshim 1405–??	The founder of the Sulu sultanate, whose proper name was Sayyid walShareef Abu Bakr ibn Abirin AlHashmi. He founded The Royal Sultanate of Sulu in 1457 and renamed himself Paduka Mahasari Maulana al-Sultan Sharif ul-Hashim, which roughly translates from Arabic as "The Master His Majesty, Protector and Sultan, Noble of the Banu Hashim Clan". The Sultan is reported to have lived about thirty years in Buansa, the first seat of the sultanate, and his tomb is located in one of the slopes of nearby Mount Tumantangis.
align="center"\| 2	align="center"\|Sultan Kamal ud-Din 1480–1505	The son of Sharif ul-Hashim, whom he succeeded as sultan.
align="center"\| -	align="center"\|Sultan Alaud-Din ?	Sulu genealogy suggests that he was a brother of Kamalud-Din, a son of Sultan Shariful-Hashim, but believed not to be proclaimed the "Sultan of Sulu".
align="center"\| 3	align="center"\| Sultan Amirul-Umara 1505–1527	His title is believed to be the Arabic translation of Maharajah-di-rajah, found as the fourth sultan in some tarsilas. Some Sulu genealogies do not mention him. Believed to be the Sultan Bolkiah.
align="center"\| 4	align="center"\|Sultan Muizzul-Mutawadi-in 1527–1548	He is the Maharajah Upo (grandchild) of Sharif ul-Hashim. Some genealogies states that he succeeded to the sultanate upon the death of Kamalud-Din.
align="center"\| 6	align="center"\|Sultan Nasirud-Din I 1548–1568	The son of Sultan Muizz ul-Mutawadi-in. His surname was Digunung or Habud, suggesting that he grew up in, or ruled from, the interior of Sulu.
align="center"\| 7	align="center"\|Sultan Muhammad ul-Halim 1568–1596	The son of Sultan Nasirud-Din I. His other name was Pangiran Buddiman, which was the name by which he was probably known.
align="center"\| 8	align="center"\|Sultan Batarah Shah Tengah 1596–1608	The son of Sultan Muhammad ul-Halim. "Batarah" was a title used by Sulu rulers as early as the beginning of the fifteenth century, and Brunei annals always referred to Sulu rulers by this term. Died without heir.
align="center"\| 9	align="center"\|Sultan Muwallil Wasit I 1610–1650	The nephew of Sultan Batara Shah Tengah (the son of his sister who married as a fourth wife of Sultan Hassan of Brunei). He was known to Spaniards as Raja Bongsu; his royal bloodline is that of Brunei. On his coming to Sulu, he brought along his Royal relic called "Pulau Janggi" (in Sulu) or "Sepong Janggi" (in Brunei). One of his daughters married Sultan Qudarat of Maguindanao, while another daughter married Balatamay (Baratamay), the ruler of Buayan in 1657. Around 1650, his son Bachtiar took over the sultanate. Moved Sulu Royal court to Dungun, Tawi-Tawi after the Capture of Jolo by the Spaniards in 1638.
align="center"\| 10	align="center"\|Sultan Nasir ud-Din II 1645–1648	Believed to be the Sultan Qudarat who became sultan by virtue of his marriage to the previous sultan's Daughter, after which the throne reverted to Wasit once again, after a certain Sarikula died in 1648.{{cite book\|title=Asian Studies\|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xz5tAAAAMAAJ\|year=1978\|publisher=Philippine Center for Advanced Studies, University of the Philippines System\|page=15}}
align="center"\| 11	align="center"\|Sultan Salahud-Din Bakhtiar 1649/50–1680	Known to Spanish authorities as Pangiran Bactial and to Dutch officials as Pangiran Batticale. After his death, he was called Marhum Karamat. Due to his father's old age, as well as the number of his father's followers, he did not become sultan until around 1650, if not a year earlier. He installed the "3 Temporary Sultans of Sulu" to sit on the Sulu throne from 1680 to 1685 due to the very young age of his son.
align="center"\| 12	align="center"\|Sultan Ali Shah	Not mentioned in the Sulu genealogy but produced an heir in Shahabud-Din (No. 15). His reign was short and peaceful.
align="center"\| 13	align="center"\|Sultan Nur ul-Azam c. 1685{{Cite journal \|last=Majul \|first=Cesar Adib \|title=An Analysis of the "Genealogy of Sulu" \|url=https://www.scribd.com/document/426008698/majul-genealogy-sulu-pdf \|page=15 \|journal=Asian Studies: Journal of Critical Perspectives}}	Daughter of Sultan Nasirud-Din II, who was also known as Pangyan Ampay or Sitti Kabil (Arabic, meaning grand mistress), and ruled for four or five years.
align="center"\| 14	align="center"\|Sultan Al Haqunu Ibn Wali ul-Ahad	The name "Ibn Wali ul-Ahad" is Arabic for "son of the rajah muda" (heir apparent). Is speculated to be the son of Sarikula and helped govern with his cousin Sultan Salah ud-Din.
align="center"\| 15	align="center"\|Sultan Shahabud-Din 1685–1710	The son of Salah ud-Din. It was he who killed Sultan Kahar ud-Din Kuda of Maguindanao in 1702 and "ceded" Palawan to the Spanish government in 1705.
align="center"\| 16	align="center"\|Sultan Mustafa Shafi ud-Din 1710–1718	The younger brother of Shahab ud-Din he was also known as Juhan Pahalawan. He abdicated the throne in favour of his younger brother Badar ud-Din to avoid future dynastic troubles.
align="center"\| 17	align="center"\|Sultan Badarud-Din I 1718–1732	The younger brother of the two previous sultans, he was known to different Spanish authors as "Bigotillos" or "Barbillas", or as "el Rey Viejo de Tawi-Tawi". His mother was a Tirun lady{{who\|date=October 2015}} from the northeast coast of Borneo. In 1732, a nephew (or grand nephew) contested his rule which led to his retirement to Tawi-Tawi where he was then known as Sultan Dungun. He died around 1740 in Dungun during the reign of his son Azimud-Din I.
align="center"\| 18	align="center"\|Sultan Nasarud-Din 1732–1735	He believed was a son or grandson (by a daughter) of Shahab ud-Din and was known to the Spaniards as Datu Sabdula (Arabic, Abdullah). In 1731, he challenged the rule of Badar ud-Din, forcing the latter to take leave and retire in 1732. The intrigues of Badar ud-Din led to the proclamation of Azim ud-Din (a son of Badar ud-Din) as sultan in 1735. After a series of desultory skirmishes between the factions of Nasar ud-Din and Azim ud-Din, the former left for Maimbung where he generally remained till he died around 1735. He was also referred to as Dipatuan.
align="center"\| 19	align="center"\| Sultan Alimud-Din I 1735–1748 1764–1773	Son of Badarud-Din I. His name was Datu Lagasan. His royal families were then known as "The Sulu Sultanate First Heir-Apparents Families", due to his mother was the First wife of Sultan Badarud-Din I, a Bugis lady from Soopeng, Celebes.. His father proclaimed him ruler in Tawi-Tawi in 1735. In 1736, after a few intrigues had paved the way, a number of Datus asked Alimud-Din to transfer his court from Dungun to Bauang (Jolo). But a political struggle in 1748 forced him to leave Jolo for Basilan and then Zamboanga. His younger brother, Datu Bantilan, was then proclaimed sultan. In the meantime, he went to Manila where he remained for sometime, including a few years of imprisonment. He returned an old man to Jolo in 1764. In the same year, on 8 June, he was formally reinstated on the throne. In 1773, tired of affairs of state, he formally handed over the affairs of state to his son Muhammad Israil. He had two periods of reign; 1735–1748 and 1764–1773.
align="center"\| 20	align="center"\|Sultan Bantilan Muizzud-Din 1748–1763	Known to Spanish officials and priests as Datu or Pangiran Bantilan, he was a younger brother of Alimud-Din I (of a different mother). His families were then known as "The Sulu Sultanate Second Heir-Apparent", according to claims that his mother was the Sultan Badaru-Din I "Second wife's", a Tidung Princess, of the Tidung kingdom at the Northeast Borneo land. Sultan Bantilan also had sister name Dayang Meria (the mother of Datu Teteng @ Datu Tating, a Sulu warrior who had a "horn/Tanduk" on his forehead. In the history, Datu Teteng/ Tating ever attacked the British settlement at Balambangan Island in 1775. This "Tanduk/Horn" since then was "Mandated" to kept by the Maharajah Adinda Families. Due to Sultan Bantilan & Dayang Meria came from the same mother (the Tidung Princess). Datu Teteng @ Datu Tating had no heir.
align="center"\| 21	align="center"\| Sultan Muhammad Israil 1773–1778	One of the sons of Alimud-Din I, who abdicated his power to his son in November 1773. Muhammad Israil did not formally assume power until early the next year. He was believed to have been poisoned by either the partisans of his cousin or the cousin himself, Alimud-Din II (a son of Sultan Bantilan Muizzud-Din I), in 1778.
align="center"\| 22	align="center"\|Sultan Alimud-Din II 1763–1764 1778–1789	The son of Muizzud-Din I, he governed Sulu with his brother after the death of their father starting around the middle of 1763. By the end of that year, Alimud-Din II had become, for all practical purposes, the sultan. With the arrival of his uncle Alimud-Din I from Manila in 1764, whom he received well, Alimud-Din II left his followers for Parang. In 1778, he succeeded Muhammad Israel. He reigned until his death in 1789. Sultan Alimuddin II son was Paduca Raja Muda Datu Bantilan (*The Raja Muda @ Crown Prince) in the time of Sultan Alimuddin III in 1808.
align="center"\| 24	align="center"\|Sultan Alimud-Din III 1808	The son of Sharapud-Din, he died the same year as his father. According to a report, he reigned only for forty days. Most likely he died in a smallpox epidemic that raged through Jolo that year. By his death in 1808, his Crown Prince Raja Muda Datu Bantilan (son of Alimuddin II) should be installed as the Sultan of Sulu. But allegedly, he went to North Borneo due to smallpox outbreak in Jolo in 1808. On his back to Sulu, his throne was taken already by Datu Aliyud-Din, became Sultan Aliyud-Din I (the young brother of Sultan Alimud-Din III). Paduca Raja Muda then "mandated" to his son Datu Aranan to take back the Sulu throne. But only in 1862, the Sulu throne given back to Datu Aranan as Maharajah Adinda Sultan Mohammad Aranan/Adanan Puyo.
align="center"\| 26	align="center"\|Sultan Shakirul-Lah 1821–1823	The brother of Aliyud-Din I.
align="center"\| 27	align="center"\|Sultan Jamalul Kiram I 1823–1844	He was the son of Alimud-Din III.
align="center"\| 28	align="center"\|Sultan Moh. Pulalun Kiram 1844–1862	The son of Jamalul-Kiram I. Sultan Pualaun Then giving the Sulu throne to his uncle, Datu Aranan to fulfill the Sulu Protocol Tartib. But after 1 week sat on the Sulu throne, Datu Aranan begged to abdicated from the throne, and give the Sulu throne to Sultan Pulalon son (Datu Jamalul Azam) with some "Condition", that the throne should giving back to Datu Aranan son, when he reached manhood and suitable to sit on the Sulu throne. Anyways, these condition never followed till present. Datu Aranan son was Datu Mohammad Sie/Seh/Sheikh, and then born Datu Aliuddin Haddis Pabila (*The person who submitted the Pulau Janggi/ Sepong janggi to Brunei Muzeums in 1978 for Seft-Keeping).
align="center"\| 29	align="center"\|Sultan Jamal ul-Azam 1862–1881	The son of Sultan Mohammad Pulalun Kiram. On 22 January 1878, he signed a treaty under which the territory of the eastern part of northern Borneo (Sabah) was leased (pajakan) by a Malay contract to an Austro-Hungarian consul Baron von Overbeck.{{cite book\|author=International Court of Justice\|title=Summaries of Judgments, Advisory Opinions, and Orders of the International Court of Justice, 1997-2002\|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QhIhqVaIpawC&pg=PA268\|year=2003\|publisher=United Nations Publications\|isbn=978-92-1-133541-5\|pages=268–}}{{cite book\|first=Mohamed \|last=Ariff \|date=1991 \|title=The Muslim Private Sector in Southeast Asia: Islam and the Economic Development of Southeast Asia \|publisher=Institute of Southeast Asian Studies \|pages=30– \|isbn=978-981-3016-09-5}}{{cite book\|first=K. J. \|last=Allison \|date=1979 \|title=English Pilipino Sama Sibutu, Basic Vocabulary \|publisher=Summer Institute of Linguistics--Philippines \|page=59}}
align="center"\| 30	align="center"\|Sultan Mohammed Badarud-Din II 1881–1884	A descendant of Paduka Batara, eastern Sulu king who had died in Denzou-China, 19-year-old Sultan Badaruddin died in 1884 without leaving any male heir.
align="center"\| 31	align="center"\|Sultan Harun Ar-Rashid 1886–1894	A descendant of Alimud-Din I, through Datu Putong. Spanish intrigues led to his proclamation as sultan by a few Datus in 1881, until forced to abdicate in 1894 in favor of Jamalul-Kiram-II, a younger brother of Badarud-Din II, who had already been proclaimed as Sultan of Sulu, the abdication being a recognition by Spanish authorities of Jamalul-Kiram-II's legitimacy. Harun Ar-Rashid retired to Palawan, where he died in April 1899.
align="center"\| 32	align="center"\|Sultan Jamalul Kiram II 1894–1936	The younger brother of Badarud-Din II. He was proclaimed Sultan of Sulu by his followers in 1884 as the son of Jamalul A'Lam. According to some sources, his real name was Amirul Kiram Awal-II. His proclamation as sultan was contested by Datu Aliud-Din, a grandson of Sultan Shakirul-Lah, but without any success. Aliud-Din was forced to flee to Basilan. It was Harun Ar-Rashid who tried to mediate between Jamalul-Kiram and Aliud-Din, until the Spaniards thought it expedient to have Harun Ar-Rashid himself proclaimed Sultan. The Spaniards were led eventually to deal with Jamalul-Kiram II as the Sultan of Sulu in spite of his repeated refusal to go to Manila on a state visit. In 1915, Jamalul-Kiram II virtually surrendered his political powers to the United States government under the 1915 Carpenter Agreement. Jamalul-Kiram II died on 7 June 1936, without leaving any son nor heir. Although he had seven daughters, no woman could be appointed as heir or successor according to Islamic law.

=List of sultans from 1936 to 1950=

By the early 20th century, the sultanate had already declined. Any claimed political sovereignty of the sultanate was formally abolished in 1915.{{cite web|url=http://www.dailyexpress.com.my/news.cfm?NewsID=84741|title=Why 'Sultan' is dreaming|publisher=Daily Express|date=27 March 2013|accessdate=1 January 2016|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150610203111/http://www.dailyexpress.com.my/news.cfm?NewsID=84741|archivedate=10 June 2015|url-status=dead}}{{cite book|author1=Graham Kemp|author2=Douglas P. Fry|title=Keeping the Peace: Conflict Resolution and Peaceful Societies Around the World|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mimdCjpaGN0C&pg=PA124|year=2004|publisher=Psychology Press|isbn=978-0-415-94761-9|pages=124–}}{{cite book|author1=K. S. Nathan|author2=Mohammad Hashim Kamali|title=Islam in Southeast Asia: Political, Social and Strategic Challenges for the 21st Century|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=O8d6BwAAQBAJ&pg=PA52|date=January 2005|publisher=Institute of Southeast Asian Studies|isbn=978-981-230-282-3|pages=52–}}{{cite web|url=https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/1915/03/22/memorandum-carpenter-agreement-march-22-1915/ |title=Memorandum: Carpenter Agreement |publisher=Government of the Philippines |date=22 March 1915 |accessdate=17 October 2015 }} The descendants of the royal family are still recognised and honoured as de facto royalty by the people in Sulu and by others.{{citation needed|date=May 2016}}.

After the death of Sultan Jamalul-Kiram II in 1936, the Philippine Government, the successors in sovereignty to the United States of America, decided not to recognise the continued existence of the Sulu sultanate, according to a letter to the governor of North Borneo dated 28 July 1936, from the British Consul General in Manila.{{citation needed|date=October 2013}} After that decision, several legitimate claimants and pretenders to the throne of Sulu appeared. During World War II, Japanese and American forces exerted influence in sultanate's affairs, each recognising a pretender supportive of their agenda.{{citation needed|date=February 2020}}

Muwallil Wasit II is the only Sultan from that time whose claim is recognized by the modern Philippines government.

width="20" \| !width="140" \|Sultan !Details
class="wikitable"
align="center" bgcolor="#ffdddd"\| *	align="center" bgcolor="#ffdddd"\|Sultan Bomid-Din I 1936–1973	bgcolor="#ffdddd" \|The second younger brother of Sultan Badarud-Din II and Sultan Jamalul-Kiram II. He was proclaimed Sultan of Sulu by direct vote of the people during a Ruma Bichara held in Parang, Sulu, on 11 April 1936, while Sultan Jamalul-Kiram II was dying; but he was not widely recognised, and was eclipsed by his rivals during World War II. His claim was rejected by the Philippine government in 1962, in favour of Sultan Esmail E. Kiram I.{{citation needed\|date=December 2018}}
align="center"\| 32	align="center"\|Muwallil Wasit II 1936–1950	He was the younger brother of Sultan Badarud-Din II and Sultan Jamalul-Kiram II and was Raja Muda (crown prince) of the sultanate. He was lawfully elected by the Ruma Bichara, the Datus and Sharifs, as the new sultan. Six months later, before the formal coronation ceremony took place, he was murdered.{{cite web\|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,757014,00.html\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081215093714/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,757014,00.html\|url-status=dead\|archive-date=15 December 2008\|title=THE PHILIPPINES: Wasit to Paradise\|publisher=Time\|date=30 November 1936}} His legitimacy as the heir to the throne and his position as crown prince to Jamalul-Kiram II, was confirmed again by the Sessions Court of North Borneo's so-called McKaskie court, ruling in 1939, identifying his heirs as the rulers of the territory of North Borneo.{{citation needed\|date=May 2015}} Mohammed Esmail Kiram was the eldest son of Muwallil Wasit II and recognised successor of the Sultan of Sulu.{{citation needed\|date=December 2018}}
align="center" bgcolor="#ffdddd"\| *	align="center" bgcolor="#ffdddd"\|Amirul Umara I 1935–1964	bgcolor="#ffdddd"\|Recognised as Sultan of Sulu by the Japanese government. As Datu Ombra Amilbangsa, he was the husband of Dayang Dayang Piandao, who was the daughter of Sultan Badarud-Din II, after whose death she was adopted by Sultan Jamalul-Kiram II, after whose death the Sessions Court of North Borneo, on 16 August 1937, granted her administration and inheritance rights over his property and credits.{{citation needed\|date=May 2015}} She had him proclaimed Sultan Amirul Umara I, and he ruled from Maimbung. After the defeat of Japan and the death of Dayang Dayang Piandao, their heir, Sultan Shariful Hashim, also known as Sultan Eric, was accused of homicide and blackmail, which caused him to run away to Sandakan Sabah, to his uncle the cousin of sultan, Datu Bachtiyal, the son of Sultan Jainar Abirin, also known as Datu Tambuyong, where he now lives. After that Sultan Amirul Umara I abdicated.{{citation needed\|date=December 2018}}
align="center" bgcolor="#ffdddd"\| *	align="center" bgcolor="#ffdddd"\|Jainal Abirin 1937–1950	bgcolor="#ffdddd" \| Born Datu Tambuyong, he was a great-great-grandson of Sultan Shakirul-Lah and was supported by the American Forces. He ruled from Patikul but stepped down in 1950.{{citation needed\|date=December 2018}}

=List of sultans since 1950=

File:Sulusultanategenaolgy.jpg.]]

In 1962, the Philippine government under President Diosdado Macapagal officially recognised the continued existence of the Sulu sultanate and, on 24 May 1974, officially recognised Sultan Mohammad Mahakuttah Kiram (reigned 1974–1986), under Memo Order 427, which was issued by Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos, and which stated that "The Government has always recognised the Sultanate of Sulu as the legitimate claimant to the historical territories of the Republic of Philippines" and that Mahakuttah A. Kiram is officially recognised as the Sultan of Sulu with the government being obligated to support his coronation on that date, his 8-year-old eldest son, Muedzul Lail Tan Kiram, being crowned beside his father as Raja Muda (Crown Prince).

On 16 February 1986, Muedzul Lail Tan Kiram, succeeded his father to become the head of the Sulu royal house. As the eldest son of the former Sultan Mahakuttah, he is the legitimate heir to the throne of the Sultanate of Sulu.{{cite web | title=Line of succession of the Sultans of Sulu of the Modern Era| date=26 February 2013| url=https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/2013/02/26/line-of-succession-of-the-sultans-of-sulu-of-the-modern-era/|accessdate=26 February 2013}}

The following list details the holders of the title Sultan who are officially recognised by the Philippine Government.

width="20" \| !width="140" \|Sultan !Details
class="wikitable"
align="center"\| 33	align="center"\| Sultan Mohammed Esmail Kiram I (Esmail E. Kiram I) 1950–1974	He was the eldest son of Raja Muda Muwallil Wasit II and the legally recognised successor to the Sultan of Sulu. Sultan Mohammed Esmail Kiram granted authority to the Philippine government under the administrations of President Diosdado Macapagal, on 12 September 1962, and of President Ferdinand Marcos, in 1972, under which documents the Philippine government again officially "recognised" the continued existence of the Sulu sultanate and the office of Sultan of Sulu. His eldest son, Datu Mohammed Mahakuttah A. Kiram, was his Raja Muda (Crown Prince).{{cite book\|author=Juanito Alli Bruno\|title=The Social World of the Tausug: A Study in Philippine Culture and Education\|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xLweAAAAMAAJ\|year=1973\|publisher=Centro Escolar University, Research and Development Center}}
align="center"\| 34	align="center"\|Sultan Mohammed Mahakuttah Abdullah Kiram 1974–1986	He was the eldest son of Sultan Mohammed Esmail E. Kiram I and the heir apparent to the throne. He was the last Sultan of Sulu officially recognised by the Ruma Bichara and by the Philippine government. In Memorandum Order 427 (1974), then-Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos declared that Mahakuttah A. Kiram was the legitimate heir and that the government was obligated to support his coronation as Sultan of Sulu,{{cite web\|title=Memorandum Order No. 427, s. 1974\|url=https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/1974/05/10/memorandum-order-no-427-s-1974/\|work=Official Gazette\|date=10 May 1974 \|publisher=Office of the President of the Philippines\|accessdate=27 February 2013}} which took place on 24 May 1974.{{citation needed\|date=March 2013}} At the same time, Muedzul Lail Tan Kiram, the eldest son, being then 8 years old, was crowned beside his father as Raja Muda (Crown Prince) of Sulu.{{Cite web\|url=http://www.royalsultanateofsulu.org/#!hrh-raja-muda\|title=Structure of Sultanate\|accessdate=26 April 2011\|publisher=Royal House of Sulu\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110626123802/http://www.royalsultanateofsulu.org/#!hrh-raja-muda\|archive-date=26 June 2011\|url-status=dead}} {{unreliable source?\|date=October 2015}}
align="center"\| 35	align="center"\|Muedzul Lail Tan Kiram 1986–2012 (as de jure Sultan) 2012–present (as Sultan)	Sultan Muedzul Lail Tan Kiram—the eldest son, legitimate heir, and successor to the late Sultan Mohammed Mahakuttah A. Kiram (sultan 1974–1986)—is the current head of the Royal House of Sulu, from 16 February 1986 to the present. As a child of eight, on 24 May 1974, he was crowned Raja Muda (Crown Prince, heir to the throne) of the Sultanate of Sulu, on the same day his father was crowned Sultan of Sulu. These coronations—of the sultan and the Raja Muda—were endorsed by Ferdinand Marcos in his capacity as president of the Philippines. Memorandum Order No. 427, issued at the time, affirms: "The Government has always recognised the Sultanate of Sulu as the legitimate claimant to the historical territories of the Republic of Philippines". In this document, Sultan Moh. Mahakuttah A. Kiram and (then) Crown Prince Muedzul Lail Tan Kiram were officially recognised by the Philippine government as the legitimate holder and the legitimate successor to the historic Sulu sultanate . On 16 February 1986, after Sultan Mohammed Mahakuttah A. Kiram of Sulu and North Borneo died, Muedzul Lail Tan Kiram became head of the Royal House of Sulu and North Borneo (Kiram Dynasty). During his time as Raja Muda, Muedzul Lail Tan Kiram studied at the Universidad de Zamboanga (Zamboanga City, Philippines), and was awarded the degree of Bachelor of Arts. His Majesty pursued further studies in Lahore (Pakistan) during 1995 and 1996. In 2011, Muedzul Lail Tan Kiram exercised his head-of-house dynastic rights as a fons honorum (font of honour) to institute and establish the Royal and Hashemite Order of the Pearl of Sulu, becoming the first Grand Sayyid (Grand Master) of this order. Muedzul Lail Tan Kiram was crowned as the 35th legitimate Sultan of Sulu and North Borneo on 16 September 2012. {{cite web\|title=Dressing up the Monarch \|url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13639811.2024.2325226 \|accessdate=19 April 2025}} The coronation events took place in Mainbung (Sulu), in the presence of dignitaries of the sultanate, local officials, foreign guests, other dignitaries, and a large number of the people of Sulu. Subsequent to the coronation, Kiram, together with his sibling Nadya Sudjaja, reaffirmed, as de jure sultan, his earlier dynastic institution of the Royal Order of the Pearl, also reconfirming his position within the order as Grand Sayyid.{{Cite web\|url=http://www.royalhouseofsulu.org/the-sultan.html \|title=H.M. Muedzul Lail Tan Kiram, Sultan of Sulu \|access-date=6 June 2016 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180131153502/http://www.royalhouseofsulu.org/the-sultan.html \|archive-date=31 January 2018 \|url-status=dead}}{{cite web\|url=https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/2013/02/26/line-of-succession-of-the-sultans-of-sulu-of-the-modern-era/ \|title=Line of succession of the Sultans of Sulu of the Modern Era \|url-status=live \|work=Official Gazette of the Government of the Philippines \|date=26 February 2013 \|access-date=10 June 2023 \|publisher=Government of the Philippines \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220524191736/https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/2013/02/26/line-of-succession-of-the-sultans-of-sulu-of-the-modern-era/ \|archive-date=24 May 2022}}

Modern, unrecognised claimants

After the death of Sultan Mahakuttah A. Kiram, the Philippine national government has not formally recognized a new sultan. However, it has acknowledged Muedzul Lail Tan Kiram as the current head of the Royal House of Sulu. Mahakuttah's Crown Prince, Muedzul Lail Tan Kiram, who was recognized as heir to the throne according to the line of succession acknowledged by the Philippine government from 1915 to 1986, was only 20 years old at the time of his father's death.{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYaq6KsqwZc |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/gYaq6KsqwZc |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live|title=Datu Muedzul Lail Tan Kiram, iginiit na siya ang karapat-dapat na lider ng mga taga-Sulu|author=Karon David|language=tl|work=GMA News|publisher=YouTube|accessdate=29 March 2013}}{{cbignore}} {{unreliable source?|date=October 2015}} Due to his young age and the political instability in the Philippines—which culminated in the People Power Revolution and the subsequent removal of President Ferdinand Marcos—he was unable to immediately claim the throne. This vacuum in leadership allowed rival branches of the royal family to assert their own claims. As a result, the sultans who followed were neither crowned with the endorsement of, nor formally recognized by, the Philippine government, unlike their predecessors up to 1986. Nevertheless, the government has, at times, engaged in discussions with one or more of these claimants on matters concerning the Sultanate's affairs.

It is important to note that the issue of rightful succession to the Sultanate of Sulu traces back further. After the death of Sultan Jamalul Kiram II in 1936, the next legitimate sultan was Sultan Jainal Abirin, a great-great-grandson of Sultan Shakirul-Lah. His legitimacy was rooted not merely in lineage, but in his undergoing the traditional Giba Ceremony, a significant rite passed down from Sayyid Balfaqi Alawi through the Bandahala Family of Sulu and the Ligaddung Family of Tawi-Tawi. Sultan Jainal Abirin was conferred this rite by Sayyid Sharif Capt. Kalingalan Caluang, son of Panglima Caluang, who was among the "Fighting 21" of Sulu and a respected elder of the Bangsamoro Movement Ansarul Islam, predating the rise of Nur Misuari.Espaldon, E. M. (1997). With the bravest: The untold story of the Sulu freedom fighters of World War II. Espaldon-Virata Foundation.

Panglima Bandahala, son of the revered Sattiya Munuh—widely regarded as one of the awliya (saints) in Luuk—was the right hand of Sultan Jamalul Kiram II and shared blood ties with the Sultans of Sulu as descendants of the Ba 'Alawi sada of Yemen. Sattiya Munuh was in turn the son of the Hadhrami scholar and spiritual leader Sayyid Qasim, who, according to oral tradition, was either the son of or identical to Sayyid Balfaqi Alawi himself.

After the time of Sultan Jainal Abirin, the Giba Ceremony was largely neglected. Subsequent claimants often sought legitimacy through recognition by the Philippine government, sidelining a deeply rooted tradition that had been honored since the time of Sayyiduna Sultan Shariful Hashim.Alonto, Rowena (2009). 13 Stories of Islamic Leadership vol 1 (PDF). Asian Institute of Management – Team Energy Center for Bridging Societal Divides. p. 26Mahdi, R. (n.d.). Sayyid Capt. Kalingalan Caluang. Medium. https://medium.com/@rabbaniMahdi/sayyid-capt-kalingalan-caluang-0b227395118d

width="20" \| !width="140" \|Sultan !Details
class="wikitable"
align="center"\| *	align="center"\|Mohammed Punjungan Kiram 1980–1983	Younger brother of Sultan Esmail E. Kiram I. On 11 October 1939, the Sessions Court of North Borneo granted him administration rights over the property and credits of his deceased father, Raja Muda Muwallil Wasit II.{{citation needed\|date=May 2015}} Punjungan Kiram was made Crown Prince under Sultan Esmail E. Kiram I, on the condition that he transfer his rights of succession to the son of the Sultan when the son comes of legal age. (This condition was rarely used, as the law of succession would be complicated by such abnormal provisions. The primogeniture law of succession allows only for the title-holder's male heir, and the successor to Punjungan Kiram should be his own oldest son Jamalul Kiram III.) When the condition was met, instead of resigning from his position as Raja Muda, Punjungan Kiram exiled himself to Malaysia and later returned to contest the reign of his nephew Mahakuttah A. Kiram, who had lawfully replaced him as Crown Prince, and who was later recognised by President Ferdinand Marcos as Sultan, based on Mahakuttah A Kiram being Crown Prince and at Abraham Rasul's recommendation. Punjungan Kiram was the father of Jamalul Kiram III and Esmail Kiram II.
align="center"\| *	align="center"\|Aguimuddin Abirin 1983	From the family of Jainal Abirin, he claimed the title for a short time.
align="center"\| *	align="center"\|Jamal ul-Kiram III 1983–1990 2012–2013	Eldest son of Punjungan Kiram and elder brother of Esmail Kiram II.{{cite web\|url=http://www.royalsulu.com/ \|url-status=usurped \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130513130126/http://www.royalsulu.com/ \|archive-date=13 May 2013 \|title=Welcome to the Royal Hashemite Sultanate of Sulu & Sabah Official Website}}{{unreliable source?\|date=October 2015}} He was the so-called "Interim Sultan of Sulu" from 1974 to 1981 during the absence of his father in Sabah (but not recognised by the Philippine government). In 1986, he proclaimed himself as the Sultan of Sulu; he later retired, replaced by Mohammad Akijal Atti, in 1990.{{cite web\|url=http://www.thestar.com.my/story/?file=%2f2008%2f7%2f13%2fnation%2f21813677&sec=nation\|title=So, who's the real sultan?\|work=The Star\|date=13 July 2008\|access-date=31 October 2015}} He was in violation of the sultanate's law of succession by leaving Sulu for Manila to enter politics. A decade-long dispute over succession rights within the family ended on 11 November 2012, when claimants met and Jamalul Kiram III was proclaimed sultan along with his brother Esmail Kiram II. He then proclaimed Agbimuddin Kiram as Raja Muda (heir apparent). In February 2013, he organised the intrusion into the eastern part of Sabah, which turned into a violent standoff; and he was labelled a "terrorist" by both the Malaysian and Sabah state governments, when his followers killed Malaysian security personnel and mutilated their bodies, and were intent on taking Sabahan residents as hostages.{{cite news\|url=http://globalnation.inquirer.net/64577/heirs-of-sultan-of-sulu-pursue-sabah-claim-on-their-own\|title=Heirs of Sultan of Sulu pursue Sabah claim on their own\|newspaper=Philippine Daily Inquirer\|date=16 February 2013\|access-date=20 February 2013}}{{cite web\|url=http://www.kln.gov.my/web/guest/home?p_p_id=101_INSTANCE_Yt06&p_p_lifecycle=0&p_p_state=normal&p_p_mode=view&p_p_col_id=column-3&p_p_col_pos=1&p_p_col_count=5&_101_INSTANCE_Yt06_struts_action=%2Fasset_publisher%2Fview_content&_101_INSTANCE_Yt06_urlTitle=press-statement%3A-meeting-with-the-secretary-of-foreign-affairs-of-the-philippines-h-e-albert-f-del-rosario-on-4-march-2013-kenyataan-akhbar%3A-pertemuan-dengan-setiausaha-luar-filipina-t-y-t-albert-fl-del-rosario-pada-4-mac-2013&_101_INSTANCE_Yt06_type=content&redirect=%2Fweb%2Fguest%2Fhome \|title=Press Statement: Meeting with the Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines, H.E. Albert F. del Rosario on 4 March 2013 \|publisher=Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Malaysia \|date=5 March 2013 \|access-date=7 March 2013 \|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130308101100/http://www.kln.gov.my/web/guest/home?p_p_id=101_INSTANCE_Yt06&p_p_lifecycle=0&p_p_state=normal&p_p_mode=view&p_p_col_id=column-3&p_p_col_pos=1&p_p_col_count=5&_101_INSTANCE_Yt06_struts_action=%2Fasset_publisher%2Fview_content&_101_INSTANCE_Yt06_urlTitle=press-statement%3A-meeting-with-the-secretary-of-foreign-affairs-of-the-philippines-h-e-albert-f-del-rosario-on-4-march-2013-kenyataan-akhbar%3A-pertemuan-dengan-setiausaha-luar-filipina-t-y-t-albert-fl-del-rosario-pada-4-mac-2013&_101_INSTANCE_Yt06_type=content&redirect=%2Fweb%2Fguest%2Fhome \|archive-date=8 March 2013 \|url-status=dead}}{{cite web\|url=http://www.thestar.com.my/News/Nation/2013/03/03/Semporna-villagers-beat-to-death-exMoro-commander/\|title=Semporna villagers beat to death ex-Moro commander\|work=The Star\|date=3 March 2013\|accessdate=11 October 2013}}{{cite web\|url=http://www.thebo-rneopost.com/2013/06/30/sabahans-will-not-forget-lahad-datu-incident-musa/\|title=Sabahans will not forget Lahad Datu incident — Musa\|agency=Bernama\|website=The Borneo Post\|date=30 June 2013\|access-date=11 October 2013}} Jamalul Kiram III died on 20 October 2013.
align="center"\| *	align="center"\|Mohammad Akijal Atti 1990–1999	Succeeded Jamalul Kiram III in 1990 as regent, and was succeeded by Jamalul Kiram's brother Esmail Kiram II in 1999.
align="center"\| *	align="center"\|Esmail Kiram II 1999–2015	Second son of Punjungan Kiram and younger brother of Jamalul Kiram III. Due to different regional spellings, as can be found at government and newspaper sites, his name appears as Esmail, Esmael, Ismail, or Ismael. He proclaimed himself as "Reigning Sultan". confirmed by the elders of Sulu, in 2001, when his older brother Jamalul Kiram III left Sulu, to Manila to enter showbusiness and politics. The November 2012 agreement allowed Jamalul Kiram III to once again be proclaimed Sultan alongside Esmail Kiram II, and their brother Agbimuddin Kiram was confirmed as Raja Muda (heir apparent) to both. Sultan Esmail Kiram II recognised Jamalul Kiram III, as the oldest brother, as the legitimate leader and organiser of the February 2013 "Sabah Homecoming of Raja Muda Agbimuddin Kiram"{{according to whom\|date=November 2015}}, as agreed to by the family, and due to the illness of Jamalul Kiram, who styled himself as "Sultan Proper" (having abdicated){{according to whom\|date=November 2015}}. The homecoming led to a standoff, due to the unpopularity of Jamalul Kiram, for which both received criticism.{{cite news\|url=http://globalnation.inquirer.net/68429/sabah-pullout-talks-begin\|title=Sabah pullout talks begin\|first=Marlon \|last=Calleja Ramos\|newspaper=Philippine Daily Inquirer\|date=12 March 2013 \|accessdate=12 May 2013}} Abdulah Kiram was his son and possible heir, but his brother Agbimuddin Kiram was confirmed as Raja Muda (heir apparent) in 2012, led the Sabah standoff in 2013 and died on 13 January 2015 while still in hiding. Sultan Esmail Kiram II died on 19 September 2015.
align="center"\| *	align="center"\|Fuad Abdullah Kiram I	Fuad Abdullah Kiram I is the younger brother of Sultan Mohammed Mahakuttah Abdullah Kiram, the last Sultan of Sulu officially recognized by the Philippine government. He is one of the Sulu group’s eight members claiming to be heirs of the Sultanate. {{Cite web \|date=2023-04-12 \|title=Malaysia lists Sulu heir as terrorist to repel US$14 billion Sabah claim \|url=https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3216723/malaysia-goes-offensive-lists-sulu-heir-terrorist-claim-over-sabah \|access-date=2024-01-29 \|website=South China Morning Post \|language=en}} On 11 April 2023, Malaysia classified Fuad Abdullah Kiram I as a terrorist under the country’s anti-money laundering and terrorism laws, as part of measures to safeguard national sovereignty amid the ongoing territorial dispute between the two parties over Sabah.{{Cite news \|date=2023-04-11 \|title=Malaysia Lists Sulu Heir as a Terrorist in Claim Over Sabah \|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-04-11/malaysia-lists-sulu-heir-as-a-terrorist-in-claim-over-sabah \|access-date=2024-01-29 \|work=Bloomberg.com \|language=en}}