Khakan

Khakan, also transliterated as khagan or kagan, is a title from Turkic and Mongolic political culture meaning "ruler of rulers" or "great khan." It denotes a sovereign who claims supremacy over other rulers within a confederation or across different polities. The term derives from Old Turkic khagan, from a Proto-Turkic root related to khan and later spread through Central Asia to the Khazar and Mongol polities.

Historically, a khagan stood above ordinary khans and khans of subject tribes; the title was used by rulers who sought to unify diverse tribes under a single authority. The Göktürk Khaganate (6th–8th centuries) popularized the title in East and Central Asia, and it was later used by rulers of the Khazar Khaganate. After the rise of the Mongol Empire, some of its rulers used the title as the supreme monarch of the Mongol world, often translated as Great Khan in English. Across different periods and regions, the exact prerogatives of a khagan varied, and the title could coexist with other royal titles.

In modern usage, Khakan appears as a transliteration variant and is sometimes used as a given name in Turkic-speaking communities, as well as in historical fiction and scholarly discussions. The term remains a key concept for understanding the political structure of steppe empires and their legacy.