shah

Shah is a title meaning king in Persian, widely used for sovereign rulers in Iran and in other regions influenced by Persian culture. The word derives from Old Persian xšāh and is cognate with similar terms in related languages; shahanshah, meaning "king of kings," was used by ancient empires such as the Achaemenids and Sassanids to denote the supreme ruler.

In later periods, Shah became a common regnal element among Iranian dynasties, including the Safavids, Afsharids, Zands, Qajars, and Pahlavis. The modern Iranian monarchy was led by Reza Shah Pahlavi (reigned 1925–1941) and his son Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi (1941–1979). The monarchy was dissolved after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, and Iran is now a republic.

Outside Iran, the title circulated in South and Central Asia. In the Mughal Empire, rulers commonly bore the title Shah alongside their personal names, as in Shah Jahan. Afghanistan also had Shahs during its monarchy, with Zahir Shah as the last king, who reigned from 1933 to 1973.

Today, Shah persists as a surname and given name in Persian- and South Asian-speaking communities. The term also remains culturally resonant through works such as the Shahnameh, the Persian epic poetry that recounts legendary and historical kings.