tsar

Tsar, also spelled czar, tsar, or tzar, is a title used to designate certain monarchs or emperors in Eastern Europe and Eurasia. The word derives from the Latin Caesar and reached Slavic languages through medieval usage that asserted imperial authority. In Russian and Bulgarian traditions the form tsar became especially associated with sovereigns who claimed supreme autocratic power, and the term has appeared in other contexts as well.

In Russia, the title was adopted by Ivan IV in 1547 when he proclaimed himself Tsar of All Rus’. This signified a claim to centralized, autocratic rule over the various principalities that formed the Russian state. The concept of the tsar drew on Byzantine imperial symbolism and the idea of a single ruler over a vast realm. In 1721, Peter the Great established the Russian Empire and began using the title emperor (imperator) in formal contexts, but the word tsar continued to be used domestically and in foreign languages to refer to the ruler. The distinction between tsar and emperor became more pronounced in ceremonial and diplomatic language, though both signified supreme authority within the state.

Beyond Russia, the title was used by Bulgarian rulers of the First and Second Bulgarian Empires, and the state was commonly known as the Tsardom of Bulgaria. The Bulgarian monarchy endured in various forms until its abolition in 1946. In modern English usage, czar is also employed metaphorically to denote a high-level official charged with a policy area, such as a drug czar or a peace czar.